La Romana Travel Guide

  exellent place to work on that tan
by toemayn
 
  • exellent place to work on that tan
      exellent place to work on that tan
    by toemayn
  • Infinity pool with swim up bar
      Infinity pool with swim up bar
    by toemayn
  •   La Romana
    by klj&a
  • Spices on La Romana Market
      Spices on La Romana Market
    by mabu
  • Spacious bedrooms
      Spacious bedrooms
    by alycat
 

Pro

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 8 restaurants no reservations needed, short ride from airport, great beach area, beautiful sunset, special area for teens, explorers club for children, good snorkel area close to beach, calm water,... 


Con

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 the air polution. 


In a nutshell

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 Great Beach for a family vacation 

 

Explore La Romana

Things to Do  

Seavis Tours...ecological jungle tour

Seavis Tours...ecological jungle tour, La Romana

 alycat Says:  We booked the Jungle Eco tour at the last minute, just a day before, and they were very accommodating to include us in their group of 20. Although it is suggested that you book them in advance, may be 3 or 4 days before the trip. Seavis tours, which is a family run tour... 

Cigar Factory Tour - Tabacalera de Garcia

Cigar Factory Tour - Tabacalera de Garcia, La Romana

 juancpena Says:  Over 4,000 workers making some of the world's most highly regarded Dominican cigars! Definitely one of the best experiences and most entertaining two hours I've spent on a tour. The staff is very friendly and helpful when picking from dozens of different cigars.Only a cab... 

Bayahibe

Bayahibe, La Romana

 myriam_c Says:  From the resort it's only a short walk to the village of Bayahibe. This is also the place from where the catamarans to Saona Island leave. 

Hotels  

Casa de Campo

 1 Review and 327 Opinions  Located at the Dominican south coast, on approx. 28 square kms, surrounded by sumptuous vegetation... 

Restaurants  

Trigo de Oro: A Café and bakery

Trigo de Oro: A Café and bakery, La Romana

 mabu Says:  When you get near the place you can already smell the fresh pastry wich is made there. Behind the walls surrounding the café you will find an lovely spot to sit down, have a coffee and some of the wonderfull fresh bakery products.You order your drinks at the table and go in... 

Restaurante Yssamar: Try the local restaurants

Restaurante Yssamar: Try the local restaurants, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  This is a little open air restaurant on the beach at Bayahibe. Just a small house that looks like a bar with a few tables under a thatched roof with sand as floor. I like very much these typical little unpretentious resaturants where you can try local dishes. We have a very... 

Nightlife  

The Discotheque: Dancing all night
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Joan58 238 reviews
The bar

At the Gran Dominicus you can spend pleasant evenings. After dinner you'll go to the bar where you'll can try to dance the merengue waiting for the show organized by the staff members. Later you'll can go to the open air discoteque on the beach just behind the Pasta e Pizza restaurant. While you are dancing the cooks take pizzas out of the oven...Here you can sit up all night.

Updated Feb 28, 2003

Address: Venta Club Gran Dominicus

Related to:
 Spa and Resort

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Transportation  

Moto Concho

Moto Concho, La Romana

 mabu Says:  The fastest and cheapest, but not the safest way to get around la romana are moto conchos.Moto conchos are motorbikes driving around wich will take you with them. You pay them depending on the distance, for local rides something between RD$ 10.- and 20.- don't allway accept... 

Dominican railway

Dominican railway, La Romana

 mabu Says:  Sorry to all railway fans, the dominican railway isn't used for passenger transport...The railway transports the sugarcane from the fields around La Romana to the sugar (and rum) factory. The trains are loaded very high, and are very long, and so an interesting sight, even... 

Shopping  

Yina Bambu Shop: The local commercial center
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2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Joan58 238 reviews

This is a big tourist shop where you can find many local crafts, wood carvings, paintings, typical percussion instruments, CD of Dominican music, amber and larimar jewels and also (unfortunately) dried starfhishes and monstrous embalmed spiders, the mygales...I hate the spiders!!

What to buy: Here I bought the larimar and a painting in the typical Haitian style. (please, wait for the pic!)

Updated Mar 2, 2003

Address: Carretera Romana - La Romana

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Local Customs  

'Hissing' from the guys

'Hissing' from the guys, La Romana

 CndnSugarPlum Says:  I don't know about this experience for guys, but if you're a gal, and you hear a 'hissing' noise and look around to see Dominican guys looking at you, it's just what they do. Chalk it up to the equivalent of whistling at a girl as she walks by. 

Local custom...in a holiday village

Local custom...in a holiday village, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  There are many ways of life in a holiday village. There is always something to do on the beach at day, if you want. You can learn the merengue, play beachvolleyball, do morning exercises, watergym during the day and aerobics in the late afternoon. The entertainers are very... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Dominican Republic: Crazy Traffic!
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CndnSugarPlum 17 reviews
Some Dominican traffic...

I do not recommend driving yourself in the DR. It is dangerous and it will be likely you are gonna get into an accident unless you are used to driving in similar situations. 2 lanes can turn into 3, or 4. Passing on corners is not uncommon. The first time I went to the Dominican, I thought I'd never see my homeland again, serious! Our bus transfer driver thank goodness knew what he was doing, even if others did not. We almost smoked this guy on a scooter, and even he pulled over and put his hand over his heart, took some deep breaths, and then continued on in and out of traffic. Be cautious at the very least!

Written Dec 8, 2007

Related to:
 Study Abroad
 Budget Travel
 Family Travel

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Tourist Traps  

Paying for resort photos- don't get caught!

Paying for resort photos- don't get caught!, La Romana

 CndnSugarPlum Says:  While vacationing in the DR, a resort member would come around and take professional looking pictures of you alone, or with a parrot of lizard. It didn't cost anything to take them, the guy just takes them, and then you go to the booth later to see if you like them, and then... 

The tourist guide

The tourist guide, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  Going to visit La Romana, surely your starting point will be the Parque Duarte. Surely here you'll be accosted by people who'll want to show you round. At least it happened to us. This guy wanted at all costs to be our guide in a town where there is nothing such important to... 

Off The Beaten Path  

The suburbs

The suburbs, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  Going round the suburbs at La Romana far from the traffic and the crowded streets, you'll pass through little dirt streets and you'll see these small houses with them little kitchen garden and children who are playing all around. 

The market 2

The market 2, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  After I was over my first impression and overcame my fear, I had a good time going round the market, wandering around the stalls and bargaining over the price.Here the sellers are not so persistent as in a tourist market. I bought a bandana of Dominican Republic. 

Sports & Outdoors  

Other kinds of sport...

Other kinds of sport..., La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  If you don't like to have a good sweat with tiring sports, you can just play bowl or ping-pong on the beach...sports for retiring age?!! 

Many sport activities

Many sport activities, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  At the Gran Dominicus you can choose many sport activities. There is a little gym for weighlifting, an archery's court and tennis courts. You can also play beachvolleyball or canoe. 

Favorites  

A typical Dominican town

A typical Dominican town, La Romana

 Joan58 Says:  Actually in La Romana there aren't tourist attractions. You can visit it if you want to live the armosphere of a typical Dominican town. Go to visit the Parque Duarte, the heart of the city. It's a nice park where you can sit down under the trees for a moment's rest (until... 

Search AND find the most...

Search AND find the most..., La Romana

 myriam_c Says:  Search AND find the most beautiful seashells !  

Comments

Map of La Romana