You can’t get bored at Casa de Campo. This 7,000 acre resort on the southeast corner of the Dominican Republic is famous for its three Pete Dye-designed golf courses, but it also has a wide range of other activities from tennis, fishing, shooting, riding and sailing, to a private beach, spa, musical shows and special activities for kids aged three to twelve.
You need to plan carefully, especially in the busy months of December, January, March and April, as it is not easy booking a timetable in advance without understanding how long it takes to get around. One of the joys is zooming around the exotic and lush roads on golf buggies, but it takes a good 20 minutes to get from one side of the resort to the other. Planning was not a problem in February when the resort was curiously deserted, to the obvious despair of the waiters and managers of the many restaurants where, despite some of the most picturesque locations imaginable, serried ranks of tables stood empty.
If Casa de Campo does have a drawback, it is the lack of reasonably-priced places to eat. We’d recommend La Casita and Limoncello in the marina for their service and waterfront locations (the marina is modeled on the Italian fishing village of Portofino). And the lunch buffet at the hotel’s Lago Grill was expensive but good. Avoid the main hotel restaurant La Caña which had disappointing service, watered-down cocktails and over-priced food. We found the best value at Gino’s Pizzeria, despite the fact that it imports all ingredients from Italy; however, it was not listed in any guides as it’s only been open for one year and the resort directories were hopelessly outdated—several restaurants advertised had been closed for some time. Gino’s is on an open terrace in Altos de Chavon, an astonishing artist’s colony built to resemble a 16th-century stone village, and the detail—along
with the magnificent location overlooking the Chavon River (where scenes for Apocalypse Now were filmed)—is extraordinary, not least the enormous amphitheater where musical performances are staged on Monday evenings.
My family went to Casa de Campo primarily for the tennis center which must be one of the prettiest in the Caribbean with thirteen composite clay courts (ten floodlit) set amidst brick terraces and stunning flowers with a distant view of the ocean. It also has a good reputation for finding local playing partners for all abilities. There are limited formal programs though, and it was hard to book in advance a range of lessons to suit different standards in the family. Fortunately, a friend introduced us to the head coach José Santana who hits a strong ball for advanced players and helped us navigate the week. Ball boys at $5 an hour were a major treat, though it meant a session with José was even more exhausting, as you hit twice as many balls.
Our second reason for choosing Casa de Campo was the equestrian center, an enchantingly low-key but highly professional ranch with over 200 horses for trail rides, show jumping and even polo. Our thirteen-year-old daughter Beatrice improved her jumping and horsemanship dramatically under the eagle-eyed tuition of José Calderon, who obviously takes great pride in his work.
The shooting center proved a great bonus, especially on the days when unusual levels of rain drove us off the beach. Excellent instruction is given at reasonable prices for children twelve and up on handling a shotgun in skeet and trap shooting. Our three children loved it.
Overall, the week flew by and while Casa de Campo is not for the financially
fainthearted, we will return as soon as we possibly can.
HOT LIST: Caribbean Resorts For Families
- Atlantis (Paradise Island, Bahamas)
- The Buccaneer (St. Croix)
- Club Med Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)
- Curtain Bluff (Antigua)
- Elbow Beach (Bermuda)
- Four Seasons (Costa Rica)
- Half Moon (Jamaica)
- Hyatt Regency (Aruba)
- The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
- The Somerset On Grace Bay (Turks and Caicos)
