Located one hundred meters above the Chavón River and sculpted entirely in stone, Altos de Chavón is a little town that began construction only in 1976, but reflects a Mediterranean town from the 16th century.
The design of this village, which leaves amazed all those who visit it, is by the Dominican architect José Antonio Caro and the creation corresponds to the Italian designer and set designer Roberto Coppa who worked for years with the Italian filmmakers Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. This village transports us to Mediterranean Europe with the most spectacular views of the Chavón River and the Caribbean Sea.
Altos de Chavón is located in the southeast of the Dominican Republic, in La Romana, only 110 kilometers from the historical city of Santo Domingo. Nestled at the top of a leafy, rocky plateau, the small village is located within the boundaries of the Casa de Campo tourist complex. Altos de Chavón is the headquarters of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation, a non-profit cultural and educational entity. Altos de Chavón has Cultural Museums, Art Gallery, Craft Workshops, Shops, Design School, Amphitheater, Restaurants, Bars and much more!
One of the highlights of Altos de Chavón is its prime hilltop location, offering spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and the Chavón River. It is a perfect place to take stunning photos and enjoy a romantic atmosphere at sunset.
Amphitheater
An iconic symbol of Altos de Chavón and Casa de Campo is the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater designed by the Italian artist Roberto Coppa in 1976 and inaugurated with the “Concert for the Americas” with Frank Sinatra on August 20, 1982.
With capacity for about five thousand attendees, this impressive greek-style amphitheater has been the scene of countless concerts, events and performances. Many renowned artists have made this stage shine, such as Sting, Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra, Air Supply, Julio Iglesias, Plácido Domingo.
Design School
The School of Design was founded in 1983 in Altos de Chavón and became the pioneer institution for teaching art and design in the Dominican Republic. Since its founding, the Altos de Chavón School of Design has been affiliated with Parsons School for Design, an educational institution founded in 1896 (the oldest in the United States), internationally recognized for its academic offering, avant-garde approach and global impact in the field of art and design.
Since its inception the School of Design has prepared outstanding individuals in the various areas related to art and design. More than 1,700 graduates of 35 nationalities are professionals who perform outstanding work in fashion, graphic design, fine arts and illustration.
Museums
Altos de Chavon has three museums: the Regional Archaeological Museum, the Amber Museum and the Chocolate Museum.
The Altos de Chavón Regional Archaeological Museum, inaugurated in 1981, exhibits, preserves, interprets and disseminates the aboriginal culture of the island from 4,000 BC to 1502 AD, the year in which the Higüey chiefdom was subdued, which marks the term of the conquest and subjugation of all the indigenous peoples of Quisqueya.
The archaeological collection of more than 3,000 objects in the museum’s custody was gathered over more than 40 years by Samuel Pión in excavations directed by him in the eastern region of the island and constitutes an interesting collection of ritual and utilitarian objects that show the evolution from the pre-agricultural towns to the Tainos, the predominant culture at the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.
In this museum you will find a collection that shows the different existing types of amber, and at the same time a tour of its origin, history and sample of the wonderful jewelry that can be made with it. Within the same museum you can also see a small collection on display of larimar, its origin and history. They also have a wide variety of jewelry made with these semi-precious stones for sale to the public.
This museum has set out to show the world the origin of cocoa and how the chocolate manufacturing process takes place. Every visitor can see how chocolate is made from the cocoa bean. And if you have time you can participate in one of the workshops and make your own personalized chocolate. At ChocoMuseo you can taste, for free, different products made with chocolate. In it we can also find crafts and beauty products. These products are also for sale.
St. Stanislaus Church
A religious temple that is located in the central square of Altos de Chavón. This church has become an important place of worship for the citizens of the area. Let us remember that Saint Stanislaus is the patron saint of Poland and was named in honor of the previous Pope John Paul II. It was precisely this pope who delivered to the church the ashes of his country’s patron saint and a wooden statue for his consecration, which is an important part of this religious temple within La Romana.
Those who visit the area are recommended to attend a mass that takes place at 5 p.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays, which is always an interesting experience. The possibility of visiting the church of San Estanislao is daily, since it is always open to the public. The experience is worth it, both to see the characteristics of the church from the outside and to enjoy its interior.
Restaurants
Altos de Chavón has a variety of restaurants that offer you the cuisine of different countries such as Italy, France, the Dominican Republic, Peruvian, among others. Some of the restaurants are:
⁃ The Piazzetta
⁃ Voala Café Marché
⁃ Fresh Fresh Cafe
⁃ Alegria
⁃ Onno’s
How to get there
The fastest and most efficient way to get to Casa de Campo from Punta Cana is by crossing the Coral Highway. It is 72.7 km, around 1 hour drive. There is no public transportation that reaches Altos de Chavon. You can rent a car, take a taxi/uber or book one of the many tours offered from Punta Cana to visit this beautiful place.
We have two tours that offer you the opportunity to get to know Altos de Chavón and its entire history. For lovers of history and culture we have a combo that combines Altos de Chavon with the marvellous Cave of Wonders (check the TOUR ITINERARY) and for those who prefer to have “fun in the sun” we have Altos de Chavon combined with a snorkeling day trip to Catalina Island (TOUR ITINERARY).
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