Perhaps the finest resort in the Dominican Republic, Casa de Campo lies in a beautiful spot on the southern coast, just outside the city of La Romana. Within a short drive of that city’s international airport, you can be enjoying its many facilities in next to no time. They include three magnificent golf courses, including the Teeth of the Dog, considered to be the top course in the Caribbean.
Among the resort’s other sports facilities are a shooting range, soccer school and equestrian and tennis centres. There are also numerous opportunities to try water-sports – sailing, kayaking and sea-fishing are among them. The resort also offers excellent wellness facilities in the form of a gym and spa.
Another highlight of Casa de Campo is its glamorous marina quarter, a place to see and be seen. When you’ve seen the yachts, you can see a movie too, as there’s a great movie theatre in this area showing the latest releases. For live entertainment, try the nightclub or the Minitas beach club, where dining is often accompanied by musicians or a DJ. Food is done well and in various styles at Casa de Campo, with its many restaurants inspired by cuisines as diverse as Mexican and Japanese.
One unmissable location which forms part of the resort is the pretty riverside village of Altos de Chavon. With its Mediterranean vibe, it may feel like you have switched continents… so how did this 16th-century gem come to be in the Caribbean? Simply, it’s a painstakingly accurate recreation – only finished in 1982. You will be particularly impressed by the amphitheatre, which is now the venue for concerts by the world’s biggest musicians. The likes of Sinatra, Sting, Bryan Adams and J-Lo have all stopped by, and with a capacity of 5,000, this place can hold quite a crowd.
