This is the tour I recommend to everyone who tells me “I’ve seen a lot of beach, I want to see something different”. Santo Domingo was founded in 1498 by Bartholomew Columbus and is, quite literally, the first city in the Americas. You’ll walk streets that have been there for five hundred years.

The trip from Punta Cana takes about three hours by road, so it’s a long day, but worth every minute. These are the stops.

1. Los Tres Ojos Park

A system of caves with freshwater lagoons that the Taínos were already using before Columbus arrived. You go down between limestone formations to underground lakes, cool and humid, very different from the beach sun.

2. Columbus Lighthouse

A huge cross-shaped monument that holds the mausoleum of Christopher Columbus. Construction began in 1986 and it was inaugurated on October 6, 1992, for the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas.

3. The Colonial City: a World Heritage Site

UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1990. In just sixteen blocks you find the first cathedral, the first university, the first hospital and the first stone houses in the Americas.

Las Damas Street

Laid out in 1502, it is the oldest cobblestone street in the Americas. Its name comes from the ladies of the viceregal court who used to stroll along it.

Columbus Alcázar

The residence of Diego Columbus, the admiral’s son. It was built between 1510 and 1514 and still keeps its colonial courtyards and galleries.

Cathedral of the Americas

The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, the first cathedral on the entire continent. Construction began in 1512 and it was consecrated in 1541. To enter, men and women must have shoulders and thighs covered.

San Nicolás de Bari Hospital

Built between 1503 and 1508 by order of Governor Nicolás de Ovando, it is considered the first hospital in the New World. Today its walls and arches remain standing.

National Pantheon

It was built between 1714 and 1746 as a Jesuit church. In 1956 it was renovated to become a mausoleum for heroes and figures of Dominican history. Entry is free.

El Conde Street

The city’s most famous pedestrian street, ideal for strolling at your own pace or popping into a shop.

Duarte Park

The green heart of the Colonial City, at the end of El Conde. Perfect for sitting a while in the shade before continuing.

Santo Domingo Malecón

We drive along the Malecón to see the Caribbean Sea from the capital: water, breeze and an open horizon after so many cobblestone streets.

National Palace

Seat of the Dominican government, neoclassical with a copper dome. Construction began on February 27, 1944 and it was inaugurated on August 16, 1947. We make a photo stop.

Free time for shopping

Before lunch you have some free time in the Colonial City to walk at your own pace, pop into a craft shop or keep taking photos.

Typical Dominican lunch

We close with lunch at a traditional restaurant, with truly typical Dominican food.

Did you know…?

• Santo Domingo concentrates more than 30% of the country’s population, over 3.5 million people.
• The city sits at the mouth of the Ozama River, facing the Caribbean Sea.
• The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor is the first cathedral built on the entire American continent.

If you like history as much as the beach, this tour is for you. Message me on WhatsApp at +1 (829) 395-7036 and we’ll arrange your spot with Punta Cana in Travel.