Things To Do in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo -- a treasure-trove of historic, sometimes crumbling buildings -- is undergoing a major government-sponsored restoration. The old town, or Zona Colonial, 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.

Old 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, Sánchez, and Mella, who are all 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 the count (El Conde) 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 de Colón, 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.

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.

You'll see a microcosm of Dominican life as you head east along Calle El Conde from Parque Independencia to Columbus Square (Plaza de Colón), which has a large bronze statue honoring the discoverer (or to be more accurate, the explorer of an already inhabited land). The statue was created in 1882 by a French sculptor.

As impressive as the old town or Zona Colonial is, monuments are not the total allure of Santo Domingo, as you'll soon discover. Following a day of shopping for handicrafts, or perhaps jewelry fashioned from amber or larimar -- a semiprecious ocean-blue gemstone found only in a remote mountain in the southwestern region of the country -- the sound of merengue will lure you to the bars, dance clubs, and casinos of the capital after dark.

If you like views more than you do wandering around dusty relics, head for the Fuerte de Santa Bárbara (Fort of Santa Barbara) standing at the corner of Juan Parra and Avenida Mella. When it was constructed in the 1570s, it was one of Santo Domingo's principal points of defense. As formidable as it was, it fell to Sir Francis Drake -- locals call him "the pirate" -- and his two dozen ships, who took the fort in 1586. Today the place is a complete ruin, but worth a visit for its small garden and little square. The view of Santo Domingo from here is panoramic.

The Monasterio de San Francisco (Monastery of San Francisco) is a mere ruin, but romantically lit at night. It was built between 1512 and 1544. That any part of it is still standing is a miracle; it was destroyed by earthquakes, pillaged by Sir Francis Drake and his men, and bombarded by French artillery. To get here, go along Calle Hostos and across Calle Emiliano Tejere; continue up the hill, and about midway along you'll see the ruins.

Plaza de la Cultura -- Once the personal property of the dictator Trujillo, this modern complex of buildings houses three museums: Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art), Museo del Hombre Dominicano (Museum of the Dominican Man), and Museo Nacional de Historia y Geografía (National Museum of History and Geography). These ultramodern buildings stand in a parklike setting, and you occupy the better part of your day if you choose to visit everything.

The best buys in Santo Domingo are handcrafted native items, especially amber jewelry. Amber, petrified tree resin that has fossilized over millions of years, is the national gem. Look for pieces of amber with objects like insects or spiders trapped inside. Colors range from a bright yellow to black, but most of the gems are golden in hue. Fine-quality amber jewelry, along with lots of plastic fakes, is sold throughout the country.

A semiprecious stone of light blue (sometimes a dark-blue color), larimar is the Dominican turquoise. It often makes striking jewelry, and is sometimes mounted with wild boar's teeth.

Ever since the Dominicans presented John F. Kennedy with what became his favorite rocker, visitors have wanted to take home a rocking chair. These rockers are often sold unassembled, for easy shipping. Other good buys include Dominican rum, hand-knit articles, macramé, ceramics, and crafts in native mahogany.

You Call That a Bargain? -- Always haggle over the price of handicrafts in the Dominican Republic, particularly in the open-air markets. No stall-keeper expects you to pay the first price asked. Remember the Spanish words for too expensive: muy caro (pronounced mwee cah-row).

Best Shopping Areas

The street with the densest population of useful shops is El Conde, which is known to consumers throughout the capital as a venue that's loaded with middle-bracket, workaday stores selling basic necessities (food, clothing, cleaning supplies), electronic goods, CDs, and luxury items within a street that's peppered with fast-food joints, cafes, and bars, even an outlet for Baskin-Robbins. In the colonial section, La Atarazana is more geared for foreign visitors who aren't necessarily maintaining a private home or apartment within the capital, and have no interest in buying soaps, consumer goods, or groceries. La Atarazana has a higher concentration than El Conde of art galleries and gift and jewelry stores. Duty-free shops are found within the airport, and in the capital at the Centro de los Héroes.

Head first for the National Market, El Mercado Modelo, Avenida Mella, filled with stall after stall (about 100 independent vendors) selling crafts, spices, and produce. The market lies in a battered two-story structure near Calle Santomé, just north of the Colonial Zone, and is open daily from 9am to 6pm. The merchants will be most eager to sell, and you can easily get lost in the crush. Remember to bargain. You'll see a lot of tortoiseshell work here, but exercise caution, since many species, especially the hawksbill turtle, are on the endangered-species list and could be impounded by U.S. Customs if discovered in your luggage. Also for sale here are rockers, mahogany, sandals, baskets, hats, and clay braziers for grilling fish. That's not all. Expect to find everything from musical instruments to love potions, even voodoo objects. Warning: Pickpockets, regrettably, are rampant.

Don't overlook the upmarket hotels as shopping venues. In Santo Domingo some of the best shops, at least the highest-quality merchandise, are sold in hotel corridors and arcades. In Santo Domingo, the best shops are found at the Hilton Santo Domingo, Meliá Santo Domingo, Centenario InterContinental, and the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel & Casino.

Paintings & Sculpture

As you're going from gallery to gallery, you might keep an eye out for the works of any of the following artists. Although there are many rising artists, a few have achieved international recognition, including Guillo Pérez (famous for his paintings of oxen), Juan Bautista Gómez ("sensual landscapes"), Adriana Billini Gautreau (known for her remarkable portraits), Luis Desangles (exponent of folkloric art), and Mairano Eckert (depicts workaday Dominican life).

Classical Music & Dance

Teatro Nacional, Plaza de la Cultura (tel. 809/687-3191), is the major cultural venue of the Dominican Republic. The 1,700-seat theater is home to opera, ballet, and symphonic performances. The various presentations are announced in the newspapers, and tickets can be purchased at the box office daily 9:30am to 12:30pm and 3:30 to 6:30pm. Ticket prices vary, depending on the event, but usually range from RD$70 to RD$250.

Dance Clubs

Local young people flock to the dance clubs in droves around midnight. Even the hotel dance clubs cater to locals as well as tourists. Great dancers abound, so go and watch even if you're not as light on your feet as you wish. In most clubs, music varies from live to recorded. The big nights for live music are Friday and Saturday, when most clubs heat up, drawing their largest group of patrons.

Rolling the Dice

Santo Domingo has several major casinos. We view gambling here as a very minor attraction and find the odds that you'll haul away any serious money pretty much against you. Frankly, if gambling is your passion and/or obsession, you'd do better to plan a holiday in Puerto Rico, where casinos are bigger, splashier, and somehow, filled with a greater sense of optimism.

One of the casinos that's cited as big, fun, and splashy enough to keep a semi-addicted gambler entertained is within the Hispaniola Hotel, Avenida Independencia (tel. 809/535-9292), which is open daily noon to 5am, and which, frankly, is a lot more appealing and a lot better maintained than the hotel that contains it. It's also the site of occasional live concerts by famous bands, where no one objects if you end up dancing in the aisles.