_{Santo Domingo - A Fair and Creative City}

While Santo Domingo is a city, there are many gorgeous Dominican hiking trails and other amazing natural attractions close by. With all these offerings, you could easily spend days just exploring Santo Domingo’s historical downtown. There is almost no better place than Santo Domingo to experience authentic Dominican cuisine as a local. Add the San Nicolas de Bari Hospital to your Santo Domingo places-to-visit list to get a taste of traditional dining in the Dominican Republic.

Colonial times

The Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo is a highlight of the city, home to most major tourist attractions. Also known as Zona Colonia, the Colonial Zone features stunning Colonial Revival and Gothic Architecture, as well as many firsts for Santo Domingo. Wander through Colonial Zone, where burning orange churches are contrasting against pale green houses and blue accents on ceramic street signs. Capturing colourful wood houses In the photo, a fine example of wooden houses in the Colonial Zone. Inside, you will find gardens, Spanish courts, Medieval and Renaissance art, historical artifacts, and much more. As a result, there are various historical buildings and sites left from Christopher Columbus day. Plaza de España is a great spot for both locals and tourists to enjoy a little shopping, but if you are looking for more sightseeing, Alcazar de Colon Palace, which is now a museum highlighting stunning Medieval and Renaissance artwork, is a better destination. Once home to a Spanish court during the 16th century, now a museum that displays Dominican culture and history. The Old Center is a delicious blend of history and contemporary Dominican life.

Out in the parks

It is a natural setting with three lakes situated inside limestone caves. When you step into Three Eyes National Park, and you make your way through its many steps, you will be exploring a vast system of caves, not forgetting three distinct freshwater lakes, resembling three eyes. In fact, only 15 minutes away is one of the more visually astounding attractions, the Los Tres Ojos (Three Eyes) National Park. If you do choose to do a tour, opt for one that makes a stop in the Three Eyes Water Park. Stay at the boutique former colonial house, walk down pedestrian Calle El Conde, and eat your way through the squares. Travel five hundred years back in time when you take the Colonial Train, while enriching yourself.

Street art

Faro A Colon is certainly no beauty, but it is a sight to see in Santo Domingo that is still worth visiting--first, to reflect on colonialism, and second, to check out the cool exhibits inside. While a lot of people are aware of the numerous art shops or inviting craft shops since they are located on the main walking street, the street art in Santo Domingo is one of those things that is often overlooked. Personally, we enjoyed the outdoor sections where the fruit vendors and botanicals sold things such as folk medicines, prayer candles, even aphrodisiac teas. The Agora mall boasts a great outside space, and you can get some amazing views of it all from the malls fourth level.

Birthplace of colonialism

Once the birthplace of Spanish colonialists, who built Santo Domingo as most historic districts model for the rest of America, as a neighbourhood filled with museums, churches, shops, theatres, restaurants, and parks. The cathedral in Santo Domingo boasts spectacular architecture and an air of history, making you feel as though you have travelled back in time to the days of Spanish domination. The headquarters for the Executive Branch of the Dominican Republic, the Palacio Nacional is noted for being one of Santo Domingo’s most intricate buildings, with its classic architecture styles of Monasterio de San Francisco and powdery-peach colours, built in the 19th century by Italian architect Guido D’Alessandro. Santo Domingo, also known as Colonial City or La Zona Colonial (The Colonial Zone), was where Christopher Columbus landed and the beginning of colonization in the area known as the Indies. Interestingly, the Dominican Republic was once ruled by Haiti, and this complex history (which includes a complex present) can be explored in Santo Domingo.