Plaza España

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 Christopher Columbus’ New World ‘discovery.' Running along its northwest side is Calle las Atarazanas, fronted by a half-dozen restaurants in buildings that served as warehouses through the 16th and 17th centuries.

This is a great place for a meal or drink at an outdoor table around sunset.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Santo Domingo attractions

1. Reloj del Sol

0.06 MILES

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…

2. Museo de las Casas Reales

0.06 MILES

Built in the Renaissance style during the 16th century, this building was the longtime seat of Spanish authority for the Caribbean region, housing the…

3. Museo del Ron y la Caña

0.06 MILES

Housed in a restored 16th-century building, exhibits here celebrate rum and sugarcane, two of the country’s most important exports. Displays and…

4. Casa del Cordón

0.06 MILES

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,…

5. Puerta de San Diego

0.07 MILES

For a time, this imposing gate, built in 1571 downhill from the Alcázar de Colón, was the main entrance into the city. Beside it you can still see some of…

6. Museo Alcázar de Colón

0.07 MILES

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…

7. Museo del Duarte

0.09 MILES

The 1813 birthplace of Juan Pablo Duarte was converted into a modest museum and renovated in late 2016. Three rooms display documents, artifacts and…