Category:
Adventure
Culture
Fun
Religious Tourism
Location:
Santo Domingo bounded on the north by the province of Monte Plata, the South by the Caribbean Sea, east to San Pedro de Macoris and west of the province of San Cristobal.
About Santo Domingo:
- Santo Domingo is the Dominican Republic's capital and largest city in the country. It is considered the first city in the New World by the historical data of the Discovery of America in 1492.
- Santo Domingo is divided into four municipalities due to its high growth: Santo Domingo North, Santo Domingo East, Santo Domingo West and the National District which is the metropolitan area.
- Santo Domingo is the economic center of the Dominican Republic and is the most cosmopolitan city around the country offering a variety of cultural venues, trade and tourism.
- The National District is the division that has the largest number of urban areas, ranging from historical parts to large scale projects, which include: Los Heroes Center, the Olympic Center, the Colonial Zone, Plaza de la Cultura and Mirador Sur Park.
- The city is well populated by people from both the capital and also people from other provinces who have migrated to Santo Domingo, for what makes a well-mixed city.
Climate:
Santo Domingo's climate varies with the season where you are. Is a very moist, warm as fresh as the proximity of the Caribbean Sea in the city.
How to get there?
- By Air: Nearest Airport: Las Americas International Airport (SDQ), which is 25 minutes from downtown. Other nearby airports: La Romana (LRM), Punta Cana (PUJ) Santiago (STI) or Puerto Plata (POP).
- By car: generally accessible from the North by the Duarte highway, east by “Autovia del Este” and south on the Sanchez and 6th of November highways.
Attractions:
Colonial Zone:
The Colonial Zone is the place to admire the superb collections that reflect the historical evolution of the Dominican Republic. This beautiful colonial place was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990. The colonial zone is important museums and archaeological sites to visit like the ones we can mention: America's first cathedral, the Alcázar de Colón (residence of Diego Columbus in the colonial era), the ruins of San Francisco, the “Museo de Casas Reales” (government palace in colonial times with samples of weapons at the time), ‘Museo Trampolin’, among others.
Other attractions to be found in the Colonial Zone to visit are the “Parque Colon”, walk along the “El Conde” road and reach the "Puerta de la Misericordia” where the Independence of the Republic was proclaimed. Other important places to visit are the Ozama Fortress, the National Pantheon and the number of beautiful churches you can find in the area.
The Colonial Zone is ideal for a walk during the day and night for travel because the ''zone'' as it is called by locals has many bars, cafes, restaurants and bohemian parks and are visited by locals and tourists in all seasons.
Amber World Museum:
It is a private museum created on September 5, 1996 by Jorge Caridad, founder and president of the National Amber workshop and in this exhibit is the largest collection of amber in the region. The main idea of creating this museum was to develop a useful project that would help showcase the collections designed by Mr. Jorge Caridad to the public and share some of the beauty that has our country seen through the variety of existing items in the museum. It is located on the street corner of Arzobispo Merino # 452 and Restauracion Street, Colonial Zone. Phone (809) 682-3309.
Columbus Lighthouse:
The Columbus Lighthouse is a cultural monument dedicated to the memory of Christopher Columbus with an impressive building 45 feet high with a cross. Inside the lighthouse there is a museum and a chapel inside, and there are many documents and artifacts associated with the onset of the Spanish colonial era. Its construction began in 1986 and was completed in 1992. The Columbus lighthouse is located at Avenida Boulevard del Faro in the area of Villa Duarte and is open from Tuesday to Sunday: 9.00 am to 5.30 pm.
Botanical Garden:
The Dr. Rafael Moscoso Botanical Garden is located in the central perimeter of the city of Santo Domingo. At first glance you would not believe could find a botanical garden in the city, but this beautiful park is big enough to an elevation that ranges between 70-80 square meters.
The park features exhibits of varieties of orchids found in the country and also exposes many plants both endemic and non endemic ferns and palms. It is an ideal place to have a quiet day in a city too busy and you could walk inside, bike, take pictures or simply enjoy nature. The park is open year round during business hours 9:00 to 6:00 pm.
Zoo:
The zoo exhibits wide variety of both local and imported animals such as monkeys, extensive variety of birds, crocodiles, turtles and others. Visitors can visit either on foot or by train available tours. The park was opened in 1975 and is located at Ave Los Arroyos, Arroyo Hondo and it is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 5:00 p.m.
National Aquarium:
It was opened in 1990 by President Joaquin Balaguer. This is located in Avenida España, east of Santo Domingo. The aquarium features modern and comfortable facilities that provide access to visitors, with specialist guides and full written details of each of the shows, also has a team of professional biologists dedicated to maintaining it and research.
Among the attractions is the aquarium is the tunnel passing beneath that gives you the opportunity to see colorful fishes of all sizes and shapes. Another interesting area is the area of sharks.
Mercado Modelo (Model Market):
The Mercado Modelo is a rather quaint and traditional market to purchase popular items of the culture of the Dominican Republic. You could say that this is one of the few places where you can discuss the purchase price of an item with the seller. Here you will find a variety of souvenirs like cigars, Dominican flags, faceless dolls, ceramics, general crafts, paintings, perfumes and even the famous Dominican Mamajuana drink.
The Market Model of the Dominican Republic is located on Avenida Mella No. 505 between Altagracia Street and Tomas de la Concha.
Los Tres Ojos Park:
It's an impressive place with underground caves whose name is because this consists of three major lakes in caves underground. The formation of the three eyes is a natural phenomenon seen few times, is the rising river rise to the formation of the three lakes whose natural process took place thousands of years ago. Besides the presence of lakes, in this place you can appreciate a rich fauna that we find a variety of fish and bats. You can enjoy lake sailing in small boats that the park offers to visitors.
The Park of Los Tres Ojos operates 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the ticket price is RD $ 30.00 for children and adults RD $ 50.00. This is located on Highway Las Americas in the east of Santo Domingo.
Quisqueya Stadium:
It was inaugurated on October 23, 1955 during the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, based on the Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium in Miami, Florida. Its original name was Trujillo Stadium. The Stadium is home to two teams from the local baseball league, the Licey Tigers and the Lions, two of the most important of the island. Quisqueya Stadium has a capacity for approximately 16,500 spectators after enlargement although there have been 25,000 crowd.
Nightlife, Dance and Restaurants:
Santo Domingo is a rather cosmopolitan city offering a wide variety of restaurants of all types of cuisine like Dominican food, Italian, Japanese, brasseries and others. In the most crowded areas of the city will find many cafes, bars and outdoor restaurants and also in closed environment.
The nightlife is very active in Santo Domingo suitable for everyone both in the central polygon of the city and area of the Colonial Zone and Malecon. The entertainment places are usually open every day and are available various activities such as happy hours and specific events for each weekend.
Shopping and Commercial areas:
The trade is considerably developed in this city and has established large commercial spaces. You can also find business areas of less category, established at different sites. Many prestigious international brands for shopping lovers are in Santo Domingo as Zara, Mango, Carolina Herrera, Louis Vuitton, Stradivarius, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, among others. It also has shops in the famous Dominican designer Oscar de la Renta boutiques as well by other distinguished Dominican fashion designers.
Major shopping centers are located in major thoroughfares, such as:
Avenue Winston Churchill, one of the most dynamic commercial zones, whose main attractions are: Acropolis Center, Blue Mall, Multicenter La Sirena, Plaza Lama, Central Plaza, Paseo de la Churchill Plaza, Plaza Las Americas, among others.
Avenida Abraham Lincoln, full of shops and restaurants, mainly frequented by middle-upper classes.
Avenida 27 de Febrero, has supermarkets, shopping malls, shops selling vehicles.
Avenida Tiradentes, with shopping malls like Plaza Naco Naco and galleries, shops, bars and restaurants.
Avenue Sarasota, where is "Bella Vista Mall, a shopping plaza well-rounded and most modern in the country.
Avenida John F. Kennedy, also has some commercial businesses, like American Hardware American-Departments, IKEA and from there is easy access to other avenues.
Avenida San Vicente de Paul, contains the shopping center "Mega Center" one of the most complete shopping centers in the Dominican Republic.
Avenida Duarte, contains hundreds of businesses aimed for the lower-middle class and the less fortunate.
Beaches:
Santo Domingo has the distinction of being a city with beaches close enough for everyday enjoyment. The city is bordered by the Caribbean Sea, although not suitable for bathing. The nearest beaches to enjoy are Juan Dolio and Guayacanes in the nearby province of San Pedro de Macoris with public and private access with plenty of restaurants and hotels. Also, you can visit the beach of Boca Chica which is 30 minutes away from the city.
Nearby attractions:
When visiting Santo Domingo, you can take the opportunity to visit nearby attractions to the city as the Cave of Wonders (Cueva de las Maravillas), Boca Chica, the beaches of Juan Dolio and Guayacanes in the province of San Pedro de Macoris.
Tips:
Santo Domingo is a very cosmopolitan city so if you plan to enjoy the nightlife, remember to wear casual clothing appropriate for the night to visit bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Also, semi formal clothing if you plan to visit the National Theater for concerts and shows.
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