Santo Domingo: a first-timer's guide to the Dominican capital

The Colonial Zone

The **Zona Colonial** is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the place to start. Walk **Calle El Conde**, the pedestrian street that runs from Parque Independencia to **Parque Colón**, where the **Catedral Primada de América**, the first cathedral of the Americas, faces the statue of Columbus. Nearby **Calle Las Damas** is said to be the first paved street of the New World, leading to the **Fortaleza Ozama**, the oldest military building of its kind in the Americas. At the far end of the old town, the **Alcázar de Colón** was the palace of Diego Colón and overlooks the Plaza de España, lined with restaurants and bars.

The **Museo de las Casas Reales** tells the story of the colony, and the ruins of the **Monasterio de San Francisco** host live son and merengue on Sunday evenings with the Grupo Bonyé, one of the best free nights out in the city. Restored mansions now hold boutique hotels, galleries, cigar shops and courtyard restaurants.

Beyond the old town

The **Malecón** seafront runs west from the Colonial Zone and fills with families at weekends. **Los Tres Ojos** national park, on the east side of the river, is a set of limestone caves and turquoise lagoons you reach down steep steps. The **Faro a Colón**, a huge cross shaped monument, is nearby. The **Plaza de la Cultura** groups the Museum of the Dominican Man and the Museum of Modern Art, and the **Jardín Botánico Nacional** is a green escape. Food lovers should head to **Piantini** and **Naco** for modern restaurants, and to **Mercado Modelo** for crafts, larimar and amber.

Food and nightlife

Santo Domingo is the best place in the country to eat. Try **la bandera dominicana** (rice, beans and stewed meat) at a comedor, **mofongo**, **sancocho** on a Sunday, and fried fish on the beach at Boca Chica. In the evenings, the Colonial Zone has rooftop bars and colmadones, while Piantini and the Malecón area have lounges and clubs where merengue and bachata play until late.

Where to stay

First-timers usually stay in the **Colonial Zone** for character and walkability, or in **Piantini** and **Naco** for modern hotels, malls and restaurants. Gazcue, between the two, is quieter and residential.

Getting around and safety

Use ride hailing apps or registered taxis rather than hailing cars on the street, especially at night. The **metro** is clean and simple for daytime trips. Petty theft, including bag snatching from motorbikes, happens, so keep phones away from the kerb and do not walk alone late at night outside the busy parts of the Colonial Zone. Follow your government's current advice.

Day trips

The beaches of **Boca Chica** and **Juan Dolio** are under an hour east. Bayahibe and Saona Island can be done as a long day, though they are better with a night or two.

A suggested two day plan

**Day one:** start early at Parque Colón and the cathedral, walk Calle Las Damas to the Fortaleza Ozama, and visit the Museo de las Casas Reales before lunch. After a siesta, stroll Calle El Conde to the Puerta del Conde and the Altar de la Patria, then have dinner on Plaza de España.

**Day two:** visit Los Tres Ojos in the morning, then the Plaza de la Cultura museums or the Jardín Botánico, and finish with sunset on the Malecón and a night out in the Colonial Zone or Piantini.

Shape your route with the free trip planner.