Although the resorts of the Dominican Republic do not require additional recommendations, you may be interested in learning more about one of the best places to stay in this republic. This is the resort of La Romana. La Romana (Dominican Republic) is perfect for a relaxing family and romantic getaway, it is also known for its good conditions for diving, a night club is waiting for a luxurious club, and for curious tourists there are interesting sights in the immediate vicinity.
General information about La Romana
The city of La Romana is located in the Dominican Republic, in its southeastern part, on the very shore of the Caribbean Sea. This city is 110 km from the capital of the republic, Santo Domingo, and only 70 km from Punta Cana Airport.
La Romana covers an area of more than 185 km² and the population is approaching 128,000.
La Romana is the administrative center of the province of the same name, the third largest city of the Dominican Republic and the center of international tourism. In 2000, an international private airport even started working here, only from the CIS countries there are no direct flights there – you need to fly to Punta Cana and get from there to your destination.
In 1970, a huge hotel complex, Casa de Campo, was built on the eastern side of La Romana resort in the Dominican Republic. This complex remains one of the best tourist centers not only in the republic, but also throughout the world. Casa de Campo covers an area of more than 28 km² and has a private beach, a yacht club, 3 golf courses, a helipad, a horse ranch, a spa, restaurants, bars, and various activities for children.
La Romana beaches
It’s no secret that most tourists go to the Dominican Republic mainly for a beach holiday. What in this regard can offer travelers of La Romana? La Romana is a resort where several popular beaches of the Dominican Republic await tourists: Bayahibe, Dominicus, Minitas, Caleta.
Dominicus is a white sand beach with good clear water. The entrance to the sea is sandy, comfortable and gentle. The depth here is very shallow, next to the buoys of an adult on the neck – some vacationers consider this a drawback, but the place is ideal for kids. Often there are light waves on which you can lie comfortably.
Near Playa Dominicos, there are most of the famous La Romana resort hotels in the Dominican Republic, which own the bulk of the local coast. But between the hotels Wyndham Dominicus Palace and Iberostar Hacienda there is a public city beach, where there is a restaurant and several stalls with national souvenirs.
The bulk of vacationers are guests of nearby hotels. But Playa Dominicos is also popular among residents of the Dominican Republic, especially a lot of them come here on weekends, which can cause difficulties in finding free space.
Caleta is a public beach, far from the best and not the cleanest in this republic. Walking on the sand should be careful, as broken glass often comes across. The water is clear, but it also contains bottles and other rubbish, a lot of stones.
Tourists who visited Playa Caleta in La Romana in the Dominican Republic, in their reviews, note the advantages of this place. Here you can spend time in one of the restaurants, where there is good fried fish and various delicious dishes of Dominican cuisine at very nice prices. Playa Caleta also has many grocery stores where you can inexpensively buy fresh fish and seafood.
The Caleta problem is constantly pestering merchants. They are trying hard to sell their goods and often bother tourists enjoying food at the cafe tables. The residents of the Dominican Republic have a rest at Caleta; on weekends it is difficult to find a free place because of them.
Bayahibe is divided into a small cape of La Punta into 2 parts. The northern section is longer, it is used as a parking lot for fishing and tourist boats. In the sea there is a constant movement of boats, so swimming is very dangerous. The only quiet place on the north side where you can swim and sunbathe is next to the Dreams La Romana.
The southern part of Bayahibe is much more suitable for relaxing by the sea, there is a public beach and several small hotel rooms. It is the public part of Bayahíbe in La Romana of the Dominican Republic that is described next.
The coastal strip is sandy, but too strewn with stones. The bottom near the shore is also in stones, but the water is so clear that they are very clearly visible. The entry into the water is quite gentle, and you need to go 140 meters from the coast to the normal depth. The waves are sometimes strong, although the coast remains clean, since there is no seaweed here.
There is a garden adjacent to Bayahib, in the shade of trees which you can hide from the sun. There is an opportunity to rent umbrellas and home-made deck chairs – the locals rent them out at a rather high price, for $ 10. There are no toilets or locker rooms. There are no decent restaurants either, but there are many small cafes and stalls with beach accessories.
Bayahíbe is always filled with people. On weekdays, mainly tourists visit it; on the weekend, Dominicans occupy it.
Travelers who come to the Dominican Republic in search of suitable diving conditions will enjoy the picturesque coral reef off the coast of Bayahíbe.
Minitas is the real pearl of this tropical republic. A small but bright advertising picture: clear white sands, crystal clear water, giving a cool shadow to coconut palms. Another huge advantage of La Minitas is that it is very well equipped.
This beach is located 10 minutes by bus from the center of La Romana, in the Casa de Campo, literally at the restaurant Le Cirque. In fact, La Minitas is a beach club, and to be here, it is advisable to order lunch or at least something to drink in Le Cirque restaurant.
Minitas has several facilities for renting water sports equipment. Here you can dive into the sea with scuba diving, ride a quad bike.
Living conditions in La Romana
Along the entire resort coast, modern hotels rise, mainly 3 * and 5 *. Tourists are waiting for excellent living conditions and comfortable service. Prices in high season for double rooms per day are:
- 3 * hotels: from $ 52, average price of $ 62;
- 5 * hotels: from $ 133, the average cost is $ 191.
One of the best hotel complexes, not only the city of La Romana, but also the entire Dominican Republic, is the luxurious all-inclusive Casa de Campo Resort & Villas. A night in a high season will cost from $ 175 for two.
Some useful tips
- The Chavon River flows near La Romana – take a fascinating boat or kayak ride on it. Filming Rambo and Apocalypse Today took place on the Chavon River: Rambo sailed there, and American soldiers chased the rebel Kurtz.
- At the Chavon River, above the gorges, there is an interesting attraction: the city of artists Altos de Chavon. Be sure to visit this town, built not so long ago in the style of a small medieval Italian settlement. The main attraction of the city of artists Altos de Chavon is considered an amphitheater with a capacity of 5,000 people. This amphitheater hosts concerts of world stars and other large-scale events.
- The Casa de Campo organizes a variety of exciting excursions – take this opportunity to visit the Samana Peninsula and the uninhabited island of Catalina. Samana is striking in its beauty; Christopher Columbus also wrote that this is the most beautiful place on our planet. Catalina is known for the purest white sand, as well as amazing coral reefs that attract diving enthusiasts.
- When relaxing in this tropical republic, do not leave your belongings unattended. The fact is that petty thefts in La Romana (Dominican Republic) are quite commonplace. Do not carry anything valuable with you to the sea, and keep money and phones with you in a waterproof bag. Or swim in turn.
Evening walk through the resort center and the beach:
