One very unusual and interesting attraction in the south of the Dominican Republic is Altos de Chavon or the city of artists. This beautiful place is often visited as part of an excursion and it leaves a double impression. Below I will tell you everything in order. And you will make the conclusion yourself.
History of Altos de Chavon
There is a lot of information, but I will try structurally and most importantly. Altos de Chavon is a village that was built in the style of the 15th century and completely recreated the atmosphere, architecture and life of that time. Here’s what you need to know about this place:
- The city of artists is a pure modern new building.
- Charles Bluhdorn is an American multimillionaire of the mid-20th century. He owned golf courses in the United States and the Paramount Pictures film company. He was a member of the president’s office and knew all the influential and famous people of that time.
- In 1967, when there was no tourism in the Dominican Republic at all. He bought a sugar plantation and a tobacco factory here. And I planned to make rum and cigars here, better quality than Cuban ones, and deliver them home to the United States. You can read a large article about cigars at the link, there will be information about prices, how to choose, what differences and much more.
Perhaps the story would have ended there if the Dominican Republic hadn’t been such a fabulously beautiful country.
Dominicana fell in love with an American millionaire. And he decided to build himself a residence here for a holiday in the land of eternal summer. And most importantly, he wanted to show this country to his high-society friends. And as you know, such people will not go to a third world country. They need the necessary luxury conditions that they are used to at home.
So the idea of building a closed luxury complex Casa de Campo was born:
- Today, this elite complex includes:
- 4 luxury hotels
- And more than 500 private villas.
- The owners of villas in Casa de Campo are just rich people, as well as world stars, politicians, their families and so on.
Important to know:The territory of Casa de Campo is closed, tourists can not get here. What can not be said about the City of Artists.
Construction of Altos de Chavon or the City of Artists
The city of Artists became part of the Casa de Campo. And its main task is to create a recreation and entertainment center for the rich residents of the complex. And a little later it became the center of various social events, art schools and a platform for performances of world stars.
Altos de Chavon is a classic new building. Years of construction from 1976 to 1992. But when you get here, you feel how well and qualitatively recreated the atmosphere and architecture of the time of Columbus.
- There are no fake sets, as on the sites of Hollywood. Where a beautiful cover hides just plywood boards.
- Altos de Chavon was built by hand from coral blocks. Just like the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo in the 16th century. Each blog was cut and customized individually.
- Construction technologies and buildings and decorative elements tried to take the same way from that time.
Useful to know:Altos de Chavon was chosen for the construction of an amazingly beautiful place. At the mouth of the Chavon River at an altitude of 50 m above the river. A city of artists was built right on the cliff edge. The views that open from the square to the river and jungle, as well as the chic architecture amaze many. I’ll write about the disadvantages below.
How to get there?
As you have already understood, the Casa de Campo complex is closed to tourists. But Altos de Chavon is open. Yes, not for free, but in general this place resembles an open-air ethno museum. You probably know them, we have enough of them in our country. Where there are thatched houses and windmills. And in the Dominican Republic, Altos de Chavon, and there the culture and life of completely different nationalities is recreated — the Spanish village of the 15th-16th centuries.
There are four ways to get to this place, and I’ll tell you about all of them:
- Taxi
- Public transport
- Car rental services
- Excursion
Important to know:Altos de Chavon is located between two famous resorts, Boca Chica on one side and Punta Cana and Bavaro on the other. It takes just under an hour to get there by car from both resorts.
You can take a taxi, but it is very expensive. Public transport is not convenient, as nothing goes to the attraction itself. We need to change trains and walk a few more kilometers.
The most convenient and affordable way to get there is either a rental car. There is no need to explain. I sat down and got there in 40 minutes. Or as part of a guided tour.
Altos de Chavon: guided tours
As part of the tour, I would say that this is probably the most popular option. And here’s why:
- No need to think about the transfer, you will be brought and taken away
- Altos de Chavon is a tourist attraction for just 1-2 hours. The size of this place is not very large. Therefore, the city of artists is often combined with other cool attractions in the region.:
- with Saona Island
- or Catalina Island
- This is the most convenient option: in the morning you will be brought to the island and the paradisiacal beaches. You have rested, bathed, and been fed. After lunch, we were taken to Altos de Chavon for an hour or two and then to the hotel. You can hardly do it yourself in a day.
- Here is a very cool program, ideal for those tourists who live in Bavaro or Punta Cana and those who do not have a car at hand.
- Saona Island and the City of Artists
- The main thing: it includes not only a transfer from the hotel, but also all entrance fees, food and unlimited drinks, including alcohol.
What is the City of Artists today?
Now let’s talk about what you’ll see when you get to the city of artists. As I wrote above, the area of this place is not so large, if you want to get around everything in 15 minutes. But at the same time, there are a huge number of cool photo sites here. Today Altos de Chavon has:
- A design school where famous and creative people of the world teach students from all over the world. This prestigious school teaches: fashion, painting, photography, design, interior design, culture and much more. It is because of this school that Altos de Chavon is called the city of artists.
- Graduates of this school occupy top positions in many well-known global companies, for example: Adidas, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Reebok, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and many others.
- Main square with fountain. Take the coins!
- The archaeological museum, by the way, is quite large. About 4000 exhibits.
- St. Stanislaus Church
- The observation deck over the cliff on the Chavon River is one of the most beautiful places.
- Several art galleries
- And of course, an amphitheater for 5,000 people, where world stars perform.
- The amphitheater, by the way, was built at his own expense by Frank Sinatra
- When he sponsored the construction he had only one condition: what would the performance of the stars here was free.
- The amphitheater turned out to be one in one like ancient Greece, you can’t even tell the difference.
As a tourist, all the zones and streets of Altos de Chavon will be open to you and you can safely walk everywhere.
I recommend reading the article about Mount Redonda. Often tourists who visit the city of artists go here too.
And also, if you visit Altos de Chavon and then rush to Santo Domingo, then the Three Eyes Cave is a must-visit.
General information: opening hours, price, facts
- Coordinates: 18.422963, -68.891512
- Official website: https://www.casadecampo.com.do/experiences/altos-de-chavon/
- Opening hours: from 8 to 17. It is best to come here closer to the end of the day by sunset. Then the sun’s rays turn the whole village yellow, adding a certain charm.
- Ticket price: for 2024 — $ 25 per person.
- I recommend setting aside about 2 hours of time.
- It is the most visited tourist attraction in the country, but 80% of all visitors are from the United States. And 20% are citizens of the rest of the world.
- Here you can organize a wedding ceremony at a price starting from $ 5000. There is even a specialized company on the territory of the attraction.
In conclusion: Altos de Chavon or the city of artists is a great attraction, where the life of a 15th-century Spanish village is very cool recreated. It doesn’t feel like it’s all a newly built attraction. In this village, you are completely immersed in the created atmosphere. And the views around and a well-chosen place complete the picture. Yes, it’s a little expensive, and yes, the size of the village is not huge — but in any case, you will not be disappointed.
