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Dominican Republic > La Romana
La Romana
La Romana is located in the Southeastern region of the Dominican Republic. Bordered to the south by the Caribbean Sea and to the east by Rio Dulce (Sweet River) the city has the third largest population on the island with 150,000 inhabitants.
La Romana was founded in 1897, but until 1917 it was a very small town. The economic growth of this area began after Central Romana, a sugar production plant was built. Today it remains the largest sugar producer in the world. La Romana was also the first town to be declared a Free Trade Zone in 1969.
Along with sugar production, tourism is very important for La Romana region. The touristic area comprised of La Romana itself, Casa de Campo and Dominicus. These resorts are excellent for relaxation vacations, honeymoons and family holidays.
Golfers will appreciate golf courses of La Romana (Teeth of the Dog, Altos de Chavon).
And those who are fond of scuba diving will find here beautiful sites to explore: La Romana is the nearest point from which to embark on a trip to the islands of Saona and Catalina, the best Dominican dive spots.
La Romana attractions
Isla Catalina is situated just off the shore of La Romana. The island has a beautiful white sandy beach and a reef protected waters. In 1969 there were new rules announced to protect the ecology of the island. Since then there have been no new construction done on the Isla Catalina.
Altos de Chavon - this artist village recalls hillside villages of the south of France and Italy. It was constructed in 1978 by an Italian designer Roberto Coppa and includes an impressive Archaeological Museum of Taino artifacts, the amphitheater, where international artists perform, and the Parsons School of Design.
Visitors of the Archaelogical Museum will see the ritual and utilitarian objects, arranged by chronology and style and trace the evolution of indigenous cultures from the preceramic era to the time of the Taino Indians, the island's predominant civilization during the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.
What else is nearby?
Bayahibe - located 20 minutes from La Romana, this fishing village offers a typical Caribbean atmosphere. Bayahibe is famous for its six mile stretch of white sand beach, studded with mature palms and clear turquoise waters. Visitors can easily get to the off-shore wildlife preserves of Catalina and Saona.
Saona Island has a territory of 110 square km. Travelers visit it to see its white sand beaches and clear waters, diverse marine life, historic and cultural ruins from the pre-Columbian period. The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage. Saona is a part of the National Park of the East.
Parque Nacional del Este - this park was declared a protected area in September 1975. Among its ecosystems are seagrass beds, mangrove forests, rocky coasts, sandy beaches, moist and dry subtropical deciduous forests, salt tolerant plant communities and important for us divers coral reefs.