Santo Domingo

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Santa Domingo -parts of Santo Domingo could be lifted directly from Spain. The whitewashed houses with wrought iron windows, the Catholic churches, the Gothic/Renaissance style, the cobble streets.

See right the alcazar-de-colon [Castle of Colombus] The jewel in the crown of Santo Domingo 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 ingredients of Spanish, Taino and African ancestry make for a buzzing city, moving to the sound of the merengue music. 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.

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History

Santo Domingo de Guzmán (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].

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 [see below]. 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.

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What to see and do in Santa Domingo

Colonial Zone [Zona Colonial]

If you only have time to go to one part of this great city then go to the Colonial Zone. Between Independence Park and the Ozama River, is the the first city built in the New World by European settlers. These settlers included Christopher Columbus's brother, Bartholomeo, and his son, Diego Columbus.

See right Columbus` statue

The first street in the Americas was Calle de Las Damas, the site of numerous historic buildings including the Ozama Fortress, the oldest fortress in the Americas. There is also the house of Nicolás de Ovando, governor of Santo Domingo in the early 1500's and a ruthless warrior against the Taino Indians.

Of great historical interest is the Museo de las Casas Reales (Museum of the Royal Houses), the restored 16th century palace of the Spanish Court. Nearby is the Alcázar de Colón (Castle of Columbus) built by Diego Columbus and his wife Maria de Toledo, niece of the Spanish King Ferdinand.

In the center of the walled city, visitors will find the Cathedral Basilica Santa Maria la Menor, pronounced the first cathedral in the New World by Pope Paul III in 1542. If you look closely at the outside bell towers, they say you can still see the original canon ball holes made by Francis Drake’s men when they sacked the Cathedral in the late sixteenth century.

Whilst in the colonial zone you can learn all about amber, the stone made even more famous by Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park film. Check out the Amber Museum on Calle Arz for wonderful examples of amber.

There are also some superb shops selling the sky blue stone “Laramar”, indigenous to the DR and similar in appearance to turquoise.

The famous Colonial Zone is part of Santo Domingo

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Plaza de la Cultura- Houses some of the city's most important cultural attractions. There is the Teatro Nacional [National Theatre] and the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a neoclassical theatre that is the permanent home of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (National Symphony Orchestra).

There are many museums celebrating all aspects of Dominican life, past and present. Plaza de la Cultura is a large park area where you can stroll easily from one museum to another.

The museums in Plaza de la Cultura include the following:

The Museum of Dominican Man [Museo Del Hombres Dominicano]-a fascinating look into the history of the Dominican people including original Taino artifacts, the Spanish conquerors and the African slaves.

The National Museum of History and Geography [Museo Nacional de historia y geografia]-includes the car, punctured with bullet holes, where the dictator Trujillo was bundled following his assassination in 1961.

Click here for museums in the Colonial Zone

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Contemporary Dominican Art

Museo Bellapart-Located on the John F. Kennedy Expressway in the central Naco part of town, this privately-owned museum features one of the best collections anywhere of Dominican contemporary art.

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Columbus Lighthouse-Another site not to be missed is the Faro a Colón (Columbus Lighthouse). This is not everyone`s cup of tea but an imposing structure nonetheless in the shape of a cross constructed to mark the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas[see photo right]. in 1492.

Columbus`remains are housed in an impressive tomb and there are many exhibits. It is worth a trip by day and then to view the Lighthouse at night from the Colonial City, when the powerful lights are reflected into the sky in the shape of a cross. The lighthouse is located in the Mirador del Este Park.

The National Aquarium-the Acuario Nacional. The National Aquarium, is a medium-sized aquarium where the main attraction is the huge fish tank with a Plexiglas tunnel passing through it. Tamaury, a giant manatee, is the star of the park although there are also sharks, turtles, and crabs commonly found in Dominican waters.

Los Tres Ojos[see below right]-is an impressive 50-foot deep cave with three lagoons surrounded by stalagmites and lush vegetation.

Botanical Gardens and Parks-The Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens are the largest in the Caribbean. Exhibits include the natural flora of the island and areas dedicated to palm trees, orchids and exotic plants. There is also a beautiful Japanese garden.

The botanical gardens were the brainchild of the five times president Joaquin Balaguer who died in 2002 aged 97 yrs.

Catedral Basilica Menor de Santa Marie, Primera de America -The most important monument in the Dominican Republic, the first cathedral of the Americas. Diego Columbus, son of Christopher laid the first stone and it took 40 years to build.

Malecón (seawall) -Outside of the colonial zone, the area surrounding the colonial zone is a vibrant commercial and tourist center. The centerpiece is the large obelisk located at the eastern end of the George Washington avenue.

The malecan is a favourite evening promenading spot in Santo Domingo for Dominicans, and the kiosks along this part of the Southern sea front blast out merengue usually into the small hours, particularly at week-ends, when part of the road is closed off for pedestrians.

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Santo Domingo facts

• The first Europeans settled in 1496
• Population est. 2,253,437 [2006]
• Bartholomew Columbus founded it and and named it after Saint Dominic
• Pre 1961, Santo Domingo was formerly known as Ciudad Trujillo, after the dictator Trujillo,
• Santo Domingo is separated from east to west by the Ozama River
• The furthest western border, the north coast and east coast are all a four hour drive away.

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Airports

Las Américas International Airport

Santo Domingo is served by two international airports, the main one being Las Américas International Airport.

La Isabela International Airport

The Aeropuerto Internacional La Isabela is a secondary, newly constructed airport located in the northern section of the city, within kilometres of the city center. It is not currently used as a a major international airport, but internal fights and those to Haiti go from there.

Golf

Try the 18-hole Las Lagunas Country Club 20 kilometres north of the city at 20 Duarte Highway, Tel. 809 372-7441. This is a great and challenging layout on which you need to be fairly straight off the tee! If you want something a bit more gentle and central, why not try the 9-hole course at Isabel Villas Country Club at Avenida Belice.

Shopping

There are several large shopping centers. The Mercado Modelo at Avenida Mella, a farmer's market turned into giant gift shop, offers the largest selection of handicrafts. Several gift shops are located on Arzobispo Merino and Isabel la Catolica in the Colonial City.

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