Santo Domingo: The Historic Heart Of The Dominican Republic
A chaotic city displaying a quirky mix of Latino, Afro-Caribbean and somewhat American culture, with a very Spanish looking colonial heart: that sums up Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
It was December 2020. We had just spent a whole month exploring Cusco and its surroundings when we felt the need to get to a warmer place for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Because of the ongoing pandemic, few countries accepted tourists at the time.
One of them was the Dominican Republic.
Arriving in Punta Cana, we quickly rented a car to get away from the resort-infested party-area of the Dominican Republic and into the more authentic part of the island once called 'Hispaniola'.
Get ready for a stroll through the historic heart of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo.
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What and where is Santo Domingo?
Santo Domingo in a nutshell
A bit of (condensed) history
Santo Domingo - formerly Santo Domingo de Gúzman - is the capital city of the Dominican Republic. With more than 3 million residents, it's not only the biggest city of the country but also in the whole Caribbean.
The Dominican Republic shares an island with Haiti in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean. None other than Christopher Columbus is responsible for the Spanish colonisation of the island when he touched down in the 'New World' in 1492.
The Spanish started to settle on the newly discovered island soon after that, and Chris totally ignored the native Taíno people's names (Quisqueya and Ayiti) by calling it 'Hispaniola'.
Santo Domingo was the first city the Spanish explorers established in the 'New World' in 1496, making it the America's oldest European city.
Responsible for the founding of a first settlement then called 'La Nueva Isabela' in 1493 is Christopher Columbus' little brother Bartholomew. Upon the official founding as a proper city in 1498, it had already been renamed Santo Domingo to honour the saint of the same name.
The city is home to several important buildings that were unprecedented in the New World: Santo Domingo holds the very first cathedral, monastery, fortress, castle and even university of the Americas.
Fast forward
Numerous colonisation expeditions departed from Santo Domingo, which earned the city the title of 'Gateway to the Caribbean'.
And just like all historic cities elsewhere in the world, it suffered some wars, changed hands a few times, knew periods of prosperity and instability.
Getting a bit of Cuban vibes here
Santo Domingo fell into different possessions again and again, knowing revolutions and invasions, the last one by the Americans in 1916. By then, the Dominican Republic had been an independent nation since 1844 after successfully defeating the Haitians in the Dominican War of Independence.
The city then knew a quick name-change somewhere between the 1930s and 1960s when a guy with a big ego named Trujillo insisted on calling the city Ciudad Trujillo during his dictatorship.
His reign ended badly and once he was off the picture in 1961, so was his name and the city switched back to 'Santo Domingo'.
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How to get to Santo Domingo?
Flying first
Getting to Santo Domingo involves getting to the Dominican Republic first. And since the DR is an island, you will have to get there by either plane or boat (swimming isn't recommended).
The main international airports are located in Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana. Either one is a good base to get to the capital.
Here's a quick recap on how to get to the Dominican Republic by air:
From the US and Canada | There are connections from most major airports in the US and Canada, the most popular and frequent ones being New York, Miami, Montreal and Toronto. All require a stop-over in New York City.
From South America | We came straight from Cusco with a stop-over in Lima. Other major cities offer direct flights too.
From the UK | Several direct flights per week connect London to Punta Cana with British Airways. The other airports require a stop-over in Miami.
From mainland Europe | All major airports offer flights to the Dominican Republic, some of them being direct ones like from Madrid, Paris or Frankfurt.
From Australia and New Zealand | Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Oceania to the Dominican Republic and most of the flights in general are quite expensive. The stop-overs will most likely be somewhere in the USA.
Getting to Santo Domingo from the airport
By bus | The cheapest way to get to Santo Domingo from the various airports is by public transportation, in this case: by bus. They run regularly and have stops near every major airport. As we landed in Punta Cana, it took us about 2 hours to get to Santo Domingo's center and it cost 1200 DOP (20 € / 21,60 US $) per person. That's obviously a lot less when you land on Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo as the ride will be around 20 minutes only and cost 50 DOP (0,80 € / 1 US $) per person.
By taxi | The most comfortable and slightly faster option but also the more expensive one. From Santo Domingo airport to the historic center you will pay between 27 € and 32 € (29 US $ and 35 US $). If you happen to speak Spanish, you can save a few €/$ as the prices aren't fixed and Dominicans are open to negotiation.
By Uber | Uber works incredibly well in the whole of the DR. Rates are okay and we never had any problems finding an Uber or getting to our destination on time. The cars were always very clean and the drivers usually quiet but friendly. Beware, though, if you didn't pay upfront through the app, Uber drivers sometimes add a bit of tip for themselves when it comes to paying at the end of the ride. Count between 27-32 € (29-35 US $) as well for a ride from Santo Domingo airport to the historic center.
By rental car | Renting a car in Santo Domingo is the easiest option to get around in general. Most internationally known companies have a desk at the airport. We rented ours with Alamo and paid about 267 € / 288 US $ for 13 days (about 21 € / 22 US $ per day, insurance included).
Traveller's tip:
Schedule your visit of Santo Domingo either at the beginning or the very end of your trip. That way, you can plan your rental period around it and save a few days - you won't need a rental car in Santo Domingo as Uber and busses work perfectly well.
Also, driving in Santo Domingo's city center is no joke, it's extremely busy and hectic. You might want to avoid that.
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Where to stay in Santo Domingo?
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In the Zona Colonial
Because the beauty of Santo Domingo lies in its history, the main part to visit is naturally the zona colonial, the historic center.
Getting around the city is easy which means you don't necessarily have to stay inside the zona itself. But if you want to catch the city's unique Afro-Caribbean flair, it is advisable.
We stayed at the Hotel Class Colonial after landing in Punta Cana and driving down to the city. It's a convenient little hotel with only a few rooms, right in the pedestrian area of the historic center.
The rooms are big enough, quite basic, but kind of charming nonetheless. They are clean (which is actually what matters most to me) with a proper bathroom (very important when travelling with Ulcerative Colitis!) and the hosts are very friendly, always ready to give a few tips or organise a trustable driver.
Breakfast was pretty much the same every morning and rather 'American' (scrambled eggs, sausages, toast) but delicious. And it always came with fresh fruit and juice.
And the price is quite reasonable for budget travellers like ourselves.
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The hotel's bar and breakfast area
Enjoying some basic but tasty breakfast at Hotel Class Colonial
Simple rooms but all you need as a backpacker
The Zona Colonial is by far the best area to stay at in Santo Domingo. It's where you get to experience that eclectic mix of European and Afro-Caribbean culture the city and the country are known for.
Here are some other very well rated options to stay at inside the Zona Colonial:
Hodelpa Caribe Colonial | Very modern, bright and clean rooms, ideally located, well priced. With a fabulous restaurant.
El Beaterio Casa Museo | Just like the name indicates, it's actually a historic monastery! Gorgeous interior but still very affordable.
Casas del XVI Boutique Hotel | A bit on the higher end, not very budget-friendly. But wow! This one is insanely beautiful and elegant with a lovely inner courtyard and a pool.
Outside of the zona colonial
Close to the airport
Hampton by Hilton | We chose this hotel due to the proximity of the airport when we came back to Santo Domingo after our trip. Absolutely loved the rooftop-pool!
Pretending to work at the rooftop pool of the Hampton by Hilton
A stroll through the city
Beach-walk in the Malecón-area
After a restful night, we headed out to explore the city, starting by the beach-side known as Malecón.
Malecón is the part between the colonial heart and the sea, the one where all the big resorts established themselves. From the zona colonial, all you have to do is heading South and follow the salty air until you reach the sea. From here, it doesn't matter which direction you take.
It's a bit noisy because you just walk alongside the busy George Washington Avenue but it still gives you lovely views on the blue sea and potentially a nice sunset.
Palm trees do the trick
Little disappointment
Because we had just arrived from a rather cold (but awesome!) destination, having spent a whole month in Cusco, we were in desperate need of some sun and salty air. That's why we headed to the coast-line in the Malecón-area first.
What immediately struck us was the frighteningly huge amount of garbage floating along the beaches. It was our very first contact with the country and little did we know that this would become a recurring sight during the trip and one of our most surprising facts about the Dominican Republic.
See the big blobs floating around? That's all garbage.
During our whole stay, we tried not to focus too much on this sad sight and to direct our attention towards the fascinating details of a long colonialist history.
So this was where famous explorer Christopher Columbus touched down when he was sailing through what would become the Americas? Blending out the garbage it was easy to see why he was hooked right away. Think: glistening white beaches, turquoise sea and a very green backdrop. It must have been a magnificent sight back then!
From Malecón, we headed back towards the zona colonial and dived into centuries of history.
Discovering Santo Domingo's past
I find it hard to know whether I should talk about 'explorers', 'colonialists', conquistadores or rather 'invaders' (that last one is what the Spanish are still called in present-day Peru, for example). But I do have a certain fascination for what they did with the new world.
A fascination that doesn't necessarily mean a positive image, just to clarify. I find things like how cruel humans can treat one another 'fascinating' but it is by no means good or admirable.
Glad we got that sorted. Now back to our first impressions of Santo Domingo.
The city's colonial heart: the zona colonial
Upon arriving in the thriving old heart of the city, the mix of different influences instantly got to us - you'll see what I mean.
We checked in our hotel, the Hotel Class Colonial, and went straight out for dinner, almost starving after the flight. Asking our host where we could go that wasn't too far away (admittedly, we were just lazy), he recommended this American looking diner just down our street, Grand's Cafetería y Bar.
Grand's Cafetería y Bar
Granted, this place has been an institution for ages and is therefore very popular amongst tourists. But locals still come here for their daily coffee or occasional family suppers.
Don't expect artistically decorated plates or fancy dishes. They serve the traditional food the Dominican Republic is known for, such as the bandera dominicana, 'the Dominican flag', that consists of rice, red beans and stewed meat, or chivo guisado, braised goat. Add to that some crunchy tostones, fried slices of plantain, some salad and avocado and you're set for the day.
Santo Domingo's shopping boulevard Calle El Conde
We were travelling around Christmas time which made for some very strange sights with artificial fir trees and decorations pretty much everywhere. It clashed quite a bit with the Caribbean surroundings and the hot temperatures.
It was our first Caribbean Christmas and it was kind of a lovely but weird experience. I dare say, I prefer cold, gloomy weather and darkness at 4pm around that festive time. Hot chocolate just tastes so much better underneath a cosy blanket while it's freezing outside.
Colonial Santo Domingo
Columbus' family
So first there was Christoph, known and admired (or cursed) by many.
But then there was his little brother Bartholomew, who was also an 'explorer' but he kind of just rode the wave of his brother's success. When he arrived to the island then called 'Hispaniola', he didn't feel like leaving and founded 'La Nueva Isabela' a settlement approximately where Santo Domingo stands today.
He stayed for a few years, appointed by his brother as a governor, but was imprisoned together with the latter and had to return to Spain eventually.
But there was yet another Columbus family member, who left a more visible mark on the city: Christopher's first born son Diego who became 'Viceroy of the Indies'.
Let's dive deeper into the city's history by checking out the main attractions on the map below:
Alcazár de Colón
Our first stop is the 'Columbus Alcazár', the only known residence of a member of the Columbus family in the New World. It was build specifically for Diego on a plot given by the Spanish Crown in the beginning of the 16th century and it remained in the family for several generations.
Abandoned and in ruins by the mid-18th century, the building was finally restored in the 1950s to serve as a museum displaying artefacts from all over the Caribbeans dating to various periods, from the late Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
Diego Columbus' (restored) residence
It's a bit of an anachronistic mix when you consider what objects have been thrown together but it's the building itself that is quite interesting. Coralline rock was used for the construction of the walls and the whole structure is of gothic-mudéjar style. Mudéjar refers to an architectural type of post-Islamic Spain (or Iberia), the name having been used for Muslims who stayed under Christian ruling after the Reconquista.
Audio-guides explaining the different functions of the (formely 55!) rooms are available and the entrance fee is 100 DOP (about 1,75 € / 1,80 US $).
View from Diego's balcony towards the Ozama river
The Alcazár is located on the Plaza de España o de la Hispanidad, a large busy square surrounded by palm trees and restaurants that are slightly overpriced because - well - you pay for the view.
It is still nice on a hot day to sit underneath the big umbrellas and do some people watching while sipping a fresh cocktail.
Food with a view at the Pat'e Palo Brasserie
Monasterio de San Francisco
Lunch done, was good.
Refreshed and satisfied, we continued our little promenade through Santo Domingo's colonial heart and ended up at the ruins of the San Francisco Monastery, a bit further away from the river, to the West.
This monastery was - you guessed it - the very first one in the New World, built between 1506 and 1560.
Can imagine this being a cool location for events
Through the centuries, the building was turn in turn attacked, looted, partially destroyed by earthquakes, used as a fortress, deconstructed and reconstructed. In more recent times, archaeologists found the remains of several notable Spanish people, amongst which - supposedly! - Bartholomew's.
Nowadays, it mainly serves as a rather cool backdrop for cultural events.
Museo de las Casas Reales
From the monastery, head back towards the river and down South.
While the Alcazár was the residence of the Viceroy Diego, this monument here called 'Museum of the Royal Houses' is where the government offices were.
Also built under Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1511, the palace is divided in two sections, North (used by the people in power) and South (housing the first official court of the New World, the Royal Audiencia) and now holds an important collection representing live during the Spanish colony.
It's the most visited building in Santo Domingo.
The classical facade of the Museo de las Casas Reales that a French general had modified in the 19th century
Same entrance fee as the Alcazár of 100 DOP (about 1,75 € / 1,80 US $) and there are also audioguides available to take a self-tour of the building and its numerous rooms. Again, a very heterogeneous mix of objects dating from various periods.
The Panteón Nacional
Next stop: this impressive Jesuit church built in the beginning of the 18th century with its heavily loaded interior.
It is considered a national symbol and lots of important people of the Dominican Republic get to have their final resting place in this very church. But that has only been happening since the 1950s when dictator or wannabe-ruler Trujillo (remember him from the history-introduction) decided that he wanted to be interred here and envisioned the church to become a national mausoleum.
Well, it ultimately became that. Only, instead of him, his assassins were laid down to rest here. Oh, the irony!
A big, impressive mausoleum for important people: the Panteón Nacional
Fortaleza Ozama
Continuing our tour down South from here, you will have to do a little detour towards the riverside to get to the Ozama Fortress, built between 1502 and 1508 and thus - yes! - the oldest military structure by Europeans in the Americas.
It looks like a medieval castle with its massive crenellated tower (weirdly reminiscent of London Tower), the 'Tower of Homage', and the position on the riverside was naturally a very strategic one to defend the city.
The massive Tower of Homage
The still standing walls are but a tiny section of the entire defensive system of the city, destined to fight off attacks from French, English or Dutch pirates. Coral stones were again used for the construction and, of course, no European had to make their hands dirty. They used black and Taíno slaves instead.
Notably, Christopher Columbus is said to have been temporarily imprisoned here before they sent him back to Spain.
Another view of the tower
Inside the fortress with walls still visible, the Ozama river and the sea in the back
The entrance fee for the fortress is 70 DOP (1,25 € / 1,30 US $) and there are guides available on site to give you tours for about 200 DOP (3,50 € / 3,65 US $).
Catedral Santa María la Menor
From the Fortaleza, continue to the West and dive back into the colonial part of the city.
Here you will find the Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor with its glowing coral limestone facade, shining golden in the sun. This impressive building is the Archbishop's cathedral and it is - tadaaaa - the first and oldest cathedral ever built in the Americas.
Pope Julius II ordered the construction in 1504 and the gothic look was inspired by the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea in Sevilla, Spain. Sacked by Sir Francis Drake in 1586, it was re-consecrated and survived every further attack.
The beautiful facade of Santa María la Menor
There are a few very interesting decorative elements to see inside the church, as well as a rich treasury with numerous religious objects of high quality.
Fun fact: Christopher's final resting place
Christopher Columbus himself once had a tomb here as he had wished to be buried on Hispaniola. So after having found a resting place in Valladolid, his son Diego requested he'd be moved to Sevilla. He didn't stay there long because in 1536, both Christopher and Diego were moved to Santo Domingo.
But then the French came in 1793 and the remains were moved to Havana. Barely a century later, he was sent back to Sevilla to be put in the mighty cathedral where the king and queen of Spain that actually commanded most of Christopher's expeditions lie as well.
Up to this day, the Dominicans firmly believe that Christopher Columbus' remains are still in Santo Domingo. But DNA results rather point to Sevilla.
There is a small lead box with a few bones, though, that could possibly be linked to Christopher. That box is in Santo Domingo, more specifically in the Columbus Lighthouse, a shiny, weirdly looking building specifically built in 1992 as a mausoleum for the controversial 'great explorer'. DNA-tests are yet to be performed.
Monument to Christopher Columbus in 'Parque Colón' in front of the cathedral
There are so many other corners that we didn't get to see, given our limited time in the city. But with this little tour, you will at least get the gist of what I mean by 'mix of European, American and Afro-Caribbean vibes'.
But to be honest, these are the absolute main highlights and top things to visit when in Santo Domingo. They are what confers to this city a very particular status as there is nothing comparable in the whole Americas.
I hope you enjoyed following along our little journey and don't forget to comment or sent us a message if you need more information or want to share your thoughts on this.
And feel free to pin and share this post!
As ever
xx
Cyn
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