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 Santo Domingo
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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…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Santo Domingo
Highlights here include an impressive collection of Taíno artifacts, including stone axes and intriguing urns and carvings and an interesting section on…
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Santo Domingo
Built in 1510 by Charles V, this is the first convent of the Dominican order founded in the Americas. It's also where Father Bartolomé de las Casas – the…
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
Santo Domingo
Constructed during the first half of the 16th century, the church was sacked by Drake and his men and reconstructed on numerous occasions following…
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Santo Domingo
The large open area in front of the Alcázar de Colón has been revamped many times, most recently during the 1990s in honor of the 500th anniversary of…
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Santo Domingo
Named in honor of Diego Columbus’ wife, this plaza connecting Las Damas and Isabel la Católica features two arches that were once part of the Jesuits’…
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Santo Domingo
The museum’s permanent collection includes paintings and a few sculptures by the DR’s best-known modern artists, including Luís Desangles, Adriana Billini…
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Santo Domingo
This museum is located in the Casa de Tostado – the beautifully restored, 16th-century home of writer Francisco Tostado. It's interesting as much for the…
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Santo Domingo
Beside the Catedral Primada de América, this historic park contains several trees and a large statue of Admiral Columbus himself. It’s the meeting place…
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Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
Santo Domingo
This museum explores the natural environs of the Dominican Republic, with the massive jaw of a sperm whale welcoming visitors at the door. Old-fashioned…
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Santo Domingo
This museum features an impressive collection of amber samples from around the world and excellent exhibits explaining (in Spanish and English) amber's…
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Santo Domingo
Housed in a restored 16th-century building, exhibits here celebrate rum and sugarcane, two of the country’s most important exports. Displays and…
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Santo Domingo
Built during the 1570s, this fort served as one of the city’s main points of defense. It proved no match for Drake, however, who, along with his fleet of…
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Santo Domingo
Since 1596 this church has served as a hospital, a jail and an inn, but is now famous for its carved-mahogany figure of Jesus, which is worshipped every…
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Santo Domingo
This large, centrally located park, mostly a sun-baked, fairly unkempt plaza, has three museums (two of which are worth visiting), the national theater…
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Santo Domingo
Across from the Museo de las Casas Reales, this sundial was built by Governor Francisco Rubio y Peñaranda in 1753 and positioned so that officials in the…
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Santo Domingo
Completed in 1650, but altered several times since, this church was erected beside a hospital that treated people with infectious diseases. The church was…
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Iglesia de la Regina Angelorum
Santo Domingo
Paid for by a woman who donated her entire fortune to construct this monument for the cloistered Dominican Sisters, this church was built toward the end…
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Santo Domingo
Home to the first nunnery in the New World, built in 1552. Years after being sacked by Drake and his men (who apparently hated all things Catholic), it…
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Santo Domingo
The 1813 birthplace of Juan Pablo Duarte was converted into a modest museum and renovated in late 2016. Three rooms display documents, artifacts and…
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Santo Domingo
Thorough exhibits on larimar – a rare, light-blue mineral found only in the remote southwestern mountains of the Dominican Republic – have signage in…
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Capilla de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
Santo Domingo
The Gothic-style chapel was built during the 16th century by alderman Francisco de Avila and was intended to be a private chapel and family mausoleum…
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Santo Domingo
Running north–south in front of Fortaleza Ozama is the first paved street in the Americas. Laid in 1502, the street acquired its name from the wife of…
