Within Casa de Campo is Playa Minitas, the resort’s exclusive beach, which includes a roped off area for swimming and an array of water sports including snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, paddleboats and more. The family friendly beach also allows kids to play beachside games and sports at the “La Palapa” beach hut.

Bayahibe lies southeast of La Romana and offers several top-rated beach strips without the crowds. The area is frequented by cruise ship passengers and offers pristine white-sand and tranquility, as well as great diving.

The first beach in the Caribbean to receive Blue Flag certification, Playa Dominicus is most popular for diving with the lush reefs nearby and no undertow. Swimmers can relax at nearby restaurants and enjoy a little shopping at the surrounding souvenirs huts.

The small island greets beachgoers and cruise ship visitors with white-sand beaches surrounded by the crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Catalina Island offers numerous water sports, specifically diving and snorkeling. The area is known for its coral reefs and now delights divers with a “Living Museum of the Sea” following the discovery of Captain Kidd’s shipwreck 70 feet (21 meters) off the island’s coast.

A secluded beach in Parque Nacional Cotubanamá, Palmilla is a Caribbean paradise where you can swim, snorkel and more. You can get there by renting a boat in nearby Bayahibe or La Romana.

La Romana’s hidden gem is Altos de Chavón, a replica of a 16th century Mediterranean artists’ village that relishes among cobblestone streets, and coral block and terra cotta buildings. Offering magnificent scenic views of the Chavón River, Altos de Chavón was constructed by the imagination of Roberto Copa, a former Paramount Studios set designer, and Charles Bluhdorn, an American industrialist. Today, Altos de Chavón is a cultural center, home to artists’ studios, craft workshops and art galleries where hundreds students from around the world compete to enter its intense, two-year programs in Communications Design, Fashion Design and Fine Arts & Illustration. The School of Design is associated with Parsons The New School for Design in New York, where students later migrate to complete their studies. In the heart of the village are a Grecian-style amphitheater and the Church of St. Stanislaus.

The waters surrounding La Romana are some of the best spots in the world for deep sea fishing for marlin, tuna and dorado, attracting professional anglers from around the world. Tournaments are held each year including the Blue Marlin Classic and the Dorado and Bonito tournaments. High season for blue marlin is in the summer. While chances of catching marlin are slim in the winter, the waters are filled with plenty of mahi-mahi, barracuda, and sailfish.

Is one of the most complete and prestigious marina in the Caribbean and is located where the Chavón River meets the Caribbean Sea, within the confines of the Casa de Campo Resort. Designed by the Italian architect Gianfranco Fini, Casa de Campo Marina consists of villas, town-house type apartments and a great variety of restaurants and shops. The marina accommodates up to 350 yachts from 50 to 250 feet LOA. Designed to international specifications, it was inspired by the old seaside villages of the Mediterranean. It is equipped to provide a wide range of services and first class facilities.

Some of the best diving in the Caribbean can be found along the shores of La Romana. In combination with its spectacular clear blue warm waters, La Romana’s undersea world offers incredible ocean adventures with ancient shipwrecks, underwater caverns and stunning coral reefs. Divers visiting the region will have the opportunity to experience one of the greatest examples of marine biodiversity found in the Caribbean, encountering more than 120 species of tropical fish and a variety of marine animals. La Romana’s dive sites are filled with underwater archaeological reserves such as Guadalupe and Guaraguao museums, where divers can view shipwrecks and archaeological artifacts. These underwater museum sites are easily accessible to both snorkelers and scuba divers.

Also known as National Park of the East, is home to more than 500 flora species, 300 types of birds, and long stretches of beaches and underwater wonders, it is one of the most visited and protected areas in the country. While here, visitors can hike, discover ancient Taino ruins, take part in bird watching excursions, and dive in coral reefs populated with manatees, bottle-nose dolphins and other sea creatures.

SHOPPING: Visitors to La Romana have various shopping options, whether they are seeking locally made crafts and distinctive Dominican food, or the island’s latest fashions. El Artístico, approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of La Romana, is known for selling Dominican art jewelry and Dominican icons made from pounded metal and bright colors. Casa de Campo also houses retail stores with resort apparel and native jewelry.