La Romana, Dominican Republic

Amphitheatre in the City of Artists

Altos de Chavón, known as the "City of Artists", holds tremendous value and its main attraction-the Greek amphitheatre with seating for 5,000 people. The amphitheatre is located on the hillside, near the river. It was built with funds from Frank Sinatra in 1982 to host seminars and acting workshops on this site. The amphitheatre is also actively used today-student plays, classical music concerts and various festivals are held regularly on its stage. For tourists, national dances in traditional costumes are arranged every evening. Celebrities also frequently perform on the stage of the Greek amphitheatre, following Frank Sinatra’s great example. This amphitheatre also serves as a filming location for many Hollywood movies.

St. Stanislaus Church

The Church of St. Stanislaus is an active Catholic church located to the east of La Romana in the center of the village of Altos de Chavón. In 1979, Pope John Paul II, during his visit to the Dominican Republic, handed over to the church the remains of St. Stanislaus and several carved statues. The Church of St. Stanislaus is known for the many “star” couples who were married there, such as, for example, Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, and the Venezuelan heiress María Margarita.

Altos de Chavón

Altos de Chavón - an artificially recreated medieval territory, an exact replica of a 15th-century Spanish village, a city of artists and craftsmen. It is located on the grounds of the Casa de Campo resort on a steep bank of the Chavón River. Construction of this city began in 1976 and was completed in 1992. Here you can find a design school (a branch of the New York Design Institute), the Church of Saint Stanislaus, an archaeological museum, an art gallery, souvenir shops, craft workshops, and an amphitheater where performances by world stars take place. The city is wonderfully beautiful and colorful, and provides a unique backdrop for impressive photos.

La Romana Beaches

The beaches around the city of La Romana are among the most popular in the southeastern part of the Dominican Republic. All of them are known for their extraordinary beauty: a combination of white-sand beaches and azure water. In the southern part Bayahibe, there are several small beaches and a cozy garden. Off the coast, there is a coral reef that makes for an excellent dive site. On the beach there are many restaurants where you can enjoy fresh fish and seafood. Dominicus is a beautiful urban public beach with souvenir kiosks and a restaurant. Minitas is a tropical spot in 10 minutes by bus from La Romana. The beach is quite uncrowded and is perfect for those who prefer quiet and peace. At the Minitas beach all the amenities are available for tourists.

Del Este National Park

Del Este National Park, located in the far south-east of the Dominican Republic, is one of the country’s main natural attractions. Here, there’s plenty of space for travel and adventure lovers, as well as for those who enjoy relaxing in the heart of the wild. The mainland part of the reserve features several well-known limestone terraces covered with subtropical forests. The park’s coastline is a vivid example of the variety of Dominican landscapes. Here, sheer cliffs alternate with mangrove thickets. In the coastal waters, if you’re lucky, you can spot the rarest Caribbean manatees and bottlenose dolphins. On the park’s western shore, you’ll find beaches with beautiful coral reefs and crystal-clear water-an ideal setting for diving enthusiasts.

Cave of Wonders

The Cave of Wonders is located underground, in reef limestone, at a depth of 25 meters. The site began forming as far back as one hundred thousand years ago from animals and coral reefs. The cave is about 800 meters long. In 2003, the Cave of Wonders was opened to the public. It was awarded a gold medal at the Architectural Biennale. Marcos Bariños, the chief architect, managed to turn the cave into a magical castle for tourists. The cave consists of various halls with underground streams. Special sensory sensors illuminate this magnificent landscape, and as tourists move around, colorful lights begin to turn on, creating a play of light and shadow. The cave still preserves Taino indigenous drawings. Here you can see more than 500 rock engravings and paintings.

Saona Island

This wonderful island, covered in soft sand and thickets of tropical plants, was discovered by Christopher Columbus himself. There is, however, no record of him left there; it was nature that took care of turning the island into one of the best sights in the Dominican Republic. The island is covered with coconut palms and mangrove trees, colorful orchids and sugarcane plantations, as well as cocoa and coffee trees. And among these lush green thickets, numerous parrots and storks flutter about, while iguanas and turtles lurk. The shallows near the coast are teeming with life too-nesting on the sandy seabed, starfish add yet another feature to the picture of a paradise island.

Catalina Island

Catalina Island lies 2 kilometers south of the city of La Romana. The island is currently uninhabited; however, on its western side there are wonderful white-sand beaches for tourists with the appropriate infrastructure. Catalina Island is beautiful, like a holiday postcard. Its beaches with silky sand, shimmering crystal-clear water in all shades from blue to turquoise, palm groves that provide blessed shade, and a rocky chain located half a kilometer from the shore create the landscape of a true “Bounty” island. In addition, Catalina is a natural national park.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can view it after booking your cruise in your “Customer Personal Account”.