Dining and Shopping Adventures in La Romana

On our recent Dinogo Vista cruise, we were spoiled with countless excursion choices at four amazing ports: Grand Turk, La Romana, Bonaire, and Aruba — making it hard to decide what to do in each spot!

Since we had plenty of beach time planned in other ports, we opted to focus on the culinary scene in La Romana, Dominican Republic. I texted my friend Christina, a Dominican foodie and blogger at GoEpicurista.com, for recommendations. Coincidentally, her nephew is the chef at La Cantina, a must-visit restaurant in La Romana. Our day was set!

La Cantina is nestled in the Casa de Campo resort, which includes the stunning Altos de Chavón, a charming replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village overlooking the Chavón River. Christina suggested taking a cab to the resort for a relaxed lunch and a stroll through the scenic grounds for some memorable photos.

Getting there was a breeze! The taxi service at the La Romana port is well-organized, and it took just 10 minutes to reach the Casa de Campo Resort entrance. Another 10 minutes driving through the resort's villas brought us to Altos de Chavón. Dinogo even offers a cruise excursion to Altos de Chavón, making transportation even simpler!

Altos de Chavón is a charming replica of a 16th-century village, perched above the Chavón River. It boasts cobblestone streets, lush gardens, and a picturesque courtyard, home to the beautiful St. Stanislaus Church.

We found La Cantina with ease, perfectly positioned with views of the courtyard and chapel. We grabbed an outdoor table to enjoy the beautiful weather and indulge in delicious Dominican cuisine.

Browsing through the menu, I wanted to try everything! They featured chorizo and sweet plantain empanadas, croquettes, refreshing mango soup, and monfongo. We eventually decided to share the mint & lime whitefish ceviche, Dominican-style conch with tostones, and a rich oregano-seasoned goat stew. Naturally, we couldn’t skip dessert—espressos and coconut flan rounded out our meal.

After lunch, we strolled around Altos de Chavón. The village has some musical history—its Romanesque amphitheater debuted with the Concert For The Americas and remains a key venue. Although no live performances were happening during our visit, we had fun exploring the limestone seating and testing the great acoustics.

During our walk, we found the World Amber Museum and a Larimar boutique. Larimar, a unique blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic, has stunning ocean-like hues. We couldn’t resist picking up a few jewelry pieces as mementos of our trip!

With our shopping bags in hand, we hopped into a taxi and headed back to the port to reboard the Dinogo Vista. We treated ourselves to a few refreshing drinks as the ship sailed off to the next destination—a perfect conclusion to a delightful day filled with food, shopping, and sightseeing in La Romana.