La Romana: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
La Romana grew in the 20th century around one company, Central Romana, whose sugar mill still sits at the edge of town. Cane, cigars and later cruise ships shaped the place, and the walk links them in a few kilometres. Start at the park in the morning, take a short taxi between the far stops, and finish at the cave west of town. Half a day; the sun is strong, so carry water and a hat.
A short history of La Romana
The name is said to come from the Roman scales, the 'romana', used to weigh goods in the small port at the mouth of the river. The town grew around sugar: in 1912 the large Central Romana sugar mill opened here, and it is still one of the largest sugar works in the Caribbean. In 1967 the American corporation Gulf and Western bought the mill, and seven years later, in 1974, the Casa de Campo resort opened beside it. On the cliff above the Chavón River a village in 16th-century Mediterranean style, Altos de Chavón, was built and inaugurated in 1982 with a concert by Frank Sinatra. Today the town lives from both together, sugar cane and tourism.
The ten best sights in La Romana
1Altos de ChavónA 'Mediterranean village' of stone above the Chavón river; go late afternoon for the view
2Altos de Chavón AmphitheatreOpen-air stone theatre; check if a concert falls on your night
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3St Stanislaus Church
The little stone church in the village square, popular for weddings
4Basilica of Our Lady of AltagraciaThe country's great pilgrimage church in Higüey, about 40 minutes north-east; modest dress
5Ponce de León Fort MuseumThe stone house of the conquistador near San Rafael del Yuma; short visit, combine with Boca de Yuma
6Estadio Francisco A. MicheliWinter-league baseball, October to January; a game night is the most Dominican thing in town
7Parque DuarteThe central park, shaded and busy in the evening; start and end a walk in town here
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8Marina Casa de Campo
Yachts, shops and restaurants at the mouth of the Chavón; a pleasant evening even if you don't stay at the resort
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9Playa Minitas
Casa de Campo's beach, for resort guests and members only
10Playa CaletaSmall public beach just west of town, used by locals; fine for a quick swim
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in La Romana →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in La Romana:
Free walking tours in La Romana
The sugar town
La Romana grew in the 20th century around one company, Central Romana, whose sugar mill still sits at the edge of town. Cane, cigars and later cruise ships shaped the place, and the walk links them in a few kilometres. Start at the park in the morning, take a short taxi between the far stops, and finish at the cave west of town. Half a day; the sun is strong, so carry water and a hat.
- Parque Duarte · Like the main square of almost every Dominican town, the park is named after Juan Pablo Duarte, who led the movement that won independence from Haiti in 1844. In the evening it is where the town sits and talks.
- Central Romana · The sugar company is the region's biggest employer and owns huge cane lands east of town. Casa de Campo began in the 1970s on company land, first as a guest house for the visitors of its American owner, Gulf+Western.
- Tabacalera de García · This factory in the free zone rolls premium cigars by hand for famous names such as Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta for the American market. Hundreds of rollers work at long rows of benches.
- La Romana Cruise Terminal · The cruise ships moor right in the mouth of the Río Dulce, the river on whose bank the town was founded. Unlike the resort marina, the ship docks a short walk from an ordinary working town.
- Estadio Francisco A. Micheli · This is the home ground of the Toros del Este, one of the six clubs of the Dominican winter league. Many of the players in the season are major-league professionals back home for the winter.
- Cueva de las Maravillas · The walls carry hundreds of figures painted and carved by the Taíno, the people who lived on the island before Columbus. The cave was fitted with lighting and walkways so the art can be seen without touching it.
Casa de Campo and Altos de Chavón
East of town the sugar company's land turned into one of the Caribbean's biggest resorts, with a marina, golf courses and a stone village built to look five hundred years old. Most of it sits inside a gated area, but the marina and Altos de Chavón are open to visitors. The route needs a car or taxi; end at the village for sunset over the Chavón river. Half a day, more with a concert at the amphitheatre.
- Marina Casa de Campo · The marina was dug where the Chavón river reaches the sea, and its plaza was designed to recall an Italian fishing port. Its berths hold a few hundred yachts.
- Playa Minitas · Minitas is reserved for the resort's guests and members, and you need a resort pass to get through the gate. The sea here is calmer than on the open coast further east.
- Teeth of the Dog · Pete Dye designed the course, opened in 1971, with seven holes along the sea. Its name translates 'diente del perro', what the workers called the sharp coral rock they had to cut through.
- Altos de Chavón · The 'old' village was begun in 1976 for Charles Bluhdorn, head of Gulf+Western, and designed by Roberto Copa, a former film-set designer. Stones were cut and aged by hand to make it look like a 16th-century Mediterranean town.
- St Stanislaus Church · The church is dedicated to St Stanislaus of Kraków, an 11th-century bishop who is the patron saint of Poland. Its small square is the heart of the village and a favourite place for weddings.
- Altos de Chavón Amphitheatre · The stone amphitheatre seats about 5,000 people and was opened in 1982 with a concert by Frank Sinatra. It still hosts big concerts on the cliff above the river.
The east coast: Bayahibe to Yuma
East of La Romana the coast turns wild: the Parque Nacional del Este protects dry forest, caves and reefs, and the villages along it lived from fishing until the boats started carrying tourists. The road runs from Bayahibe through the park's edge to the cliffs of Boca de Yuma and the house of a conquistador. A full day by car, about 120 km there and back. Bring swimwear and water shoes for the cave.
- Bayahibe · The village was founded in the 19th century by fishermen from Puerto Rico; the main street is still named after Juan Brito, remembered as the first settler. The boats on the beach now leave every morning for Saona.
- Cueva Padre Nuestro · The cave pool is fed by fresh groundwater that runs under the limestone to the sea. The Taíno used caves like this one as a water source, and divers have followed its passages far underground.
- Playa Dominicus · Off this stretch of coast the authorities sank the cargo ship St. George in 1999 to make an artificial reef, and it is now one of the best-known wreck dives in the country. Snorkellers stay on the reef right off the sand.
- Parque Nacional del Este · The Bayahibe rose, a cactus that grows real leaves and pink flowers, is found wild almost only on this coast. It was declared the national flower of the Dominican Republic in 2011.
- Boca de Yuma · The village sits on low cliffs where the Yuma river meets the Mona Passage, the strait towards Puerto Rico. Waves blast up through holes in the rock along the shore path.
- Ponce de León Fort Museum · Juan Ponce de León built this fortified stone house in the early 1500s, and from here he set out to conquer Puerto Rico in 1508. Later he searched for the Fountain of Youth and landed in Florida.
Getting to La Romana and getting around
- La Romana Cruise Terminal · Cruise departure port at the mouth of the Río Dulce, about a kilometre from the central park: five minutes by taxi (agree the fare first) or a 15-20 minute walk. Casa de Campo marina, east of town, is a different place
- La Romana International Airport · Small airport about 10 km east of town; most international flights land at Punta Cana or Santo Domingo, each a long drive away
Cheap eats in La Romana
Dominican lunch is 'la bandera', the flag: rice, red beans and stewed meat, with salad and fried plantain. Quick food means pica pollo, crisp fried chicken with tostones, and in the morning mangú, mashed green plantain with onions. The cheap places are the comedores and fried-chicken counters in town; inside Casa de Campo the same money buys a coffee. Prices are in Dominican pesos.
- Pica Pollo · Fried chicken with tostones on Av. Gregorio Luperón, about RD$250-400
- Pica Pollo Papo · Another fried-chicken counter in town, about RD$250-400
- Restaurante Lucas · Local lunch plates, la bandera about RD$300-450
- Típico Bonao La Romana · Big roadside restaurant on the road to the airport; plates about RD$400-700
- Típico Bayahibe · Dominican plates in Bayahibe village, about RD$350-600
- Restaurante Doña Clara · Fish and rice by the Bayahibe beach, about RD$500-900
Museums in La Romana
- Altos de Chavón · The village has a small archaeological museum of Taíno objects
- Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia · Modern pilgrimage basilica in Higüey
- Museo de La Altagracia · Small museum of the pilgrimage beside the basilica
- Ponce de León Fort Museum · The conquistador's stone house, simply furnished
- Cueva de las Maravillas · Taíno rock art, guided visits
Nature and day trips near La Romana
- Isla Saona · Palm beaches and a sandbar on the way; a full day from Bayahibe
- Parque Nacional del Este · Dry forest, caves and the Bayahibe rose
- Cueva Padre Nuestro · Swim in a freshwater cave pool
- Boca de Yuma · Cliffs and blowholes at the river mouth
Things to do in La Romana with kids
- Isla Catalina · Shallow clear water for snorkelling with children
- Estadio Francisco A. Micheli · An evening baseball game, October to January
- Playa Caleta · Short hop from town for a swim
- Playa Dominicus · Gentle beach with fish on the reef right off the sand
- Marina Casa de Campo · Boats to look at and ice cream on the quay
Where to eat in La Romana
- Peperoni · Italian and seafood on the Casa de Campo marina
- SBG Casa de Campo · Stylish grill and bar at the marina
- Plaza Portofino · The marina square, with several places to choose from
- Mare Nuestro · Italian-run fish restaurant in Bayahibe
- Playa Barco Bar · Drinks and dinner on the Bayahibe beach
- Il Palco · Italian dinner by Playa Dominicus
Frequently asked questions about La Romana
What is there to see in La Romana?
The top sights in La Romana are Altos de Chavón, Altos de Chavón Amphitheatre and St Stanislaus Church. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in La Romana?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of La Romana without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in La Romana?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in La Romana, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The sugar town.
How do you get to La Romana and get around?
The main ways are La Romana Cruise Terminal and La Romana International Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Looking for a hotel in La Romana for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.