La Romana (southeast coast)
La Romana
The Dominican Republic's quieter southeast: fly into LRM, base near Casa de Campo or Bayahibe, and make the boat trips to Saona and Catalina your reason for coming.
Best length
5-7 nights, or 2-3 as a quieter add-on to Punta Cana
Airport
La Romana (LRM), seasonal UK charters; otherwise fly PUJ
Airport to centre
~10 min LRM to Casa de Campo; ~25-30 min to Bayahibe
Best base
Bayahibe for islands and diving; Casa de Campo for a luxury bubble
In short
La Romana at a glance
La Romana is the Dominican Republic's quieter southeast base, an hour and a half down the coast from Punta Cana and built around two things: the sprawling Casa de Campo resort with its Altos de Chavón replica village, and the fishing town of Bayahibe, the launch point for boat trips to Saona and Catalina islands. It has its own airport (LRM, code La Romana International) with seasonal UK charter flights, so you can fly straight in. Treat it as a calmer, more golf-and-island alternative to the Bávaro strip: pick Bayahibe if islands and diving are the point, Casa de Campo if you want a self-contained luxury bubble, and budget the Saona catamaran day and at least one Altos de Chavón evening on top of your room rate.
The short version
- La Romana sits on the southeast coast about 1h30 west of Punta Cana, with its own airport (LRM) used by seasonal UK charter flights rather than the year-round nonstops into PUJ.
- Two bases dominate: the gated Casa de Campo estate (Teeth of the Dog golf, Altos de Chavón) and the smaller, livelier Bayahibe fishing village 20-30 minutes east.
- Bayahibe is the boat-trip launch point for Saona Island and Catalina Island inside Cotubanamá National Park — the main reason most people base here over Punta Cana.
- Altos de Chavón is a 1980s replica 16th-century Mediterranean village above the Chavón river, with a 5,000-seat amphitheatre and cobbled artisan lanes; an evening visit is the standout non-beach thing to do.
- Pre-book a private transfer rather than haggling outside arrivals; LRM to Bayahibe runs about US$30-45 (~£24-36) each way and Punta Cana (PUJ) to La Romana about US$90-120 (~£70-95).
La Romana is the Dominican Republic’s southeast alternative to Punta Cana — about an hour and a half quieter down the coast, and built around two very different things. One is the Casa de Campo estate beside the airport: a gated 7,000-acre bubble with three Pete Dye golf courses, the Altos de Chavón replica village and a marina, where you move around by golf cart and rarely leave. The other is Bayahibe, a small working fishing village 25-30 minutes east that doubles as the launch point for boat trips to Saona and Catalina islands inside Cotubanamá National Park. Where you sleep decides the trip: Casa de Campo for a self-contained luxury week, Bayahibe for islands, diving and somewhere with a pulse.
The headline reason to come here over the Bávaro strip is the islands. You start closer to Saona from Bayahibe than from Punta Cana, so the boat day is shorter, and Catalina’s wall dive is one of the best in the country. The non-beach standout is Altos de Chavón, a 1980s replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean hill town above the Chavón river, with cobbled artisan lanes and a 5,000-seat amphitheatre — go late afternoon for the light and stay for dinner. Below, the structured planning picks up from here: which base suits you, how to handle the LRM-versus-PUJ flight question, the island trips worth booking, and a realistic budget in pounds.
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in La Romana
Saona Island catamaran day from Bayahibe
The signature southeast Dominican excursion and the main reason to base in La Romana: a catamaran-and-speedboat day from Bayahibe out to Saona, a palm-fringed island inside Cotubanamá National Park, with a stop at a natural-pool sandbar. Because you set off closer than from Punta Cana, the boat time is shorter. Reckon on roughly US$55-80 per person; book through a reputable Bayahibe operator rather than a beach tout.
Altos de Chavón
Altos de Chavón is a 1970s replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean hill village, built in carved coral block above the Chavón river inside the gated Casa de Campo estate near La Romana. The cobbled lanes themselves are free to wander, so the real planning question is getting through the resort gate, not buying an attraction ticket: non-staying day visitors pay a consumable estate day-pass at the security checkpoint (around US$25 / ~£20, redeemable against food and drink at the village). Once inside, the set pieces are the St Stanislaus church, the free Regional Museum of Archaeology with its Taíno collection, the artisan workshops, and the 5,000-seat Grecian-style amphitheatre that Frank Sinatra opened in 1982. Go late afternoon: the carved stone glows at golden hour, the river view down to the marina is the photo, and you can roll the visit into dinner at one of the village restaurants.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Bayahibe
££ mid-rangeA small, walkable former fishing village 20-30 minutes east of La Romana town, and the most characterful base in the area. It's the departure point for Saona and Catalina boat trips, has the best concentration of dive shops, and keeps a few mid-range hotels and guesthouses alongside the big all-inclusives at neighbouring Dominicus beach. The pick if you want islands, diving and somewhere with a pulse rather than a sealed resort.
Best for: Island trips, diving, independent travellers wanting a real village
Casa de Campo
£££ premiumA vast gated estate just east of La Romana airport with its own marina, three Pete Dye golf courses, private beach (Minitas) and the Altos de Chavón village. Self-contained, polished and pricey, with golf-cart transport between villas — you barely leave once you're inside. Best for golfers, honeymooners and anyone happy to pay for a controlled luxury bubble.
Best for: Golfers, honeymooners, luxury all-in-one stays
Playa Dominicus / Bayahibe beach strip
££ mid-rangeThe run of large all-inclusive resorts on the Blue Flag Dominicus beach beside Bayahibe — the closest the area gets to the Bávaro model, but smaller and quieter. You get the full all-inclusive package with the island-trip launch point on your doorstep. Best for families and first-timers who still want an easy resort week but a calmer one.
Best for: Families and first-timers wanting an easy but quieter resort week
La Romana town
£ valueThe working sugar-and-port town itself, around the Parque Central and the Mercado Viejo market. Few tourists stay here and there's little beach, but it's where you'll find cheap comedores and a non-resort slice of Dominican life. Practical for a budget night or a market stop rather than a holiday base.
Best for: Budget travellers and a non-resort look at the real town
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer LRM to Bayahibe | ~25-30 min | about US$30-45 (~£24-36) each way | Best default if you fly into La Romana; arrange before you fly |
| Private transfer LRM to Casa de Campo | ~10 min | about US$20-35 (~£16-28) each way | Shortest run; many Casa de Campo packages include it |
| Private transfer PUJ (Punta Cana) to La Romana | ~1h30 | about US$90-120 (~£70-95) each way | Use this if your UK flight only goes nonstop to PUJ |
| Package coach transfer (TUI etc.) | varies with drop-offs | usually included in the package | Cheapest if bundled, but slower with multiple stops |
When to go
Sweet spot: December to April is the prime window for La Romana: drier, less humid, reliable sun and outside hurricane season, and the only stretch when the seasonal UK charters into LRM run — but also peak price, with Christmas, New Year and February half-term the dearest dates. For the best balance of weather and value, target May or late November, when the sea is still calm enough for the Saona and Catalina boat trips and resorts ease off peak rates.
The dry season runs roughly December to April with warm days in the high 20s to low 30s°C and the settled seas the island catamaran trips depend on. June to November is hurricane season, with the real risk concentrated in August and September, which is also when the steepest package discounts appear and when the occasional rough day can cancel a Saona or Catalina sailing. May and late November are the sweet-spot shoulders. Diving on Catalina's wall is good year-round, but visibility is best in the calmer dry-season months.
What it costs
There are seasonal UK charter flights direct to La Romana (LRM) in the December-April peak, but most of the year UK travellers fly nonstop to Punta Cana (PUJ) and transfer ~1h30 down the coast. Direct return economy to the southeast typically runs £450-£750 in the dry season, dipping under £350 on cheap low-season dates and climbing past £800 over Christmas, New Year and February half-term. Booking flights and an all-inclusive together as a package usually undercuts buying the parts separately.
Daily budget per person
Dollar figures use US$1 ≈ £0.79 and peso figures £1 ≈ 80 DOP (June 2026). The US dollar is the practical tourist currency for resorts, boat trips and transfers — carry small US$1-5 bills for housekeeping and bar tips, which are expected, and you'll rarely need pesos.
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