Santo Domingo
The first stone of this cathedral, the oldest standing in the Western hemisphere, was set in 1514 by Diego Columbus, son of the great explorer (the ashes…
Must-see attractions in Dominican Republic
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Santo Domingo
Designed in the Gothic-Mudéjar transitional style, this was the early-16th-century residence of Columbus’ son, Diego, and his wife, Doña María de Toledo…
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Museo Memorial de la Resistencia Dominicana
Santo Domingo
For those interested in the details of one of the darkest periods of Dominican history, this austere memorial honors Dominicans who fought against the…
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Casa Museo General Gregorio Luperón
Puerto Plata
The life and times of native-born son and independence leader Gregorio Luperón are impressively fleshed out inside this beautifully restored, pale-green,…
Las Terrenas
Tucked away in surprisingly rough landscape, surrounded by peaks covered in lush greenery, is the 52m-high El Limón waterfall. A beautiful swimming hole…
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Reserva Antropológica Cuevas del Pomier
Dominican Republic
Visiting this reserve is like reading a history book written in stone. There are 57 limestone caves in the area 10km north of San Cristóbal, five of which…
Las Galeras
Pitch-perfect Playa Rincón, with soft, nearly white sand and multihued water good for swimming, stretches an uninterrupted 3km – enough for every day…
Santo Domingo
This is the New World's oldest colonial military edifice. The site, at the meeting of the Río Ozama and Caribbean, was selected by Fray Nicolás de Ovando…
Santo Domingo
Resembling a cross between a Soviet-era apartment block and a Las Vegas–style ancient Mayan ruin, this massive monument is worth visiting for its…
Santo Domingo
Built in the Renaissance style during the 16th century, this building was the longtime seat of Spanish authority for the Caribbean region, housing the…
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Ojos Indígenas Ecological Park & Reserve
Bávaro & Punta Cana
Though development may eventually cover every inch of the Dominican coastline, for now there are still large areas of pristine coastal plains and mangrove…
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Dominican Republic
San Cristóbal's strangest sight, currently used as the National Penitentiary School, was built on Trujillo’s orders for himself and his family in 1947 (at…
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Puerto Plata
A cable car takes visitors to the top of the enormous flat-topped Pico Isabel de Torres. On clear days there are spectacular views of the city and…
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Puerto Plata
Located right on the bay, at the western end of the Malecón, the fort is the only remnant of Puerto Plata’s early colonial days. Built in the mid-16th…
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Santo Domingo
This was originally the residence of Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztecs in present-day central Mexico. It was in this building that Cortés is believed…
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Museo Jamas El Olvido Será tu Recuerdo
Dominican Republic
In the home of local resident José Miguel Ventura Medina, known to some as ‘El Hippi,’ this museum has a name translating literally to ‘Forgetfulness will…
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Santo Domingo
The Dominican seat of government, which occupies most of a city block, was designed by Italian architect Guido D’Alessandro and inaugurated in 1947. Built…
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Las Terrenas
A getaway from a getaway, the appropriately named Playa Bonita (Pretty Beach) is only a few kilometers west of Las Terrenas. It's not without…
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Monumento Natural Dunas de las Calderas
Dominican Republic
This protected reserve, part of the Península de las Salinas, is 20 sq km of gray-brown sand mounds, some as high as 12m. A guided tour (in Spanish)…
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Santo Domingo
The lush grounds span 2 sq km and include vast areas devoted to aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, palm trees, a Japanese garden and much more…
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Santo Domingo
Consisting of three humid caverns with dark blue lagoons connected by stalactite-filled passages, this site is lovely if you show up early to beat the…
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Parque Nacional Lago Enriquillo & Isla Cabritos
Dominican Republic
This park comprises Lago Enriquillo, an enormous saltwater lake 40m below sea level, and Isla Cabritos, the island at its center which supports various…
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Santo Domingo
This gate is named for the Count of Peñalba, Bernardo de Meneses y Bracamonte, who led the successful defense of Santo Domingo against 13,000 invading…
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Cabarete
The famous caves of Parque Nacional El Choco are ensconced in the foothills of the Cordillera Septentrional, among 77 sq km of pastureland, lagoon, jungle…
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Dominican Republic
Sometimes referred to as ‘the Stonehenge of the Dominican Republic,’ this pre-Colombian site – one of the few in the Antilles – doesn't quite live up to…
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Dominican Republic
The Haitian market is impossible to miss: just stay on the main road through town until you run into it. Vendors lay their goods out on the ground, shaded…
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Península de Samaná
A gorgeous public beach lies on the western third of this lush island, 7km from Samaná. It's the only section that's open to the public – a five-star…
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Santo Domingo
Said to be not only one of the first European residences in the Americas, but also one of the first residences in the Western hemisphere with two floors,…
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Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Barí
Santo Domingo
Standing next to the bright, white Iglesia de la Altagracia are the ruins of the New World’s first hospital. They remain as a monument to Governor Nicolás…
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Sosúa
Playa Sosúa is the main beach, and practically a city within a city. Located on a crescent-shaped bay with calm, turquoise waters, this narrowing (due to…
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Santo Domingo
Incongruously located on the 5th floor of a large Honda dealership, which looks like a parking garage, is this significant private collection of Dominican…
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Dominican Republic
A short distance east of the park entrance, on the northern side of the highway, look for Las Caritas, a small rock formation with what are believed to be…
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Santo Domingo
Built in 1747 as a Jesuit church, this was also a tobacco warehouse and a theater before dictator Trujillo restored it in 1958 for its current use as a…
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Santo Domingo
A long tree-filled corridor atop an enormous limestone ridge, this park is riddled with caves, some as big as airplane hangars. One of the caves has been…
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Las Galeras
'Mouth of the Devil’ is an impressive vent or blowhole, where waves rush up a natural channel and blast out of a hole in the rocks. Car or motorcycle is…
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Santo Domingo
The first monastery in the New World belonged to the first order of Franciscan friars who arrived to evangelize the island. Dating from 1508, the…
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Las Terrenas
The sand at Playa Cosón, 8km west along the main highway from Playa Bonita, is tan rather than white, and the water greenish rather than blue, but it’s a…
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Santo Domingo
A handsome building with a Gothic facade built in 1509, this was originally the residence of Governor Nicolás de Ovando, who is famous for ordering Santo…
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Las Galeras
Playa Frontón boasts some of the area’s best snorkeling. Apparently it’s also popular with drug smugglers and Dominicans braving the Mona Passage on their…
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Santo Domingo
Highlights here include an impressive collection of Taíno artifacts, including stone axes and intriguing urns and carvings and an interesting section on…
