one of the world’s most fabulous resorts

Once a sleepy cattle and sugarcane settlement, La Romana is now home to one of the world’s most fabulous resorts. Although La Romana can be visited on a day trip from the capital, a few days are necessary to really do it justice.

Casa de Campo is La Romana’s most impressive sight--its hotel and villa accommodations and endless leisure facilities are spread over 7,000 acres of lush terrain on the Caribbean coast. The resort boasts ultra-chic interiors and beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds.

Minutes away from the resort buildings but still part of the Casa de Campo complex is Altos de Chavón, an exact replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village, perched on the cliffs above the Chavón River. The village, hand-constructed in 1978 by local artisans under the direction of Italian set designer Roberto Copa, serves as both a living museum and an artists’ colony, providing a picturesque setting in which artists live, study and work. The Church of St. Stanislaus is at the center of the village; it was named after the patron saint of Poland in tribute to Pope John Paul II, who visited the island in 1979 and left some of the saint’s ashes behind. Nearby is the Regional Museum of Archaeology, which houses a collection of Taíno artifacts.

There are three major art galleries in the village, showcasing the works of Dominican, European and American artists. Throughout the winding cobblestone streets are smaller galleries where visitors can learn macramé, jewelry making, print making and other crafts or buy the finished products.