Attractions
Santo Domingo - Cathedral of Santa Maria
Inside the Colonial City stands the oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere, built in 1523 and still in use. Its mix of late Gothic and Renaissance elements provide a beautiful example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, with its golden coral facade and Gothic interior. Its walls have seen a great deal of history, including the coming of Sir Francis Drake who captured Santo Domingo in 1586 and held the town for ransom. He made the cathedral his headquarters.
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Santo Domingo - Colonial City
The historic enclave of Santo Domingo, known as the Colonial City, covers only one square mile (three sq km), but inside the walls are dozens of historical buildings and sites, including palaces, forts, museums, and churches; and parks, plazas, statues and monuments. A walking tour of these fascinating buildings takes at least three hours through cobbled streets where once walked Christopher Columbus, Fernando Cortez and Francis Drake. The main street, Calle Das Lamas, is the oldest street in the New World. Must-sees include the House of Cord, the oldest European building in the Americas, where Diego Columbus, son of Christopher, once lived; and the Alcazar Palace, now a museum, built in 1514.
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Santo Domingo - Columbus Lighthouse Monument
The most modern memento to Santo Domingo's status as the oldest European city in the Americas is a mammoth structure built on the eastern shore of the Ozama River in the early 1990s to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. The building is 693ft (211m) long and built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree angle. It houses what the Dominican Republic claims are the remains of Columbus himself and is fitted with intense lights which project the image of the cross into the sky at night. The monument was designed by English architect J.L. Gleave, who won an international competition for the design after 455 plans were submitted by architects from 48 different countries. The building is also the repository for numerous documents and artifacts associated with the early Spanish colonial times.
Address: Av. España
Telephone: (809) 591 1492
Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm
Admission: RD$20 (adults), RD$5 (children)
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Santo Domingo - National Aquarium
About a mile east of the Columbus Lighthouse monument is sited what is claimed to be one of the better aquariums in the Caribbean. The aquarium contains a variety of marine life from angelfish to sharks, but its star resident is Tamaury, a manatee rescued as a baby off the coast of Barahona. The aquarium is equipped with a clear glass sea-tunnel that makes viewing the enclosed sea life an awesome experience.
Address: Av. España 75, Sans Soucí
Telephone: (809) 766 1709
E-mail: info@acuarionacional.com
Openingtime: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 5.30pm
Admission: RD$15 (adults), RD$5 (children)
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Santo Domingo - Plaza de la Cultura
The vast green square in the heart of Santo Domingo serves as the city's cultural and artistic showcase, being fronted by a cluster of four museums, as well as the National Theatre. The museums are the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of History and Geography, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Dominican Man. The National Theatre runs a full program of opera, ballet, music and drama productions.
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Santo Domingo - Los Tres Ojos National Park
This unique park, on the east bank of the Ozama River, is a surreal experience for visitors. The park is actually a series of huge natural caves on different levels, containing fresh water lagoons. One is a sulphuric lake rumored to be bottomless, which is contained in a volcanic crater. The caves are festooned with stalactites and stalagmites. The pre-Columbian Taino Indians used the site for religious ceremonies.
Address: Av. Las Américas
Telephone: (809) 472 4204
Openingtime: Daily 8am to 5pm
Admission: RD$50
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Santo Domingo - Boca Chica
A popular escape from city life is provided by the small seaside town of Boca Chica, a 25-minute drive east of Santo Domingo on the Avenida de las Americas. The resort was developed by a wealthy industrialist around one of the best swimming beaches on the coast, and boasts crystal-clear calm waters, a yacht club and marina, golf course and some excellent seafood restaurants.
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Santo Domingo - La Romana
East of Santo Domingo is La Romana, an area that has become world famous for being the location of the massive Casa de Campo Caribbean resort, which sprawls across 2,833 hectares (7,000 acres). The town of La Romana was a small sugar port until the 1970s when Gulf and Western developed the major resort. The area has some excellent beaches, including the tiny Minitas beach and lagoon, and the scenic palm-lined beach of Bayahibe where visitors can enjoy the Dominican people's rhythm of life despite the recent tourist development. La Romana also boasts an unusual medieval cliff-top village, reminiscent of the south of France, built overlooking the Chavon River. Quaint buildings of rusty rock line cobbled alleyways; the village also boasts an ancient-looking amphitheater. The village of Altos de Chavon gives the impression of age and atmosphere. The town is, however, a modern creation designed and sculpted in 1978 by Roberto Coppa, an Italian movie set designer. It does include an archeological museum of Taino artifacts, some good restaurants and is home to a colony of artists.
