Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and the oldest European city in the Americas that is still inhabited. Founded by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century and moved to the west bank of the Ozama River in 1502, it preserves in the Ciudad Colonial (Ciudad Colonial or Zona Colonial) the continent’s first buildings: the cathedral, Diego Colón’s palace, the fortress and the houses of the Spanish administration. The ensemble has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

The Ciudad Colonial is small and walked on foot, with grid-pattern stone streets, plazas with large trees and coral-stone mansions converted into museums, cafés and guesthouses. Parque Colón, in front of the cathedral, and Plaza de España, facing the Alcázar, are gathering points. Outside it, the metropolis stretches along the Caribbean coast, with the Malecón by the sea, modern neighborhoods and, across the river, the Faro a Colón and the caves of Los Tres Ojos.

To the east of the capital, the coastal road passes Las Américas airport and reaches the nearest beaches: Boca Chica, with a shallow lagoon protected by a reef, and Juan Dolio, a longer, quieter stretch with condominiums and beach hotels. Both attract Dominicans on weekends and are the seaside for those staying in the city.

The heat is constant year-round, and the best times to walk the Ciudad Colonial are mornings and late afternoons.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Santo Domingo, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio.