Santo Domingo Things to Do Tips by mikey_e

The green parts of Santo Domingo can be a bit deceptive - beautiful from afar but garbage-filled, ill-maintained and full of children begging when you get close. That's why its a great idea to head to the Botanical Gardens (Jardin botánico) for some of the Dominican Republic's most beautiful flora. The gardens are outside the city centre and you really need to get there by car or taxi. They feature herb gardens, a bamboo grove, small ponds and streams, desert flowers and a section with medicinal plants. The park contains over 300 different species of plants and flowers from all over Hispaniola and also a sculpted Japanese garden. A truly spectacular collection of the Caribbean's and Hispaniola's natural heritage.

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Address: Avenida Jardín Botánico & Los Próceres
Directions: In the north end of the city (Arroyo Hondo)
Website: www.jbn-sdq.org

Parque Tres Ojos is a bit out of the way for those staying in Santo Domingo, but its a fun (albeit excessively humid) way to get out of the city. Don't be put off by the cheap crap they sell out front, once you descend into the caves they are truly magnificent, especially the ponds that are the most eerie colour of blue. Tres Ojos features several ponds and each one has slightly different flora and fauna (some have fish, some don't). One of the ponds is deep and large enough that you can take the extended tour into the underground component. This was once a sacred place for the Taíno, one of the native peoples of Hispaniola. In modern times, it has been used as the setting for Tarzan movies.

FYI: if you're doing this on a budget and understand more than just English, don't bother paying for a guide. There's always a guide tour in Spanish or French that you can discretely tag behind.

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Address: Parque Mirador del Este
Directions: East of Faro a Colon.

The is SD's main art gallery and it has a nice collection of Dominican art work. The main floor is reserved for special exhibits (there was an international tile exhibition when we visited), the basement has features on Caribbean artists and the second floor contains the permanent collection. The art work is arranged chronologically and are explanations of the social and political environments in which each of the artists worked, as well as the primary influences on Caribbean art at that time. A word of caution to those who are sensitive to humidity: the Museum has very poor climate control and the top floor is really just a sauna (which can't be good for the art work).

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Phone: (809) 685-2153 al 56
Address: Plaza de la Cultura Juan Pablo Duarte
Website: http://www.museodeartemoderno.org.do

I'm not sure what's more impressive about this monument: its sheer size; the fact that it appears to rise out of nowhere; or the fact that it is mausoleum for a man whose bones may actually be buried five timezones east. In any case, its quite spectacular and merits inspection both inside and outside (it is built like a giant crucifix). The inside has some nice artwork as well as exhibits donated by various nations from around the world. Be careful not to take pictures indoors or at least be sneaky about it. My sister was screamed at for photographing the Argentine display, but things were smoothed over when it became known we were from a city with a heavily Dominican baseball team.

The beautiful Baroque interior of this monument can't hide the controversy surrounding the monument and its construction. The design of this massive cross was chosen in 1929 and is from the Englishman Gleave. The monument, however, wasn't completed until 1992 (the 500th anniversary of the discovery). It cost the Dominican government over $100 million US, caused the razing of an entire slum and now causes power outages if the lights are turned on. Even if you're not a fan of Columbus or the western view of the discoveries, visit this monument just for its notoriety.

Also, walking from Tres Ojos to Faro a Colon is not a simple hike. If you want to do it, do NOT cut through the park as there is no exit to Faro a Colon and you will have to jump a rather high fence.

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Address: Parque Mirador del Este
Directions: East of the Ozama - ask a cab driver to take you (less than RD$200)

I though about simply including this in the tip about the Malecón, but the seafront is just too beautiful along the outskirts of Santo Domingo to really cram in with the sea wall. The Río Ozama is obviously a major port and harbour for the entire Dominican Republic, so it can sometimes seem like there is not much point in trying to find the beautiful Caribbean scenery for which the resorts of the DR are world famous in the country's capital. Not true! You need only head to the parts of the Malecon west of Gazcue, on the stretches inhabited by casinos and ritzy hotels. There you will find green expanses and palm trees right up against the turquoise blue of the waters. There's lots of garbage, so its not quite as romantic as it sounds, and no one should attempt swimming here. Not only is the water polluted, the food waste dumped into the water has also started attracting sharks.

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Address: Malecón west of Gazcue
Directions: Just drive along the coast away from the city centre

Fray Montesinos was a 16th century Spanish priest who railed against the Taíno genocide - ostensibly commited by the same troops who made the preaching of Catholicism in the Caribbean possible. The large statue of the Fray easily evokes the man's passion for his cause, as Montesinos was supposedly sculpted such that his wild hair would evoke his rage against injustice. Although the purpose of the monument is not qidely publicized, it is hard not to be awed for a moment at the massive statue that overlooks the Caribbean Sea.

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Address: Malecón
Directions: West of Arzobispo Merino and Malecón

Santo Domingo has many of the Western hemisphere's oldest Spanish buildings, so it should not be surprising that the Cathedral in the centre of the Dominican capital would be quite a spectacular example of Spanish colonial architecture. The church was constructed between 1521 and 1540 and was intended to be the base of all conversion activities for the Catholic faith in the New World. The outside of the Cathedral is primarily Romanesque and Plateresque with some Gothic features on the north side (which faces the Parque de Colón). The western side (the side entrance) has allegorical freizes that portray the arrival of the colonists to Hispaniola. The Hapsburg seals (unfortunately I could only display 5 pictures here, but I have a photo of them) are mere reproductions - the originals having been stolen by Sir Francis Drake. Inside the Cathedral you will find some interesting mahogany pews and a marble altar, as well as a number of chapels, many of which contain paintings and relics imported from Spain during the 16th century. Below you can see a photo of the painting of the Madonna (in the Chapel of the Virgin of Antigua) which was spirit off to Spain in 1520 and finally returned to the Dominican people in 1892 when it was in a near-unrecognizable state. Columbus was supposedly enterred for a bit in the Chapel of the Virgin of the Light.

A small note, this is a much more conservative atmosphere than in many churches in Spain, so NO ONE may enter in shorts or tank tops. More than that, women may not be allowed in if they are in pants. Luckily, one of the gift shops nearby (I'm not sure which, as my sister was already wearing a skirt when we visited) will rent skirts for RD$50.

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Address: Parque de Colón
Directions: In the centre of the Zona Colonial, at the end of el Conde

The Plaza of the Priests, which is just behind the Catedral de Santa María de la Encarnación, is a delightfully peaceful plaza set off from the hustle and noise of the Parque de Colón. It was once a cemetary, but was disrupted during the English occupation and the reign of Drake. Today it is no longer a place of the dead and you can wander freely and take as many photographs as you like. If you enter from the south side (Padre Billini) you will have to pass through the Alley of the Priests - so named since it leads from the Cathedral to the priests' quarters. It really is a beautiful and peaceful walkway, with Islamic arches and bougainevillea growings along the sides.

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Address: Plazoleta de los Curas
Directions: Behind the Catedral; entrance from Padre Billini too

The Puerta del Conde or Gate of the Count is named after the Count Bernado Bracamonte, who was a 17th century military man who saved the city from British invasion in 1655. The Puerta del Conde also has more modern significance for the Dominican people, as this is where the national flag was first raised by Mella. It is a red-brick structure that always has a ceremonial guard posted out front. The guards can be a bit puzzling, given the fact that this is in the middle of one of Santo Domingo's busiest thoroughfares and surrounded by guaguas and fruitsellers, but once you pass by the hustle and bustle of modern life the honour guard still seems impressive, especially against the backdrop of the Altar de la Patria.

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Address: Parque Independencia
Directions: Across from the western entrance of El Conde

The Spanish colonial administration, representing a régime in its cultural and political heyday, was often concerned with the preservation of proper Spanish life even in the colonies. For this reason, the Calle de las Damas, was the first street constructed in 1509 when Ovando decided Santo Domingo should be moved to the opposite side of the Río Ozama from its original settlement. It is called Street of the Ladies because of the large number of noblewomen who would accompany María de Toledo, the wife of the governor Diego Columbus, down the street to Church every Sunday. Today it is one of the best preserved streets in the Zona Colonial and is a prime component of any tourist itinerary. Beware, however, as you are certain to be harassed by innumerable "official tourist guides" wishing to give you guided tours of the Zona Colonial.

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Address: Calle de las Damas
Directions: North from the Fortaleza Ozama