On-board magazine of Vladivostok. Altos de Chavon Chavon River

Europe

Altos de Chavon on the Chavon River is a city of artists.

If you ever decide to visit the Dominican Republic, do not forget to look into the truly charming place of Altos de Chavon, located on the steep bank of the Chavon River, in the province of La Ramana.

Altos de Chavon is an artificially recreated Spanish village of the 16th century with small stone-paved streets, houses in the Renaissance style. Here is a branch of the Parsons Institute of Design in New York, and therefore the place is also called the city of artists.

Around every corner there are many shops and creative workshops, where you will not only be sold handmade things made with love (albeit at incredible prices!), but will also be drawn into the production of something like that with pleasure. Artists from all over the world are always welcome here: once a year, for an absolutely symbolic fee, they are ready to shelter any master here.

This town began to grow back in 1976, thanks to the famous American tycoon Charles Blahdorn, who owns the Gulf + Western corporation and is associated with many business areas. This corporation in 1966 began to own controlling stake Paramount Pictures. Blahdorn fell in love with the Dominican Republic so much, having flown there once on business, that he built a villa in these parts, and also allocated funds for the construction of an unusual town, announcing that this would be his gift for his beloved daughter.

The start of construction of Altos de Chavon coincided with the construction of a road connecting the local cities of La Ramana and Higuey, which required blowing up a large stone mountain. Blahdorn, like a real businessman, suggested using the stone left after the explosion in the construction medieval city. Waste-free and profitable production!

The construction was supervised by the famous Italian artist-architect Roberto Kopa, invited by Blahdorn, who was busy in the 1970s designing scenery for films. Under the guidance of Cope, local artisans and craftsmen managed to build a small town reminiscent of the place of residence of the first colonists of the 16th century, giving it the features of Italian and Spanish romantic architecture.

The houses in this city were built from the aforementioned stone, which has the unique ability to change its light depending on the time of day, and the streets were lined with cobblestones.

Local houses for the most part are two-story buildings, decorated with old shutters, picturesque arches and balconies.

There is only one in the town big square connecting all the surrounding streets. And along the river, from north to south, there is a local promenade, along which you can walk along the city or go around it in about ten minutes.

For naturalness, Altos de Chavon was ennobled with a real church of St. Stanislaus, built in honor of Pope John Paul II.

The church is active, it is very popular for weddings, not only among the elite living nearby. Mass begins here every Saturday and Sunday at 5 pm.

The Archaeological Museum, located directly opposite the church, is the most big museum countries outside of Santo Domingo. Here is a unique collection of artifacts dedicated to the life of the Indians who have lived in these parts since ancient times. The museum's collection includes about 3,000 exhibits, representing a unique opportunity to touch the history of this country.

The huge stone amphitheater with 5,000 seats is the real centerpiece of Altos de Chavon.

It was built at the expense of Frank Sinatra in order to conduct acting classes in his arena.

The famous singer performed one of his songs at the opening.

Currently, concerts of world celebrities are held here, as well as costume performances in the national style for tourists, student performances are staged, and various festivals are held.

The town pleases the eye with its appearance, some incredible hospitality, despite the fact that it is completely tailored for tourists and there is nothing superfluous in it.

Here you want to walk, look into the secluded corners of small streets and rejoice like a child when you managed to buy something very cute and completely useless from local merchants.

I want to enjoy even the blue sky.

Walking around "residents" in national costumes.

You can pop in for a moment at one of the many bars for a refreshing drink or one of the many restaurants where the owners are happy to go out of their way to please their guests.

Walking along the promenade, the eye rejoices, looking at the Chavon River.

"Chained" in steep banks, on which it is not clear how huge palm trees and dark thickets of tropical vegetation hold.

Filmmakers have visited these exotic places more than once. Apocalypse Now, Rambo 2, King Kong remake, Jurassic Park were filmed here.

From time to time a white boat creeps slowly along the river.

Its wheels churn dark water into foam.

Luxurious villas float by.

Gradually the landscape changes.

Until the Chavon River merges with the Caribbean Sea, striking with its incredible blue.

Like all other corners of the Earth, the Dominican Republic was created over millions of years thanks to the harmonious union of the four primary elements - water, earth, fire and air, but only the fifth element made it a tourist paradise in which both American golfers and French treasure hunters feel equally comfortable. , and German pensioners, and lovers of wild rafting from Russia.

Rivers of the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic - an island between Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, which is washed by the oceanic waves of the Atlantic and warm surf caribbean. The capital of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo.
The Ozama River is deep, so they come to Santo Domingo cruise ships even the latest generation, and many obscure Caribbean sea tours start from here. Here, by the way, is a great option to save money on vacation without losing its quality! You don’t have to fly to Florida to board a ship at American rates, but go straight to Santo Domingo in autumn and winter, from where a four-five-day cruise to several visa-free island countries will cost three times cheaper.
Another famous river of the Dominican Republic is the Chavon, on the banks of which Steven Spielberg shot several shots of Jurassic Park, the very ones where scientists extract mosquitoes sucking the blood of dinosaurs from amber. There is more amber in the Dominican Republic than in the Baltic, and the rarest, almost black, is more expensive than gold.
Above the river stands the town of Altos de Chavon, a town with an amazing history. In the 70s of the twentieth century, the daughter of a local millionaire visited Italy and fell in love with this country so much that she began to go there every summer, leaving her loving dad for a long time. He did not think long and built an exact copy of a small Italian town of the Renaissance on the banks of the Chavon. This is a replica, but everything works in it: shops and taverns are open, fountains are splashing, a Catholic church is operating, and the local “ancient” amphitheater is generally a world-class attraction. This strange concert venue Frank Sinatra himself once opened for five thousand seats, Carlos Santana performed there last year, and Eros Ramazzotti performed there this May.
The rivers of the Dominican Republic, flowing from the spurs of the Cordillera, attract rafting enthusiasts from all over the world. And of the local inhabitants, the abundance of fresh water is most pleased with the cows, who always have the freshest emerald grass, and the owners of plantations on which the wonderful sugar cane ripens, from which sugar is first made, then the famous rum of the brands Barcelo, Brugal and Bermudez and finally "mama juana" - Dominican "Viagra" from rum with the addition of red wine, honey and medicinal herbs.
But, of course, the bulk of tourists are attracted not by rum, and even more so not by fresh water, but by salty, sea water that splashes on the shores of the island, which Columbus called Hispaniola.

Holidays in the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic Hotels

It makes sense to talk not about the air as such - it is clear that on an island where there is little industry, but a lot of forest and sea, it is clean - but about Dominican aeronautics.
Can you imagine a hotel that has its own airport, and with international status? Unlikely. But in the Dominican Republic there is one - one of the best five-star hotels and a complex of villas, Casa de Campo, is served by La Romana Airport, runway which can accept any type of aircraft. The airport is technically perfect, has excellent navigation and security systems, and is also interesting in terms of architectural solution. Its terminals and roof constructions replicate a large cane processing plant located in this most sugar-prone province of the country.
The main tourists in the Dominican Republic are Americans, but here they are waiting for guests not only from the USA, although it is the most convenient for them to get here. Among the most dynamically developing new destinations are Russia and Ukraine. All in all, in a small island nation The Dominican Republic has 13 modern airports, of which 8 are international.

Things to Do in Dominican Republic

The Dominicans are on fire. Local men are very reckless. Almost on every street you can see a small kiosk with a BANCA sign. You can’t get money there, but you can give it away - this is not a bank, but a bookmaker’s office, where they bet on everything, but first of all - on cockfights and baseball matches.
Today, there are six professional baseball teams in the country that make up the Winter League, the winner of which advances to the "Caribbean Series", where they play with the best clubs in Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. The national team has won prizes at the Baseball World Championships; quite a few Dominicans play in the US Big League.
Unlike baseball, the Dominican rooster "league" is year-round and more numerous. The cost of good fighting cocks can reach up to several thousand dollars, so they are cherished like the apple of an eye, groomed and cherished, they follow a special diet when feeding and train with sparring partners in special caps on spurs to protect them from premature wounds. But in the arena, fluff and dust flies in all directions, and often the battle ends with the death of one of the rivals, while the winner brings thousands of profits to his owner. Fights from the main arenas of the country are broadcast on television, and at the entrance to the halls everywhere there are by no means superfluous signs asking you to hand over your firearms.
But if you suddenly hear sounds similar to shooting on the streets of Santo Domingo, this will most likely be the beginning of one of the songs in the national merengue style, which are heard everywhere and almost around the clock. And in the last week of July, the Merengue Festival takes place in the capital, gathering performers from all regions of the country and attracting tourists from all over the world.
It is believed that this music originated from the once common Cuban dance melody "upa habanera", under which the movement called "merengue" was also performed. At first it was popular among the "lower classes" and was accompanied by texts with a lot of indecent words, but gradually the texts became more decent and the merengue captivated everyone. In a real, folk merengue, the main instrument is the accordion, which either solos or intertwines with the sounds of other national instruments - tambore, guire and reed marimba.
In pop meringue, the accordion was replaced by keyboard and wind instruments - trumpet and trombone.
And if they say that Dominicans are passionate, amorous, flirtatious, and believe that sex is the main thing in a relationship, then the merengue does not contradict this opinion: in the dance they not only seem to compete, who will lead the hip more erotically, and who will bend more invitingly, but and often find their new love.

Service in the Dominican Republic

It was he and the entire hospitality industry of the Dominican Republic as a whole, having united and strengthened natural resources country, made it an exceptionally favorable place for any kind of tourism.
From the very beginning, the development of tourism in the Dominican Republic was subordinated to one goal - to make the stay of guests on the island as comfortable and carefree as possible. Therefore, all the main hotel chains in the country work on the principle of "all inclusive", however, the volume of this "all" can vary quite significantly depending on what category of tourists they are designed for.

If we talk about mass, but at the same time five-star tourism at a price of 90-130 dollars per day, then in this segment one of the most extensive is the hotel chain Bahia Principe located in Punta Cana\Bavaro\La Romana and Samana. Each hotel consists of a very large main building with a lobby and a Buffet restaurant for breakfast and dinner, and many three-story buildings with 12-15 rooms with all amenities, including a balcony where you can sit in the cool of the evening, a jacuzzi, a coffee machine and a free bar with soft drinks. drinks. In addition to their own beaches, hotels have up to ten swimming pools, several different national restaurants and a myriad of free bars with exotic cocktails. The Barcelo hotel chain operates according to the same system, which additionally offers tourists casinos, a wide variety of active entertainment on the sea, excursions to Manaty Park - something like a combination of a zoo and an animal circus - and to the Island of trained dolphins, with whom you can swim. Ecological safaris with a visit to a real ranch, cocoa plantations and horseback riding are very popular.
In the more expensive price group is the famous resort complex CASA de CAMPO in the province of La Romana, where there are not only two-storey villas with 6-12 rooms, but also a large number of exclusive villas with several bedrooms and a private pool, as well as a unique marina capable of accommodating yachts of any displacement on internal and external roads. Three golf courses, a tennis center with 13 courts, an equestrian center with polo grounds and a shooting range are open to guests; sea fishing for blue and white marlin is organized.
The grandiose CAP CANA project is certainly a purely Dominican phenomenon. Here, on the territory of 120 million sq.m. a whole city is being built, offering guests not only short-term rest, but also long-term residence. Therefore, hotels, luxury villa complexes, a dozen gourmet restaurants, boutiques, a spa center and even a gymnasium and a branch of the university have already been opened here.
With a unique range of travel offerings, the Dominican Republic has long been a the best place vacation in the Caribbean.

Text by Elena Andreeva, photo by Evgeny Golomolzin. Published in Vladivostok Air in-flight magazine No. 45, 2010

Altos de Chavon (Dominican Republic) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

Hot tours to the Dominican Republic

Previous photo Next photo

One of the main attractions of La Romana, Altos de Chavon, or the city of artists, is a recreation of a medieval village, conceived by American tycoon Charles Blahdorn, owner of the Gulf + Western corporation, which acquired control of Paramount Pictures in 1966. In the Dominican Republic, Gulf + Western was engaged in the development of sugarcane plantations, and Charles Blahdorn, once flying to the island on business, was so delighted with him that he moved here to live. According to one version, Altos de Chavon was a birthday present for his daughter, according to another, it was a present for American tourists who could now get to know the traditions and culture of the Dominican Republic.

The construction of the village, which began in 1976, was entrusted to the Italian designer Roberto Kopa, who designed the scenery for Hollywood films, and was already fully completed in the early 1980s. Today, the walls of limestone houses that line the city's narrow, cobblestone streets hide modern restaurants, shops and craft shops, as well as three galleries with exhibitions by students from the local School of Design.

There is also a “Greek” amphitheater in Altos de Chavon, solemnly opened in 1982 with a concert of Frank Sinatra and Carlos Santana, and the architectural highlight of the city is the Church of St. Stanislaus, named after the patron saint of Poland and has become a popular wedding venue. It was in this church that on November 6, 2004, Prince Luis Alfonso de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou married the heiress of a Venezuelan noble family, Maria Margarita Vargas Santaella.

Here, in the city of artists, there is a regional museum of archeology with a collection of pre-Columbian artifacts found in the vicinity. The exposition of the museum is considered the largest and one of the best outside

The Chavon River flows through the territory of the Dominican Republic. The valley of this river is considered one of the most picturesque natural attractions. Dominican Republic. Dense tropical forests grow on the banks of the river. Rocks hang right above the shore, reflected in the water.
For tourists, an excursion to Saona Island can also be organized along with an excursion along the Chavon River. On the site www.weddingindominicana.com you can order such an excursion. The Chavon River crosses the province of La Romana and merges with the Caribbean Sea. Saona Island can be reached by sea from the resort of Casa de Campo, where the mouth of the Chavona River is located. On the river you can ride a boat or a small boat by renting water transport from the local population or from businessmen. locals themselves go on such walks and provide such an opportunity for lovers of eco-tourism in the Dominican Republic.
Rafting on the Chavon River will not work, because its course is calm and smooth. There are no thresholds. It is reasonable to rent a small boat and go downstream with an experienced rower.
Among all the features of the Chavon River, it should be noted that its banks are practically not built up. On one of the rocks built observation platform, allowing you to grasp at a glance all the local beauties. The Chavon River is also romantic place. In addition, the atmosphere here beckons for adventure. Movies "Rambo 2", "Rambo 3", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Apocalypse Now" were filmed here.
Visiting the river is completely free and around the clock. It is only important to know when it is sent last transport to the hotel.