Altos de Chavon
Altos de Chavon is a small Mediterranean style village built on the heights of the Chavon River, in the province of La Romana.
Also called "Ciudad de los Artistas" (City of Artists), it is located almost 100 kilometers from Santo Domingo. From Punta Cana or Bávaro it is a little more than an hour's drive on the highway.
This place offers the visitor the unique feeling of visiting an ancient Mediterranean village, with cobblestone streets and old style houses typical of the 16th century.
Despite its antique appearance, Altos de Chavón was built during the 1970s.
Altos de Chavon has an archaeological museum, a church, an amphitheater, a design school, restaurants, bars and stores.
Although Altos de Chavón has an ancient appearance, its history is very recent. The beginning of the construction of Altos de Chavón dates back to the 70's, exactly in 1976.
History of Altos de Chavón
The ideal of building a Mediterranean-style villa near the Chavón River came from businessman Charles Bludhorn, president of Golf & Western Corporation at the time, who had a vision of creating a village of medieval-style constructions for tourism purposes.
The design and construction of the villa was the responsibility of Italian designer Roberto Coppa, who hired hundreds of Dominican artisans to build a replica village of a Mediterranean villa.
The work lasted several years, during which Coppa supervised every detail in a meticulous and obsessive manner, typical of a craftsman.
Altos de Chavon was born from an idea to create a medieval style village for tourism purposes.
You could say that Altos de Chavón is a artwork because it was the work of hundreds of artisans.
Every stone used in the street was cut and handmade by a craftsman, every detail of wood, building decorations and furniture was handmade by craftsmen.
It was not until 1982 that the construction of the village was completed. The inauguration of Altos de Chavón was celebrated with a Frank Sinatra concert in the amphitheater.
Things to do in Altos de Chavon
The San Estanislao Church is in the center of the village, and due to its beauty and the surrounding environment, thousands of couples come to celebrate their weddings here.
Behind the San Estanislao Church, you will find the Archaeological Museum, where you can contemplate more than 3,000 samples of pre-Columbian artifacts that document the history of the island.
The Amphitheater is an architectural beauty of Greek style, which has a capacity for almost 5,000 people. It hosts many concerts and performances by famous artists.
There is also a School of Design, one of the most important in the Dominican Republic. This school has a multicultural approach to art and design education and is associated with the Parsons School of Design in New York and other important design schools.
The Altos de Chavón Amphitheater is frequently used to perform concerts by famous artists.
In the tour through the stone streets of Altos de Chavón, the visitor will find these architectural beauties in a quiet natural environment, with incredible landscapes.
Finally, the visitor can relax in the bars and restaurants, and take the opportunity to get to know and taste the regional gastronomy.
Altos de Chavon Excursion & Tour
If you are looking for an excursion to Altos de Chavon, you can see details and prices here: Altos de Chavón Tour & La Romana.