The Colonial City of Santo Domingo

The Colonial City of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the historic heart of the Dominican capital and the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas, founded in 1498. A wonderfully preserved quarter of cobbled streets, shady plazas and honey-coloured stone, it holds a remarkable string of New World firsts: the first cathedral, the first fortress in the Fortaleza Ozama, with the Alcazar de Colon as the first viceregal palace of the Americas, the first paved street and the first university. Once the launchpad of Spanish colonisation of the Americas, its atmospheric streets brim with history, cafes and music.

History

Bartholomew Columbus founded the first settlement on the east bank of the Ozama near the end of the 15th century, and after the hurricane of 1502 Nicolás de Ovando moved the city to the west bank, where he and his successor Diego Colón raised the first buildings of the Colonial City, many of which still stand. From here the Spanish set out to conquer other Caribbean islands and much of the mainland, though within a few decades the city declined as attention turned to Mexico and Peru. In 1655 an English force under William Penn and Robert Venables besieged it and was beaten off by the captain general, the Count of Peñalva, after whom the Puerta del Conde is named; the city began to spread beyond its walls in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Alcázar de Colón was restored in the early 1950s (Wikipedia, Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)).

Highlights

• The Catedral Primada - the first cathedral built in the Americas.
• The Alcázar de Colón - the palace of Columbus's son.
• Calle Las Damas - the first paved street in the New World.
• The plazas and cafes - the lively squares and colonial streets.

When to go

November to April, the drier, cooler season, for the most comfortable exploring on foot; evenings are lively and pleasant, when the plazas fill with music, diners and locals. The compact quarter is easily walked in a day, though its history rewards a slower pace.

Things to know

Beyond the well-kept colonial core, Santo Domingo is a big, busy, sometimes chaotic Caribbean city with the usual urban precautions, and it lacks the beaches most visitors come to the country for. But as the birthplace of European America, packed with historic firsts and atmospheric streets, its colonial city is genuinely fascinating and a rewarding cultural contrast to the resorts.

Nearby

The city's museums, the Malecon seafront and the Tres Ojos caves are nearby.

Key facts