The Caribbean is nearby, but despite the resort having its own beach, don't expect ocean views. Golf course views, maybe. Most of all, golf. Golf was why we were there. Casa de Campo is home to two of the Caribbean's storied courses, both designed by renowned sadist Pete Dye.
Timing is everything.
Of the resort's nine on-site restaurants, four are in a 16th Century Mediterranean village called Altos de Chavon. The setting, high above the Chavon River and 10 minutes by free shuttle from the resort's center, is enchanting, and the town is thoroughly convincing if you're willing to believe a Mediterranean village exists in a jungle. Back in the main part of the resort, restaurants serve everything from seafood to sandwiches in atmospheres ranging from Caribbean elegant to Caribbean sloppy. There, too, guests can find bars and a disco for a taste of merengue, a Dominican passion. The rest will have to be satisfied with being secure and pampered in one of the region's most inviting places to stay and play.