Altos de Chavón: The Stone Village Above the River, and Whether to Go

Altos de Chavón is one of the most photographed places in the Dominican Republic: cobbled lanes, a stone church, arches and balconies on top of a cliff, with the green Chavón River winding below. It looks like a village from the 1500s. It was finished in the 1980s.

That's not a reason to skip it — it's a genuinely beautiful place — but it's worth knowing before you go.

What it is#

Altos de Chavón is a replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village, built from the mid-1970s inside the Casa de Campo resort in La Romana, on the south-east coast. It was designed to look old, built with local stone by local craftsmen, and it opened in the early 1980s.

Today it's a small cultural village with:

• The church of St. Stanislaus, the most photographed building, with a small plaza in front
• A Greek-style amphitheatre with room for thousands, which has hosted big-name concerts since its opening
• An archaeology museum with Taíno objects — the people who lived on the island before Columbus
• The Altos de Chavón School of Design, one of the country's best-known art and design schools
• Galleries, shops and restaurants
• The view over the Chavón River and its jungle — the reason most people come

How to get there#

• From Punta Cana: about 1.5 hours by road. Most visitors come on a tour that combines Altos de Chavón with a boat to Isla Catalina or a stop in Bayahíbe.
• From Bayahíbe or La Romana: it's close — 20 to 30 minutes.
• From Santo Domingo: about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Because it's inside Casa de Campo, visitors who aren't guests there generally pay an entrance fee or come with a tour. Check the current rules before you go.

When to go#

Late afternoon, for the light on the stone and the river. Mornings are cooler and quieter. If there's a concert at the amphitheatre during your trip, it's one of the most memorable venues in the country.

Combine it with#

• Isla Catalina — a small protected island off La Romana with some of the best snorkelling in the region.
• Bayahíbe — the fishing village that's the jumping-off point for Saona and Catalina, with calm water and good seafood.

Is it worth it?#

Yes for the view, the photos and an easy half day, especially combined with Catalina or Bayahíbe.

Know that it isn't a real old town. For genuine colonial history — the first cathedral, the first street, the oldest European city in the Americas — go to the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo.

See the south-east with someone who lives there#

The towns around La Romana and Bayahíbe have a lot that tours drive past: a fish lunch on the beach, a village where the boats come in, the river from the water. A Local Friend can plan that kind of day with you — browse Local Friends in Punta Cana and message them directly on Roavi.