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If you surveyed GPS systems aboard yachts that spend time in theCaribbean, you’d likely find few waypoints plotted for the Mona Passage and the
waters off southeastern Hispaniola. Most captains point their vessels to the
island’s western Haitian coast, transiting the calmer waters of the Windward
Passage much as their forbearers did for hundreds of years, and with good
reason: Mona can be rough, and few knew of the treasures hidden on Hispaniola’s
southeastern side in the Dominican Republic. But that’s changed recently, and
with twenty-first-century stabilization technology available to smooth the trip,
there are plenty of reasons to update your GPS.
Start by adding 18˚23.9' N, 68˚54.2' W. It’s the waypoint for
the newly expanded marina and yacht club at the venerable Casa de Campo resort.
Once an isolated escape known mostly to intrepid golfers and scuba divers, the
7,000-acre property now includes a complete waterside residential village
centered around an Italian-style piazza, a full-service boatyard (the
Caribbean’s first Azimut-Benetti warranty service center), onsite customs and
immigration, fuel, provisioning, banking, shopping—even complete charter
services with Fraser Yachts. Of course, visiting sailors and property owners
will also have access to the resort’s complete menu of amenities, including the
spa, tennis center and three Pete Dye–designed golf courses, including his
infamous Teeth of the Dog.
 The Plaza Portofino is the center of the
expanded waterfront at Casa de Campo and includes a yacht club,
restaurants and a boatyard. (Click image to enlarge)
Nestled between the Caribbean Sea and the Chavon River, the
marina and yacht club originally opened in 2001 with 180 slips. Virtually all
the spaces were allotted to the yacht club’s residential properties, which sold
out almost immediately. So the resort, along with partner company Inversiones
Bastilla International (IBI), began an expansion that doubled the marina’s size.
Architect Gianfranco Fini, who designed the original space, was
brought back for the new project. His credentials include marinas in Italy,
Greece and Brazil, as well as numerous hotels, resorts and vacation communities
worldwide. He drew on these as inspiration for Casa’s seaside piazza
concept.
 Casa de Campo. (Click image to enlarge)
The expansion incorporates 173 new slips, including 30 for
yachts up to 250 feet. Forty slips are designated for visitors, and a wharf is
available for guest sailboats. The breakwater was widened to almost 90 feet,
and the entire basin was dredged from its original 12 feet to a minimum depth of
14.5 feet.
The shipyard, which is operated by IBI, employs 50 full-time
people and provides a complete range of services. It can handle yachts up to 150
feet and has a 350-ton travel lift. IBI also operates the adjacent chandlery and
the onsite Azimut-Benetti, Bertram and Magnum brokerage.
The Plaza Portofino is the focal point around which Fini
arranged the private yacht club, the Ensenada two- and three-bedroom apartments,
and the Darsena three-, four- and five-bedroom villa residences. The
Mediterranean-style waterfront hosts Chinois restaurant, several casual eateries, a bakery and boutiques carrying Cartier, Versace, Burberry and more.
The plaza also includes an office for the Casa de Campo resort, staffed by its
personal concierge team, who will provide guests with complete valet
services.
 Lodging options include residential villas and
the resort. (Click image to enlarge)
Golf, scuba diving, big-game fishing, birding or simply relaxing with a great
Dominican cigar—there are plenty of reasons to add the Dominican’s untapped
southern coast to your Caribbean itinerary. And for those who still don’t trust
their yachts’ stabilizers, La Romana’s Los Cajuiles airport, which opened in
2001, is just 10 minutes away. The pilots know the waypoints.
NEED TO KNOW
Location: 18º23.9' N,
68º54.2' W. The DR occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola in the
northern Caribbean, due west of Puerto Rico. The La Romana region occupies a
peninsula near the island’s southeast corner.
Documents: Valid
passport
Currency: Dominican peso,
US$1=RD$32
Fees: US$10 for tourist card,
required
purchase on arrival. US$20 departure tax for those leaving by
plane.
Airport: Los Cajuiles (La
Romana) or Las Américas International (Santo Domingo, two hours away by
car)
Airlines: American Airlines,
Continental
Telephone country code:
809
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