Visit Dominican Republic > Santo Domingo

A festive city of contrasts built atop cliffs lapped by turquoise waters, the capital of the Dominican Republic is the oldest European city in the New World. It was from here that Spain set out to conquer Central and South America. The Zona Colonial is today only an island in this metropolis of over 2 million inhabitants. It once covered the whole city during the time of Spanish expansion. It sits on the west bank of the Ozama river and its cobblestone streets form a checkerboard.

Make a trip to the Museo de las Casa Reales, built in Renaissance style, the country's most beautiful museum.

Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 by Bartolomé Columbus, the admiral's brother. First city in the Americas, it is home to the continent's oldest monuments, bearing witness to the earliest colonial history. The historic part of Santo Domingo was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1990. Its often-winding streets and shaded little courtyards hold many surprises for walkers. Here and there, wonderful colonial houses and ruined or wonderfully-restored monuments transport passersby to an ever-present past. Most buildings retain their 16th century walls. The Zona Colonial is home to the oldest church in the New World, the Convento de la Orden de los Predicadores (1520), the ruins of the first hospital, the Hospital San Nicolas de Bari (1503), and those of the oldest European fort, Fuerte de Santa Barbara (1570).

When it comes to accommodation, you have a choice between the grand hotels of George Washington street, commonly called the Malecon, which borders the sea for 8 km, and the charming small establishments of the Zona Colonial. The latter don't have ocean views or the amenities of the Malecon hotels, but to stay in a neighborhood once frequented by Christopher Columbus and Sir Francis Drake make provoke a unique feeling.