Sights in Santo Domingo
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Jardín Botánico Nacional
The lush grounds of the Jardín Botánico Nacional span 2 sq km and include vast areas devoted to aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, endemic plants, palm trees, a Japanese garden and much more. Great care is taken to keep the grounds spotless and the plants well tended, and it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of a city of over two million people. In fact, birders can contact Tody Tours for an expert eye on the many species found here. The garden hosts a variety of events, including an orchid exhibition and competition in March and a bonsai exhibition in April. The on-site Ecological Museum exhibits and explains the major ecosystems found in the DR, inclu…
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Parque Zoológico Nacional
One of the larger zoos in all Latin America, the Parque Zoológico Nacional is a dismal collection of cramped, bare enclosures that will leave you fearing for the future of the natural world. The collection of animals is extensive: rhinos and chimps, flamingos and the endangered solenodon, an extremely rare, rat-like creature endemic to the island. Located in a somewhat seedy neighborhood in the northwest corner of the city (the makeshift homes of the slum perched just above the zoo appear as if they’re likely to collapse onto the property at any moment), it’s a bit hard to find. A taxi here from the Zona Colonial costs around US$6; definitely be sure to arrange a return …
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Casa del Cordón
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, Casa del Cordón was briefly occupied by Diego Columbus and his wife before they moved into their stately home down the street. Named after its impressive stone façade, which is adorned with the chiseled sash-and-cord symbol of the Franciscan order, it is also believed to be the site where Santo Domingo’s women lined up to hand over their jewels to Drake during the month he and his men held the city hostage. Today the structure is home to Banco Popular, and while you can go in to exchange money, visiting the house beyond…
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Monasterio de San Francisco
The Monasterio de San Francisco was the first monastery in the New World and belonged to the first order of Franciscan friars who arrived to evangelize the island. Dating from 1508, the monastery originally consisted of three connecting chapels. It was set ablaze by Drake in 1586, rebuilt, devastated by an earthquake in 1673, rebuilt, ruined by another earthquake in 1751 and rebuilt again. From 1881 until the 1930s it was used as a mental asylum until a powerful hurricane shut it down – portions of chains used to secure inmates can still be seen. The buildings were never repaired. Today the monastery is a dramatic set of ruins that is occasionally used to stage concerts a…
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Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Barí
Standing next to a bright, white Iglesia de la Altagracia are the Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Barí, ruins of the New World’s first hospital. They remain in place as a monument to Governor Nicolás de Ovando, who ordered the hospital built in 1503. So sturdy was the edifice that it survived Drake’s invasion and centuries of earthquakes and hurricanes. It remained virtually intact until 1911, when after being devastated by a hurricane, public-works officials ordered much of it knocked down so that it wouldn’t pose a threat to pedestrians. Even today visitors can still see several of its high walls and Moorish arches. Note that the hospital’s floor plan follows the f…
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Museo del Hombre Dominicano
The most extensive of the museums is the Museo del Hombre Dominicano. Highlights are the impressive collection of Taíno artifacts, including stone axes and intriguing urns and carvings, and the small but interesting section on Carnival, with the masks and costumes used in various cities around the country. Other sections focus on slavery and the colonial period, African influences in the DR (including a small section on Vodou) and contemporary rural Dominican life. Unfortunately, the explanations are all in Spanish and the displays very old-fashioned. English-speaking guides can be requested at the entry – the service is free, but small tips are customary.
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Parque Mirador Del Sur
A long tree-filled corridor atop an enormous limestone ridge, Parque Mirador Del Sur is riddled with caves, some as big as airplane hangars. One of the caves has been converted into a restaurant, another into a dance club. The park’s seemingly endless paths are a popular jogging spot for 30-something professionals, many of whom live in the middle- and upper-class neighborhoods north of the park. Av Mirador del Sur is closed to traffic from 6am to 9am and 4pm to 8pm daily, when it fills with men and women jogging, rollerblading and bicycling up and down the broad avenue, and mobile juice bars and snack stands for anyone who’s hungry.
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Casa de Francia
The Casa de Francia was originally the residence of Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztecs in what is today central Mexico. It was in this building that Cortés is believed to have organized his triumphant – and brutal – expedition. Built in the early 16th century and sharing many elements with the Museo de las Casas Reales, experts theorize that these buildings were designed by the same master; both have a flat façade and a double bay window in the upper and lower stories, repeating patterns of doors and windows on both floors, and top-notch stone rubblework masonry around the windows, doors and corner shorings.
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Catedral Primada de América
Diego Columbus, son of the great explorer, set the first stone of the Catedral Primada de América in 1514, but construction didn’t begin in earnest until the arrival of the first bishop, Alejandro Geraldini, in 1521. From then until 1540, numerous architects worked on the church and adjoining buildings, which is why the vault is Gothic, the arches Romanesque and the ornamentation baroque. It’s anyone’s guess what the planned bell tower would have looked like: a shortage of funds curtailed construction, and the steeple, which undoubtedly would have offered a commanding view of the city, was never built.
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Los Tres Ojos
Consisting of three very humid caverns with still, dark lagoons inside and connected by stalactite-filled passages, Los Tres Ojos is a mildly interesting site frequented by organized tours. The caves are limestone sinkholes, carved by water erosion over thousands of years. The entrance is a long stairway down a narrow tunnel in the rock; once at the bottom, cement paths lead you through the caves or you can visit them by boat for another US$0.35. Unfortunately, the tranquility of the setting is usually upset by vendors aggressively hawking their postcards and jewelry to tourists at the entrance.
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Fortaleza Ozama
The Fortaleza Ozama is the oldest colonial military edifice in the New World. The site of the fort – at the meeting of the Río Ozama and the Caribbean was selected by Fray Nicolás de Ovando. Construction of the fortification began in 1502 under the direction of master builder Gómez García Varela and continued in various stages for the next two centuries. Over the course of its history, the fort has flown the flag of Spain, England, France, Haiti, Gran Columbia, the US and the DR. Until the 1970s, when it was opened to the public, it has served as a military garrison and prison.
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Panteón Nacional
Originally constructed in 1747 as a Jesuit church, the Panteón Nacional was also a tobacco warehouse and a theater before dictator Trujillo restored the building in 1958 for its current usage. Today many of the country’s most illustrious persons are honored here, their remains sealed behind two marble walls. The entire building, including its neoclassical façade, is built of large limestone blocks. As befits such a place, an armed soldier is ever present at the mausoleum’s entrance along with a powerful fan since it does get hot. Shorts and tank tops are discouraged.
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Palacio Nacional
The Dominican seat of government, the Palacio Nacional was designed by Italian architect Guido D’Alessandro and inaugurated in 1947. The palace is built of Samaná roseate marble in a neoclassical design and is outfitted in grand style with mahogany furniture, paintings from prominent Dominican artists, magnificent mirrors inlaid with gold, and a proportionate amount of imported crystal. Of special note is the Room of the Caryatids, in which 44 sculpted draped women rise like columns in a hall lined with French mirrors and Baccarat chandeliers.
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Convento de la Orden de los Predicadores
Built in 1510 by Charles V, the Convento de la Orden de los Predicadores is the first convent of the Dominican order founded in the Americas. It also is where Father Bartolomé de las Casas the famous chronicler of Spanish atrocities committed against indigenous peoples – did most of his writing. Be sure to take a look at the vault of the chapel; it is remarkable for its stone zodiac wheel, which is carved with mythological and astrological representations. On the walls are various paintings of religious figures, including Pope Saint Pius V.
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Puerta del Conde
The Puerta del Conde owes its name to the Count of Peñalba, Bernardo de Meneses y Bracamonte, who led the successful defense of Santo Domingo against an invading force of 13,000 British troops in 1655. The gate is the supreme symbol of Dominican patriotism because right beside it, in February 1844, a handful of brave Dominicans executed a bloodless coup against occupying Haitian forces; their actions resulted in the creation of a wholly independent Dominican Republic. It also was atop this gate that the very first Dominican flag was raised.
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, constructed during the first half of the 16th century, was sacked by Drake and his men and reconstructed on numerous occasions following earthquakes and hurricanes. The church is remarkable for its pulpit, which is sustained by a support in the shape of a serpent demon. The intricate baroque altarpiece is carved from tropical hardwood. Of the group of buildings that pay homage to the Virgin Mary, only the cloister adjacent to the church is in original condition.
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Faro a Colón
Resembling a cross between a Soviet-era apartment block and a Las Vegas version of an ancient Mayan ruin, the Faro a Colón is worth visiting for its controversial and complicated history. Located on the east side of the Río Ozama, the Faro’s massive cement flanks stretch nearly a block and stand some 10 stories high forming the shape of a cross. High-power lights on the roof can project a blinding white cross in the sky, but are rarely turned on because doing so causes blackouts in surrounding neighborhoods.
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Museo de la Familia Dominicana
Located in the Casa de Tostado – the beautifully restored 16th-century home of the writer Francisco Tostado – is the Museo de la Familia Dominicana. It’s as interesting as much for its architectural features (it has a double Gothic window over the front door – the only one of its kind in the Americas), as for its exhibits displaying well-restored 19th-century furnishings and household objects. Ask to go up the spiral mahogany staircase for a rooftop view of the Zona Colonial. Tours in Spanish only.
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Museo de Arte Moderno
The permanent collection at the Museo de Arte Moderno includes paintings and a few sculptures by the DR’s best-known modern artists, including Luís Desangles, Adriana Billini, Celeste Woss y Gil, José Vela Zanetti, Dario Suro and Martín Santos. The temporary exhibits tend to be fresher and more inventive – more installation and multimedia pieces. Note that the entrance is on the 2nd floor – don’t miss the artwork on the bottom level, accessed by a set of stairs just past the ticket counter.
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Plaza de la Cultura
Near the city center, the Plaza de la Cultura is a large park area with three museums, the national theater and the national library. The land was once owned by the dictator Trujillo, and was ‘donated’ to the public after his assassination in 1961. At least two of the museums are worth visiting, though the plaza itself is mostly a sun-baked expanse and fairly unkempt; the theater and library will appeal to travelers with specific interests.
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Museo Nacional de Historia y Geografíca
At the time of research the Museo Nacional de Historia y Geografíca was closed and an opening date was uncertain. Exhibits on the battles between Haitians and Dominicans; General Ulises Heureaux, the country’s most prominent dictator during the 19th century; and Trujillo, the country’s most prominent dictator during the 20th century – exhibits including his personal effects such as combs, razor, wallet etc. are expected on reopening.
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Since 1596 the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen 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 Holy Wednesday during Easter Week. The small church, originally made of stone, was set aflame by Drake in 1586 and was rebuilt using bricks. During colonial times its small square was used to stage comedies.
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Fuerte de Santa Bárbara
Fuerte de Santa Bárbara, built during the 1570s, served as one of the city’s main points of defense. It proved no match for Drake, however, who along with his fleet of 23 pirate-packed ships captured the fort in 1586. Today the fort lies in ruins at the end of a lonely street. There isn’t much to see here anymore, mostly rooftops and occasionally a cruise ship in the distance.
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Capilla de la Tercera Orden Dominica
The Chapel of the Third Dominican Order, or the Capilla de la Tercera Orden Dominica, was built in 1729 and is the only colonial structure in Santo Domingo to reach the present fully intact. Today the building is used by the office of the archbishop of Santo Domingo. It’s not open to the general public, but the graceful baroque façade is worth a look.
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Iglesia de Santa Bárbara
The baroque Iglesia de Santa Bárbara was built in 1574 to honor the patron saint of the military. After being done over by Drake, however, the church was rebuilt with three arches – two are windowless and the third frames a remarkably sturdy door. These additions proved invaluable in protecting the building against pirates and hurricanes alike.
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