La Romana Sightseeing Tours - Dominican Republic

Once a sleepy cattle and sugarcane settlement, La Romana is now home to one of the world's most fabulous resorts. Although La Romana can be visited on a day trip from the capital, a few days are necessary to really do it justice.

Casa de Campo is La Romana's most impressive sight--its hotel and villa accommodations and endless leisure facilities are spread over 7,000 acres of lush terrain on the Caribbean coast. The resort--partly designed by Miami architect William Cox--boasts ultra-chic interiors decorated with the help of Dominican designer Oscar de la Renta, and beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds.

Minutes away from the resort buildings but still part of the Casa de Campo complex is Altos de Chavón, an exact replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village, perched on the cliffs above the Chavón River. The village, hand-constructed in 1978 by local artisans under the direction of Italian set designer Roberto Copa, serves as both a living museum and an artists' colony, providing a picturesque setting in which artists live, study and work. The Church of St. Stanislaus is at the center of the village; it was named after the patron saint of Poland in tribute to Pope John Paul II, who visited the island in 1979 and left some of the saint's ashes behind. Nearby is the Regional Museum of Archaeology , which houses a collection of Taíno artifacts.

There are three major art galleries in the village, showcasing the works of Dominican, European and American artists. Throughout the winding cobblestone streets are smaller galleries where visitors can learn macramé, jewelry making, print making and other crafts or buy the finished products.

Side trip from La Romana

Inland from La Romana and to the east is the historic city of Higüey. Founded in 1505, it is the site of the first church in the New World dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The sect devoted to the Virgin of Altagracia originated here, and the monumental basilica that houses her shrine stands on the outskirts of the city.

Located beyond Higüey, on the easternmost shore of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is the site of the Caribbean's longest stretch of white-sand beach--20 glorious miles lined with coconut palms and other trees. The sparkling hideaway, now served by the Punta Cana International Airport, is under continual development. It is already the home of several world-famous resorts.

One of the best, the Punta Cana Beach Resort boasts its own white-sand crystalline beaches shaded by luxuriant primitive tropical vegetation. Its amenities include every kind of water-sports facility, as well as horseback riding, bicycling and tennis; there is also a restaurant, a beach club and a disco.