Cathedral of Santa Mari­a la Menor, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

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Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo, or ‘La Capital’ as it’s typically called, is a collage of cultures and neighborhoods. It’s where the sounds of life – domino pieces slapped on tables, backfiring mufflers and horns from chaotic traffic, merengue blasting from corner stores – are most intense. At the heart of the city is the Zona Colonial, where you’ll find one of the oldest churches and the oldest surviving European fortress, among other New World firsts. Amid the cobblestone streets it would be easy to forget Santo Domingo is in the Caribbean. But this is an intensely urban city, home not only to colonial-era architecture, but also to hot clubs, vibrant cultural institutions and elegant restaurants. Santo Domingo somehow manages to embody the contradictions central to the Dominican experience: a living museum, a metropolis crossed with a seaside resort, and a business, political and media center with a laid-back, affable spirit.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Catedral Primada de America (First Cathedral of the Americas), Zona Colonial (Colonial District, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, West Indies, Caribbean, Central America

    Catedral Primada de América

    Santo Domingo

    The first stone of this cathedral, the oldest standing in the Western hemisphere, was set in 1514 by Diego Columbus, son of the great explorer (the ashes…

  • Museo Alcázar de Colón

    Museo Alcázar de Colón

    Santo Domingo

    Designed in the Gothic-Mudéjar transitional style, this was the early-16th-century residence of Columbus’ son, Diego, and his wife, Doña María de Toledo…

  • Capilla de la Tercera Orden Dominica

    Capilla de la Tercera Orden Dominica

    Santo Domingo

    Built in 1729 and the only colonial structure in Santo Domingo that remains fully intact. These days the building is used by the office of the archbishop…

  • Charles III gate with Tower of Homage in background, Fortaleza Ozama.

    Fortaleza Ozama

    Santo Domingo

    This is the New World's oldest colonial military edifice. The site, at the meeting of the Río Ozama and Caribbean, was selected by Fray Nicolás de Ovando…

  • Faro a Colon, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Faro a Colón

    Santo Domingo

    Resembling a cross between a Soviet-era apartment block and a Las Vegas–style ancient Mayan ruin, this massive monument is worth visiting for its…

  • Containers for ingredients in colonial drugstore, Museo de las Casas Reales, Santo Domingo, Zona Colonial, Dominican Republic

    Museo de las Casas Reales

    Santo Domingo

    Built in the Renaissance style during the 16th century, this building was the longtime seat of Spanish authority for the Caribbean region, housing the…

  • Casa de Francia

    Casa de Francia

    Santo Domingo

    This was originally the residence of Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztecs in present-day central Mexico. It was in this building that Cortés is believed…

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