Itineraries
Where to stay
The Colonial Zone for sights on foot; Naco and Piantini for restaurants and bars; the Malecón for the seafront and sunsets.
The areas: Colonial Zone, Naco and Piantini, Malecón.
Where to stay in Santo Domingo: areas and adviceHotels in Santo DomingoPlaces to see
All things to do in Dominican RepublicMuseumAlcázar de ColónThe viceroy's palace built for Diego Colón between 1511 and 1514, now a museum on Plaza de España.Entry: DOP[fee]
MuseumAmber World MuseumA museum in the Colonial City devoted to Dominican amber, its fossils and its place in local culture.Entry: DOP[fee]
FoodBarrio ChinoSanto Domingo's Chinatown north of the Colonial City, with Chinese restaurants and a Sunday street vegetable market.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodCalle El CondeA pedestrian street about 10 blocks long, lined with restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops in the Colonial City.Entry: Pay as you go
NeighborhoodCalle Las DamasThe first paved street in the Americas, lined with colonial buildings, museums and the road to the Ozama fortress.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumCasa del CordónA 16th-century house holding the Taíno archaeological collection "Our First Inhabitants".Entry: DOP[fee]
MuseumColumbus LighthouseA cross-shaped monument and museum that holds the remains of Columbus and exhibits from many countries.Entry: DOP[fee]
MuseumFortaleza OzamaThe first permanent military structure in the Americas, built 1502 to 1508, with a tower and river views.Entry: DOP[fee]
MuseumLarimar MuseumA museum on Calle Isabel La Católica about larimar, the blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic.Entry: DOP[fee]
NatureLos Tres Ojos National ParkA cave park east of the city with freshwater lagoons, reached by stairs and a short barge ride.Entry: DOP[fee]
NeighborhoodMalecónThe seafront boulevard along George Washington Avenue, with parks, restaurants and a lively sunset crowd.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumMuseo de las Casas RealesThe governor's royal court of the 16th century, now a museum of colonial history from 1492 to 1821.Entry: DOP[fee]
MuseumMuseo Memorial de la Resistencia DominicanaA museum with multimedia displays on the Trujillo dictatorship and the people who resisted it.Entry: DOP[fee]
NatureNational Botanical GardenThe largest botanical garden in the Caribbean, with a Japanese garden, orchids and a trolley tour.Entry: DOP[fee]
ChurchNational PantheonA former Jesuit church on Calle Las Damas, the national mausoleum since 1956, guarded by an honor guard.Entry: Check visiting hours
NeighborhoodParque ColónA shaded square in front of the first cathedral of the Americas, centered on a statue of Columbus.Entry: Free to visit
FoodPlaza de EspañaA wide esplanade at the end of Calle Las Damas, with bistro terraces and a view over the old city.Entry: Pay as you go
ChurchPrimatial Cathedral of the AmericasThe first cathedral built in the Americas, begun in the 16th century, with side chapels and the tomb of Diego Colón.Entry: Check visiting hours
NeighborhoodPuerta del CondeThe old city gate where independence was proclaimed on 27 February 1844, now the entrance to Independence Park.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumRoyal Shipyards MuseumA maritime museum in the former Royal Warehouses, the colonial shipyard and naval storehouse.Entry: DOP[fee]
RuinsRuins of San Francisco MonasteryWalled ruins of the first Franciscan monastery in the New World, a concert stage on Sundays.Entry: Open-air ruins
RuinsRuins of San Nicolás de Bari HospitalThe remains of the oldest hospital in the Americas, built between 1503 and 1508 on Calle Hostos.Entry: Open-air ruins