Santa Domingo
The correct spelling of the Dominican capital is Santo Domingo not Santa Domingo!!!! I have continued to mis-spell this page because so many people make the same mistake!
Above: Cabarete seaside bars and restaurants
Dominican Republic Capital
Santo Domingo could have been brought lock, stock and barrel from Spain. The wrought iron windows, the whitewashed houses, the Catholic churches, the Gothic/Renaissance style, the cobble streets.
The most famout part of the capital and the jewel in the crown is the "Zona Colonial" [the Colonial Zone]. The buildings and streets are is a throwback to the original Spanish colonial rule and steeped in history and intrigue, art and culture.
The capital of Dominican Republic has the ingredients of Spanish, Taino and African ancestry make for a buzzing city, moving to the sound of the merengue music. [cont right]
Above: Alcazar de colon [Castle of Colombus]
On week-end nights the colonial zone never sleeps, with Dominicans of all ages converging on this zone of national cultural and
historical treasure to enjoy its top drawer restaurants and vibrant clubs and merengue bars.
History
Santo Domingo de Guzman (known as Santo Domingo) is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic.
It is located on the south coast of the Dominican Republic, about mid way between the western border with Haiti and the eastern coastline.
It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and where the settlement of all the Americas began. Indeed, it was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in either the Americas or Australia [New World]. [cont left]
Above: Cabarete
Above: Christopher Colombus` statue
Throughout its first hundred years it was the launching pad for much of the exploration and conquest of the New World. These include Ponce de Leon's discovery of Puerto Rico, Hernando Cortes' conquest of Mexico and Balboa's sighting of the
Pacific Ocean.
The original layout of the city and a large portion of its defensive wall can still be seen today throughout the Colonial Zone. The autocrat Trujillo`s rule was fairly tyrannical (1930-61), but one thing the DR`s most infamous dictator got right was an edict to all Dominicans living in the colonial zone during his tenure that they should improve their properties and not build above three stories high. Thus the colonial zone was steadily improved during the twentieth century and this improvement has continued apace, the entire area being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.
[cont left]
Above: The `Clock of the Sun`in Spanish Square in the Colonial Zone
Below: A cafe in the Colonial Zone
Santa Domingo
dominican-republic-holiday.com
"The travel website for this beautiful Caribbean paradise"
