Discovering Paradise
Discovering Paradise
The complete La Romana and Bayahíbe travel guide — Casa de Campo, Altos de Chavón, Isla Saona boat trips, scuba diving at Catalina, Parque Nacional Cotubanamá, golf, and honest advice on the luxury-meets-local southeast coast.
The southeast coast of the Dominican Republic is a study in contrasts. On one side: La Romana, a working sugar-mill city with a legendary resort so exclusive that it has its own airport, three Pete Dye golf courses, an Italian hilltop village replica, and a celebrity guest list that reads like a Forbes 500 roster. On the other: Bayahíbe, a former fishing village turned scuba diving hub where weather-beaten captains run boats to uninhabited islands and the beer is cheaper than the bottled water.
Together they form a destination that spans the entire Dominican travel spectrum — from US$1,000-a-night villas with private butlers to US$30 guesthouses where the owner's grandmother cooks your breakfast. This guide covers both worlds and everything between them, including the national park, the island day trips, the diving, and the practical details that help you decide how to split your time.
La Romana is the Dominican Republic's fourth-largest city (population ~190,000), built around the Central Romana sugar corporation — one of the largest sugar producers in the Caribbean. The city itself is not a tourist destination; it is a working Dominican city with little to detain visitors beyond a stop for gas or groceries. The tourism is concentrated in two satellites: Casa de Campo, the 7,000-acre luxury resort 5 km east of the city, and Bayahíbe, the beach-and-diving village 25 km further east.
The distance between these two worlds is more than geographical. Casa de Campo guests arrive by private jet, play golf on courses ranked among the world's best, dine at restaurants where entrées cost more than a week's meals in Bayahíbe, and never need to leave the compound. Bayahíbe visitors eat grilled fish at beachfront shacks, negotiate boat prices in broken Spanish, and share the dive boat with French retirees and Dominican newlyweds on budget honeymoons. Both experiences are valid, both are excellent, and the savvy traveler will sample both.
The region also serves as the gateway to Parque Nacional Cotubanamá (formerly Parque Nacional del Este), which protects Isla Saona, Isla Catalina, and some of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean. Whether you come for luxury golf, barefoot diving, or a catamaran day trip with unlimited rum, the La Romana-Bayahíbe corridor delivers.
Casa de Campo is not just a resort — it is a self-contained world. Established in 1974 by Gulf+Western Industries (then owners of the Central Romana sugar corporation), the property spans 7,000 acres (28 km²) and includes three golf courses, a 370-slip marina, a polo field, an equestrian center, a shooting range, 13 restaurants, a private airport, and Altos de Chavón, a full-scale replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village.
The undeniable centerpiece. Casa de Campo has three Pete Dye-designed courses, and one of them — Teeth of the Dog — is consistently ranked the #1 golf course in the Caribbean and among the top 50 in the world. Seven of its holes play directly along the ocean, with tees perched on coral cliffs above crashing waves. It is visually spectacular and technically demanding. Green fees for Teeth of the Dog: US$250-375 per round for resort guests (higher for non-guests). The other two courses — Dye Fore (27 holes with cliff-top views over the Chavón River) and The Links (an inland course) — are also excellent and slightly more affordable at US$175-250 per round.
The Casa de Campo Marina is the largest in the Caribbean, with 370 slips accommodating yachts up to 250 feet. Even if you are not a yacht owner, the marina village is worth a visit for its restaurants, shops, and waterfront promenade. The architecture is Mediterranean-inspired, and the vibe is affluent-casual — linen shirts and boat shoes. Deep-sea fishing charters depart from the marina (half-day from US$500-800 for a shared boat, US$1,200-2,000 private) targeting marlin, dorado, and wahoo.
Accommodation ranges from hotel rooms (from US$250/night) to multi-bedroom villas (US$500-5,000+/night). The villas are the signature experience — sprawling properties with private pools, staff, and golf cart transportation around the resort. Many are privately owned and rented through the resort's management program. For families and groups, villas offer better value per person than hotel rooms. Book directly through Casa de Campo for access to golf and activity packages.
Perched on a cliff 90 meters above the Río Chavón, Altos de Chavón is a replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village built in the 1970s-1980s by Italian filmmaker Roberto Coppa and Dominican artisan José Antonio Caro. The village was constructed entirely from local stone using traditional techniques, and the result is strikingly authentic — cobblestone streets, wrought-iron balconies, stone archways, and a 5,000-seat Greek-style amphitheater that has hosted Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, Sting, and Andrea Bocelli.
Beyond the architecture, Altos de Chavón houses the Altos de Chavón School of Design (affiliated with Parsons in New York), an archaeological museum with the best collection of Taíno artifacts in the region, several art galleries, and a handful of restaurants and shops. The village is open to the public (no entrance fee) and is a standard stop for tour groups from Punta Cana. Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds and catch the best light on the stone buildings.
The view of the Río Chavón from the amphitheater terrace — a deep, jungle-lined gorge opening to the Caribbean — is one of the most dramatic vistas in the Dominican Republic. The same river served as the filming location for scenes in Apocalypse Now and Jurassic Park, standing in for Vietnam and Costa Rica respectively.
Bayahíbe is a small village (population ~3,000) that has grown from a fishing community into the diving and excursion capital of the Dominican Republic's southeast coast. The village sits at the edge of Parque Nacional Cotubanamá, giving it immediate access to some of the best reefs, wrecks, and island beaches in the Caribbean.
The village itself is pleasant and walkable — a handful of streets with guesthouses, dive shops, restaurants, and a small public beach (Playa Bayahíbe) where fishing boats and dive boats bob at anchor. The pace is slow, the vibe is laid-back, and the community is a mix of Dominican locals, European expats (heavily Italian and French), and traveling divers.
West of the village, Playa Dominicus is a wider, whiter beach lined with all-inclusive resorts (Iberostar, Dreams, Viva Wyndham). Dominicus is the place for resort-style vacations with organized entertainment, buffets, and beach chairs. Bayahíbe village is for independent travelers who want more autonomy and lower prices.
Let's be honest about what an Isla Saona day trip actually is. It is the most popular excursion in the Dominican Republic — roughly 500,000 people per year make the trip — and it is simultaneously beautiful and chaotic.
The standard package works like this: a bus picks you up at your hotel (5:30-7:00 AM), drives to Bayahíbe, loads you onto a catamaran or speedboat, and crosses to Isla Saona (45-90 minutes depending on boat type). You spend 3-4 hours on a beautiful white-sand beach with palm trees, a BBQ lunch on the sand, unlimited rum punch and Presidente beer, and a stop at the natural pool (a shallow sandbar where you wade in waist-deep water). Then the catamaran back, a bus ride, and you are at your hotel by 5-6 PM. Cost: RD$3,500-6,000 (US$59-100) per person from Bayahíbe; RD$5,000-8,000 (US$85-135) with hotel pickup from Punta Cana.
The beach is genuinely gorgeous — wide, palm-lined, and backed by jungle. The water is warm and calm. The food is decent. The rum is free-flowing. The catch: you will share the beach with hundreds of other tourists from dozens of boats. The music is loud. The vendors are persistent. It feels more like a beach party than a deserted island.
The alternative: Book a private speedboat from Bayahíbe (RD$8,000-15,000 / US$135-250 for up to 6 passengers) and go to the eastern end of Saona where the tour groups do not reach. You will trade the party atmosphere for genuine solitude. Bring your own food and drinks. This is a dramatically different experience — same island, different planet.
A smaller, less-visited island than Saona, Isla Catalina lies 2 km off the La Romana coast and is the better choice for snorkeling and diving. The coral reef on the island's south side — known as "The Wall" — drops from 5 meters to 30+ meters in a dramatic underwater cliff face covered in sponges, sea fans, and coral. The snorkeling alone is world-class: swim from the beach and within 50 meters you are floating over a vibrant reef teeming with tropical fish.
Day trips to Isla Catalina depart from the Casa de Campo Marina or from La Romana's port. Tour packages cost RD$3,500-5,000 (US$59-85) per person including transport, snorkel gear, lunch, and drinks. Private boat charters (for divers or small groups) cost RD$12,000-18,000 (US$200-300) for a full day. The island has basic facilities (restrooms, beach chairs) set up by the tour operators but is otherwise undeveloped.
Isla Catalina is also where the 1699 shipwreck of Captain Kidd's vessel the Quedagh Merchant was discovered in 2007, making the surrounding waters historically significant as well as biologically rich.
Parque Nacional Cotubanamá (renamed from Parque Nacional del Este in 2014, honoring the Taíno chief who resisted Spanish colonization) protects 420 km² of marine and terrestrial habitat along the southeast coast. The park includes Isla Saona, part of Isla Catalina, mangrove coastline, dry subtropical forest, and extensive coral reef systems.
Beyond the island day trips, the park offers several less-visited experiences:
Bayahíbe is the best base for scuba diving on the southeast coast, with easy access to over 20 dive sites ranging from shallow coral gardens to deep walls and shipwrecks.
Diving tips: Visibility averages 20-30 meters and water temperatures stay at 26-29°C year-round — you can dive comfortably in a 3mm wetsuit or even a rashguard. The best visibility is May through September. Night dives at Guaraguao Reef reveal a completely different ecosystem — octopus, lobster, and nurse sharks that hide during the day. If you are not certified, the Discover Scuba program lets you do a single guided dive (maximum 12 meters) after a 2-hour pool session for RD$3,500-4,500 (US$59-75). Many visitors arrive as non-divers and leave with a PADI certification and a new obsession.
The reefs in Parque Nacional Cotubanamá are among the healthiest in the Caribbean, partly because the park's protected status limits fishing and anchoring. If you care about marine conservation, choose an operator that uses mooring buoys instead of anchors and follows responsible diving practices.
The closest airport is Punta Cana International (PUJ), approximately 45 minutes from Bayahíbe and 1 hour from La Romana. Private transfers from PUJ cost US$60-90 to Bayahíbe, US$50-80 to La Romana. Shared shuttles are available for US$25-35 per person through most tour operators.
La Romana International Airport (LRM) — also known as Casa de Campo International — receives flights from Miami, New York, and select Caribbean destinations. It is primarily used by Casa de Campo guests and is only 10 minutes from the resort.
From Santo Domingo, La Romana is approximately 1.5 hours east via the Autopista del Este (Highway 4). Comfortable express buses (Autobuses Espreso Bávaro) depart from Santo Domingo's terminal at Parque Enriquillo every 30-60 minutes (RD$350 / US$6). From La Romana, guaguas run to Bayahíbe (RD$100-150 / US$1.70-2.50, 30 minutes).
From Punta Cana resorts, most tour operators offer day trips to Altos de Chavón, Isla Saona, and Isla Catalina with hotel pickup included. Self-drivers: the road from Punta Cana to La Romana is well-paved and takes about 1 hour.
Yes, but with a different focus. Skip La Romana city itself (it is not a tourist destination) and base yourself in Bayahíbe for diving, island trips, and the national park. Visit Altos de Chavón as a half-day trip — it is open to non-guests and there is no entrance fee. The marina village is also accessible and worth a lunch stop. You do not need to be a Casa de Campo guest to enjoy the region's highlights.
It depends on your expectations. If you want a deserted island experience, no — the standard day trip is crowded and party-oriented. If you want a fun, social day with a beautiful beach, unlimited drinks, and zero responsibility, yes — it delivers exactly that. For a quieter experience, book a private speedboat to the eastern end of Saona or visit Isla Catalina instead, which has better snorkeling and fewer people.
They serve different travelers. Punta Cana has more resorts, more nightlife, more shopping, and a bigger international airport. La Romana-Bayahíbe has better diving, better golf (Casa de Campo vs Punta Cana courses is no contest), Altos de Chavón, a more authentic village atmosphere in Bayahíbe, and direct access to Parque Nacional Cotubanamá. Choose Punta Cana for a classic resort vacation. Choose La Romana-Bayahíbe for diving, golf, culture, or a more low-key experience.
Three days covers the highlights: Day 1 for Altos de Chavón and the marina, Day 2 for Isla Saona or Isla Catalina, Day 3 for diving or the national park's Padre Nuestro trail. Five to seven days allows for multiple dive days, golf at Casa de Campo, and a trip to both islands. Divers should plan for at least 4 days to access the best sites with sufficient surface intervals.
This guide covers La Romana. Explore more about this destination.
View DestinationOur team includes contributors who live in the Dominican Republic year-round and travel the island extensively, from Santo Domingo to remote southwest villages.