Dominican coastal city near the Chavón River, with sugar history and access to Bayahibe beaches.
La Romana is the Dominican Republic's sugar-cane capital turned resort town, sitting on the southeastern coast about an hour and a half east of Santo Domingo. It is one of the most visited regions in the country, thanks to a combination of white-sand beaches, the Casa de Campo luxury resort, and the remarkably photogenic Altos de Chavón.
Altos de Chavón is a recreation of a sixteenth-century Mediterranean village, built entirely from stone above the Río Chavón gorge. Its amphitheatre — a 5,000-seat semi-circle of carved stone — hosts major concerts, and the narrow streets are lined with galleries, workshops, and restaurants with views over the river and the surrounding mountains. Down at La Marina, the Casa de Campo marina complex has waterfront restaurants, ice cream shops, and boutiques alongside a pretty dock.
The nearby Isla Catalina and Isla Saona are popular day-trip beaches reached by catamaran or speedboat. La Romana itself is a working Dominican city rather than a resort bubble, so stepping beyond the tourist areas gives you a more authentic sense of the country. The Estadio Francisco Micheli hosts winter league baseball from October to January — one of the most enjoyable ways to spend an evening in town.
Guide
Eating Out
Altos de Chavón has several restaurants — some with dramatic views over the gorge — ranging from Italian to Dominican, and the marina complex has more options at the waterfront. In La Romana town itself, the area around the Parque Central has local restaurants and comedores (lunch spots) serving the standard Dominican combination of rice, beans, and meat. Mercado Municipal, the covered market near the central plaza, is where locals shop and where you can find fresh fruit, produce, and snacks.
Guide
Getting There
La Romana's own airport, Punta Águila International (LRM) at the Casa de Campo resort, handles mainly charter flights from North America and Europe. Most scheduled international flights land at Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo, about 120 km to the west — a two-hour drive along the Autopista del Este. Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) is about 80 km to the northeast and is served by far more international routes; taxis and transfer vans make the 90-minute run regularly.
From Santo Domingo, Caribe Tours and other bus companies run regular services along the coast to La Romana. The journey takes around one and a half hours. Within the Dominican Republic, taxis, guaguas (minibuses), and transfer services all connect La Romana to neighbouring cities and resorts.
