Attractions

Prieto Tours, Av. Francia 125 (tel. 809/685-0102), one of the capital's leading tour operators, offers a 3-hour tour of the Colonial Zone, leaving most mornings at 9am and again at 3pm if there's sufficient demand; it costs US$25 (£13). A 6-hour tour visits the Colonial Zone, the Columbus Lighthouse, the Aquarium, and the city's modern neighborhoods; the US$35 (£18) fee includes lunch and entrance to several well-known museums and monuments. About an hour of the tour is devoted to shopping.

The Relics of Columbus & the Colonial Era

Santo Domingo -- a treasure trove of historic, sometimes crumbling, buildings -- is undergoing a major government-sponsored restoration. The old town is still partially enclosed by remnants of its original city wall. The narrow streets, old stone buildings, and forts are like nothing else in the Caribbean, except perhaps Old San Juan. The only thing missing is the clank of the conquistadors' armor.

Ancient and modern Santo Domingo meet at the Parque Independencia, a big city square whose most prominent feature is its Altar de la Patria -- a national pantheon dedicated to the nation's heroes, Duarte, Sanchez, and Mella, who are buried here. These men led the country's fight for freedom from Haiti in 1844. As in provincial Spanish cities, the square is a popular family gathering place on Sunday afternoon. At the entrance to the plaza is El Conde Gate, named for El Conde (the count) de Penalva, the governor who resisted the forces of Admiral Penn, the leader of a British invasion. It was also the site of the March for Independence in 1844, and holds a special place in the hearts of Dominicans.

In the shadow of the Alcázar, La Atarazana is a fully restored section of one of the New World's finest arsenals. It extends for a city block, holding within it a catacomb of shops, art galleries, boutiques, and some good regional and international restaurants.

Just behind river moorings is the oldest street in the New World, Calle Las Damas (Street of the Ladies), named not because it was the red-light district, but for the elegant ladies of the viceregal court who used to promenade here in the evening. It's lined with colonial buildings.

Just north is the chapel of Our Lady of Remedies, where the first inhabitants of the city attended Mass before the cathedral was erected.

Try to see the Puerta de la Misericordia (Calle Palo Hincado just north of Calle Arzobispo Portes). Part of the original city wall, this "Gate of Mercy" was once a refuge for colonists fleeing hurricanes and earthquakes.

The Monastery of San Francisco is a mere ruin, lit at night. That any part of it is still standing is a miracle; it was hit by earthquakes, pillaged by Drake, and bombarded by French artillery. To get here, go along Calle Hostos and across Calle Emiliano Tejera; continue up the hill, and about midway along you'll see the ruins.

You'll see a microcosm of Dominican life as you head east along Calle El Conde from Parque Independencia to Plaza de Colón (Columbus Square), which has a large bronze statue honoring the discoverer, made in 1882 by a French sculptor, and the Catedral de Santa Maria la Menor .