The main square of La Romana town is the kind of central park you find in every Dominican city — a shaded plaza with benches, a gazebo, and the obligatory white-painted church on one side. It is not a major tourist sight, but spending an hour here gives a clear sense of everyday Dominican life: old men playing dominoes in the shade, motoconchos (motorcycle taxis) weaving past, and vendors selling cold drinks and frituras from carts.
The Iglesia Santa Rosa de Lima on the square is the town's main church, a simple structure built in the early twentieth century and rebuilt after hurricane damage. Walking the streets around the plaza — past the Central Romana Corporation offices, the municipal market, and the colmados (corner shops) — is the best way to see the city that exists alongside the resort economy.