E SANTO DOMINGO

Santo Domingo

Over three million inhabitants, makes the cosmopolitan city of Santo Domingo possibly the busiest resort in the Caribbean.

In Santo Domingo rich culture and history is standing against modern developments.

In the historic Zona Colonial there are newer hotels on the old cobblestone streets; luxury cars share the roads with horse-drawn carriages; an avant-garde international restaurant scene lives in the midst of classic Creole cuisine and buildings of the 21st century are among the historic buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The oldest city in the New World, Santo Domingo's Colonial City, is proud of the first street, the first cathedral, the first university and the first hospital in the Americas.

Visitors to the well-preserved Old Town often feel transported back to another time, which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1990.

The capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, is one of the most active cities in the Caribbean.

Here, where economic and intergovernmental agreements are signed, the city is in a constant development in order to accommodate the ever growing population which is attracted by the contrasting spirit of the city.

Known for its nightlife, extensive shoppings and a variety of excellent restaurants.

In recent years the city has grown vertically above all, and now dozens of skyscrapers rise with sea views or views of sprawling neighborhoods.

Santo Domingo is dedicated to the culture with a current calendar of events of national and international events, shows and exhibitions in the various rooms of the city.

The National District, as the city is also called, has a population of about one million inhabitants, while another two million people live in the surrounding communities of the province of Santo Domingo.

La Zona Colonial

A wonderful old town with many monuments, churches, museums, etc.

Calle El Conde

The shopping street in the Zona Colonial, the central taxis of the Old Town. She was once the only shopping street in Santo Domingo. Here there are many shops.

Plaza España

Great place with the Alcazar de Colon in the east. This reflects the economic heart of the old colonial city. On Friday or Saturday night here whirling flamenco dancers and salsa dancers perform on the square.

Faro a Colon

Das Nationalaquarium

Acuario Nacional

Avenida España No. 75

Tel.:. 809-766-1709
Opening hours:

Tue - Su 9:30am – 5:30pm

Prices: RD$20 for children RD$30 adults y RD$50 tourists.

Only a few walking minutes away from the Faro a Colón is the aquarium that was re-created as a park and where children and adults can explore the world of marine animals.

The attractions include a large tunnel that gives the visitors the impression to dive into the underwater world, while sharks and turtles swim over them.

TIP: The visit of the aquarium is usually combined with a visit to the caves Los Tres Ojos.

Los Tres Ojos

Avenida las Americas next to Parque del Este.
Opening hours:

Every day 8:00 - 5:30pm

Tel.: 809-788-7056
Prices : RD$ 50 adults and tourists, RD$ 30 children and students

Here you step into a world of stalactites and stalagmites and lagoons with crystal clear water, up to 50 meters depth.

Botanical Garden

Av. República de Colombia DOM

Tel.: 809 - 567 - 621

www.jbn-sdq.org

The botanical garden with its two million square feet is one of the most beautiful parks.

It is the home to exquisite specimens of tropical flora, including the
largest species collection of palm and coconut trees, as well as one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in the world.

Parks Mirador del Sur

Opening hours

Mo - Su 8:00pm – 5:00pm

Entrance: Adults RD $ 20 pesos and children RD $ 10.

The eight-mile-long park Mirador Sur (Parque Miraddor del Sur, del Norte y del Este) corresponds mainly in the early morning and at dusk as the Central Park in New York.

The zoo from Santo Domingo

ZODOM

Avenida La Vega Real
Arroyo Hondo | Distrito Nacional

Tel.: 809-378-2149 / 809-378-2324
parque@zoodom.gov.do

Bellapart Kunstmuseum

Av John F. Kennedy, Santo Domingo,

Tel.: 809-541-7721 ext. 296

Opening hours: 8:00am - 6:00pm

The art galleries in the city are active and show the best of Dominican art. If you prefer to see instead of buying a couple of exhibitions, we recommend the collections of the "Bellapart Art Museum" and the "Modern Art Museum".

Av John F. Kennedy, Santo Domingo,

Santo Domingo - Cabarete

Travel time 3 hrs

Santo Domingo -Sosua

Travel time 3 hrs 20 min.

Santo Domingo - PtoPta

Travel time. 3 hrs

Santo Domingo - Santiago

Travel time 2 hrs 15 min

Santo Domingo - Las Terrenas

Travel time 2 hrs

Santo Domingo

The Pomier caves

The largest cave system in the Caribbean consists of 54 caves, from which 30 include more than 4,000 pictographic characters from the time of the Taino Indians.

The caves are located in the province of San Cristobal, south-west of Santo Domingo.

The Ministry of Environment made a part of the cave for visiting accessible.

Some archaeologists believe that the caves of El Pomier for the West Indies are as important as the pyramids in Egypt and they are located near Santo Domingo, just outside of San Cristobal.

About 54 caves dot the landscape here and contain thousands of glyphs (images or symbols that represent words) and hundreds of petroglyphs (drawings or etchings on rocks).

Most of the drawings tell a story and present people, animals and strange monsters, that may be also gods.

Although they are not all dated, it is believed that the pictographs and petroglyphs here is the work of the Taino Indians who have lived here over 1000 years ago.

Now protected and equipped by the Dominican government with an easy access for visitors. These caves were once a sacred site for the Tainos, which they have used to celebrate their ceremonies and rites of passag

The Ambar und Larimar Museums

Calle Isabel La Católica, Zona Colonial
Tel 809-689-6605

Jorge Caridad, one of the most famous jewelers of the city, is responsible for the Amber Museum and the Larimar museum in the colonial city, where he exhibites his personal collection of semi-precious stones and also to offer some for sale.

TIP: Both museums are only a few walking minutes away from the Cathedral of Santo Domingo.

Shopping

Santo Domingo is the ideal shopping destination with a variety of specialized shops and major shopping centers located in the area between the streets of Sarasota and John F. Kennedy: Acrópolis, Americana departments, Bella Vista Mall, Blue Mall, Centro Cuesta Nacional, Diamond Mall , La Sirena, Plaza Central, Plaza Lama, Ikea, Mall and Plaza Naco.
Other distinguished shopping areas are the El Conde Street, Carrefour, Avenida Duarte and Avenida Luperon.

Mercado Modelo

Av Mella

What was once the marketplace for fresh fruit and vegetables of the city, has evolved over the years into an important center for local crafts.

The market is not far away from the streets of El Conde, Arzobispo Meriño and Isabel la Católica in the colonial center, where there are the main small craft shops.

Golf

National Golf Course Las Lagunas

Autopista Duarte Km. 20, Santo Domingo

Tel. 809 372-7441

Opening: 1989 • 18 holes Par 72

www.laslagunas.com.do

Huge abundant rolling landscape that in itself reflects the clear waters of its lakes.

Isabel Villas Golf & Country Club

Calle Las Lilas 1, Urb. Isabel Villas, Cuesta
Hermosa II, Arroyo Hondo, Santo Domingo
Tel. 809 549-3306

Opening: 1997 • 9 holes Par 3.

Golf Course in the northern part of Santo Domingo, that adjacent on the western shore
of the river Isabela.

Hotels

Occidental El Embajador, Meliá Santo Domingo, Barceló Santo Domingo, Holiday Inn Santo Domingo Courtyard Santo Domingo Hilton Santo Domingo InterContinental V Centenario also offer event facilities for large groups.

There are several auditoriums, both sheltered and as well as outdoors, for up to 5,000 people, which can be rented for various activities.

Professional event planners, and banquet and sales teams of the hotel staff, provides assistance in designing a perfect balanced program, with intensive workshops during the day and the entertainment in the evening or on the sightseeing tours and excursions in the area.

Nightlife

Without doubt you will find in Santo Domingo the best nightlife in the country.

The cuisine of the city is quite comparable with the other major World cities.

Whether a restaurant in the residential and commercial district
Naco to Av. Winston Churchill (the central residential district), select Gazcue or in the colonial center. You will probably find the best restaurant selection the Caribbean.

The Dominicans are used to eat around 9pm in the evening, or even later, if they will visit the National Theatre, or if an evening is planned with visits to various discos or night clubs, of which are the most in the central residential district on Avenida Gustavo Mejía Ricart or around Avenida Abraham Lincoln.

The restaurants, bars and cafes in the colonial center (among young people known as The Zone) also attract a large clientele.
In Casa de Teatro, with its popular culture program and its support of emerging artists, as well as the Hard Rock Café Live performances are offered continuously.

On Friday and Saturday nights there are also shows at the Plaza
de España and Sundays at the ruins of San Francisco.

Lovers of Merengue, Salsa and Bachata have fun on Monday evening in the Jet Set discotheque, directly across from the Presidente beer brewery.

Another option, especially on weekends and public holidays, is the Avenida Venezuela over the Ozama River in the eastern part of the city, where the big clubs often organize live concerts of popular bands.

In an evening tour through the city you will notice the many “colmadones”, stores that previously sold only food and drinks have been transformed in recent years into a kind of open air bars.

In addition, several casinos welcome revelers, which are housed in the various hotels in the city

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