If you are looking for first class hospitality, gracious service staff, luxurious accommodations and a Caribbean resort experience like no other, Casa de Campo is the place. Located on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, this spectacular 7,000-acre resort, residential community and tropical playground is a golfer’s paradise and a tourist’s delight. In short, Casa De Campo offers a perfect getaway for families, couples or businesses.
Upon arrival at the hotel, you’ll be greeted with a glass of Moet champagne and given keys to a golf cart and directions to a suite that is both elegant and comfortable. The hotel rooms are large, with marble baths, televisions, excellent internet, refrigerators, daily fresh fruit, towel service and room temperature controls. They have all the modern accessories you would expect from such a luxurious spot. I felt a bit like a kid in a candy shop with all the offerings. Following my first instinct, I quickly headed out to explore the resort grounds in my golf cart. The adventure took me back to my days of being a free-wheeling teen, when I loved to spend afternoons at the local go-cart track. The difference was that these golf carts are quiet and the scenery is spectacular.
Manicured lawns, spectacular private residences, picturesque golf courses and a white sandy beach with illuminating turquoise water compel you to quickly get into decompress-mode. The Minitas resort beach is very accessible and the beach café has superior service, cold beer, great tapas and a large canopy to protect you from the hot afternoon sun.
Back at the hotel, the pool area is immaculately maintained and there is a fitness center with the latest workout equipment and a spa offering a plethora of soothing treatments. Families can take advantage of supervised programs for children and teens.
If you love golf you would be in heaven here. I’m not a golfer but my travel colleagues both said that the famed Teeth of the Dog golf course at the resort was one of their all-time best golfing experiences. Aside from golf, Casa offers tennis, beach water sports, river and ocean fishing, horseback riding, polo and clay shooting.
The Casa de Campo Shooting Center is a world-class sport shooting facility with more than 200 different stations. The stations catapult clay targets into the air at different heights, speeds and angles, each one designed to represent the movement of different animals such as pheasants and rabbits. I had never gone clay target shooting before and I have to say I really loved it. The coaches were patient and professional. Your adrenaline gets going each time you line up and hit a moving target.
The Shooting Director and Game keeper is Gary Salmon, a world renowned specialist in the field whose previous postings included stints at Sandringham, at Queen Elizabeth’s estate in Norfolk, in Suffolk, in Essex and then for 16 years in Northamptonshire in England. In the shooting and game keeping world, Salmon is widely known and respected and his clients have included some of Canada’s leading business families and two of Canada’s former Prime Ministers.
My clay shooting experience was only slightly surpassed by an invigorating trail ride with one of the estate ranch horses. I thought I was pretty good on a horse until later in the day when I went to watch a local polo match. I am now convinced that although ice-hockey requires a certain level of talent, it is nowhere near the ability and dexterity required to play polo.
Horseback riding, clay shooting and a long swim at the beach all made for a great day. Later, I enjoyed dinner at the resort’s newly renovated signature restaurant on Minitas Beach. We watched the sunset and dined on a mix of delicious seafood, grilled meats, pasta, fresh salads and side dishes. We ended the meal with amazing desserts, all prepared with a distinctive Caribbean flair.
Lago Grill offers breakfast, lunch and dinner each day alongside its amazing views of the Teeth of the Dog 18th hole and the Caribbean Sea. I enjoyed several early meals here as I felt the cool sea breezes and listened to a Dominican folk band playing “perico ripiao.” Lago offers a wide variety of salads, home style bread, all kinds of seafood, cassava empanadas, a variety of meats including the famous goat “chivo higueyano” and traditional Dominican stew. You can also enjoy a wonderful meal at La Caña by IL Circo which offers a choice of dining in an air-conditioned indoor area or al fresco on the terrace with views of the pool and garden. Their menu is varied and features selections like salmon carpaccio and turbo fillet, risotto with lobster, porcini skirt steak and some pretty incredible desserts.
Casa de Campo has a port called “La Marina” for ships and yachts. It’s really a small village with private residences, shops and restaurants that you could easily spend at day at relaxing and reading a book. However–nothing beats reading a book on the beach. It’s worth it to take the 30 minute Catamaran trip to Catalina Island, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. The Catamaran races along the coast and out into the Caribbean Sea before docking on site at Catalina. Plan to spend a day on this beach under a palm tree. Bring a lunch or buy one from the locals.
Another big draw for visitors is the nearby Altos de Chavón, a replica 16th-century Mediterranean village perched on a rocky outcrop above the River Chavón that is part of the Casa de Campo resort. You’ll need a day to explore the cobbled streets and local merchant shops tucked away in the little courtyards that define this unique place. It was constructed in the 1980s as a living cultural centre for local artists to produce and sell their goods. Dominican architect Jose Antonio Caro and the Italian designer Roberto Coppa worked with Dominican artisans to create the buildings, ironwork, pathways and stone carvings. The Regional Museum of Archaeology is located onsite at Altos de Chavón and is a must stop destination for anyone visiting the area. It features a treasure trove of more than 3,000 artifacts that chart the history and culture of the region’s pre-European societies. You’ll pass a number of restaurants and bars serving local and international cuisines.
We had a fabulous dinner at La Piazzetta, a gourmet Italian restaurant featuring antipasto selections, homemade pasta dishes and a great selection of wines. Then we went to Altos de Chavón’s huge 5,000 seat open-air amphitheater to see the show Kandelá, a musical extravaganza featuring over 50 dancers and two renowned local singers who take you on an incredible musical journey infused with the rhythmic essence of the Caribbean. International stars such as Sting, Carlos Santana, Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias and Shakira have also graced its stage.
Casa de Campo has it all, from luxury hotel rooms and villas to a wide selection of exceptional restaurants, the Cygalle Healing Spa, chic boutiques, beaches, horseback riding, golf, sports facilities, a marina and of course, the Altos de Chavón village –with its museums, restaurants, amphitheatre and church. All make for an exceptional experience. Best of all are the abundant smiling staff members who are well-trained in the art of hospitality and are some of the most generous and genuine people you’ll meet. Bravo Casa de Campo.
For more information on the gorgeous resort and bookings, dive into the Casa de Campo website.