The Rustic Casa Del Campo, Dominican Republic

There is no doubt about it, the feel of Casa Del Campo at first blush is that it is not a ritzy, designed tropical paradise like the Virgin Islands for example. It had a rustic look and sense of impoverishment in the picture presented and that was the difference I liked with this place. There was less phony camouflage. We were greeted by efficiently organized eager tourist guides offering to help us explore the place. We could have gone into the town or to the Artist Village. Some of my friends who went to the town expressed disappointment at the ordinariness of the place. Clearly signs of poverty were obvious. But there is beauty in poverty as it is with white-washed glamor.

Located in the Dominican Republic, one of the main attractions of Casa Del Campo is the artist village apart from the regular fare of sailing, equestrian sports and golfing. For a one-day trip the things you can see is limited, therefore you have to be a little discriminating in your choice. We took a tour bus to the artist village. That round trip was a mere $7.00. That road to the village was filled with eye candies. Lined with beautiful palm trees, palatial houses and villas set amidst perfectly manicured lush green bushes, red frangipani, hibiscus flowers and bougainvilleas dotted the view along with horse ranches, and houses painted in the most delicious pastels.

It was about half hour ride from the port to the marinas. our first top where we spent an hour browsing through the stores and picking up some packages of authentic Dominican Republic coffee. We hung out by the riverside restaurant and sampled some of the local brew. It was wonderful, good coffee. The restaurant looked over the Marina filled with ships. A small group of cultural performers entertained in the mariachi tradition providing a relaxing atmosphere.

Buses from the Marinas had a half-hour schedule of arrival and departure. After that brief stop over we headed for the main event the Altos de Chavon aka the artist village situated above the Chavon River. This man-made hand constructed site is allegedly an exact replica of a 16^th century Mediterranean village created using cobble stone, iron and wood. It is a breathtaking conglomeration of courtyards, arcane buildings, some looking like forts with bougainvillea draped around them resembling a house of bright red flowers, others looked a bit eerie and grotesque but in a beautiful way, if that's possible.

There are little hideaways, boutiques, and jewelry shops, artisans at work, coffee shops and romantic places to stay. People were strolling in every direction under the shaded walkways and what resembled an incredible architectural galaxy. It was like taking a stroll back in time except we were all wearing modern clothing. I think it would be awesome if part of the décor would be people strolling in the period clothing.

A tourist attraction was an old man with his donkey by River Chavon. For a small price you could mount the donkey and have your friends take your picture. The donkey appeared old and did not do walk around. All in all Casa de Campo can be summed up as a lush garden of elegance and rustic beauty, where relaxation and simplicity combine for an exceptional leisure experience.