Santo Domingo Off the Beaten Path Tips by mikey_e

If you're interested in the politics that shape modern Dominican Republic, you might be interested in taking a trip to see one of the political party headquarters. There's one such house on Ave. Independencia just across from the entrance of the parking lot for Meliá SD. The parties really like to show up their founders and display party colours, so they can be quite a sight and the murals on the buldings are educational as well.

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The Malecón or sea wall is a favourite attraction in many coastal cities and towns in the Caribbean and Central America, and the one in Santo Domingo is no exception. Called Avenida George Washington in some parts, the Malecón goes from the Rio Ozama and the Monument to Fray Montesinos all the way west out past Gazcue and on along the coast to the Government buildings. As you get closer to the Zona Colonial, the Malecón takes more of an entertainment district atmosphere with restaurants, nightclubs, parks and impromptu fairs popping up. Farther west, however, where the skyline is dominated by casinos and hotels, the Malecón is just a promenade that provides breathtaking views of the sparkling waters of the Caribbean Sea and the intense green of the foliage along the shore. There are some horse and buggy services for those who wish to complete the romantic scene, but a walk along the shore is quite impressive as well.

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Puerta de la Misericordia is usually not on the standard tourist retinue because it is a bit out of the way, but it still an interesting part of the city's history. The western-most gate in the city's defences, it stands beside the ruins of the San Gil Fort. The Puerta gets its name from the fact that, after a massive earthquake in 1842, a group of priests erected a tent city to care for the victims of the natural disaster under the gate. Two years later, in 1844, Mella (who led the revolt against Haitian rule) fired the first shots of the rebellion and incited insurrection from this very gate - although he eventual raised the Dominican flag over the Puerta del Conde. Its just near the Malecón (Hincado and Arzobisbo Portes is the nearest intersection) so its an easy first stop if you're coming to the Zona Colonial from Gazcue along the Malecón.

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The Male Obelisk or Obelisco Macho is, despite its innocous appearance, a massive tribute to dictatorship and oppresion. It was built in 1936 by Trujillo in order to commemorate the rechristining of his namesake quarter of the city, Ciudad Trujillo (which has since been renamed). Today it has a mural of the Mirabal sister, opponents of the regime who were murdered on Trujillo's orders. Despite the overt political nature of the Obelisco, there are few memorial plaques or explanations (I learned about it in the guide book) and it marks more of a mundane division between the part of the Malecón reserved from hotels and casinos (west of it) and that area in which you will find small restaurants and nightclubs catering to locals (to the east). It's right near Osvaldo Baez and the Malecón.

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Trujillo, one of the more brutal dictators of the Dominican Republic, appears to have been quite fond of erecting Obelisks. A kilometre east of the Male Obelisk (see my tip on that sight), you'll find La Obelisca or El Obelisco Hembra (the Female Obelisk), which was erected by the dictator in 1941 to honour the DR's repayment of outstanding loans to the US, incurred by previous Dominican administrations. I'm not entirely certain what makes this Obelisk female while the other one is male, but you can probably find a well-informed Dominican who can give you a tip. In any case, this monument is close to the intersection of the Malecón and Piña, south of the Puerta de la Misericordia.

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