9 Best Sights in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The castle of Don Diego Colón, built in 1517, was the home to generations of the Christopher Columbus family. The Renaissance-style structure, with its balustrade and double row of arches, has strong Moorish, Gothic, and Isabelline influences. The 22 rooms are furnished in a style to which the viceroy of the island would have been accustomed—right down to the dishes and the vice regal shaving mug. The mansion's 40-inch-thick coral-limestone walls make air-conditioning impossible. Bilingual guides are on hand for tours peppered with fascinating anecdotes, like weddings once-upon-a time. Audio tours (about 25 minutes) are available in English.

The castle of Don Diego Colón, built in 1517, was the home to generations of the Christopher Columbus family. The Renaissance-style structure, with its balustrade and double row of arches, has strong Moorish, Gothic, and Isabelline influences. The 22 rooms are furnished in a style to which the viceroy of the island would have been accustomed—right down to the dishes and the viceregal shaving mug. The mansion's 40-inch-thick coral-limestone walls make air-conditioning impossible. Bilingual guides are on hand for tours peppered with fascinating anecdotes, like once-upon-a-time weddings. Audio tours (about 25 minutes) are available in English.

This combination church and fortress, the only one of its kind in Santo Domingo, was completed in 1562. It is a fine example of colonial Spanish architecture, and not as touristic as the cathedrals. Mass is held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 7, and on Sunday mornings from 8 to 9 and 10 to 11. The site is open every day but the church is open to the public only on days mass is held.

Founded in 1510, this graceful building is still a Dominican church and convent. Note the prominent and beautiful rose window. In 1538, Pope Paul III visited here and was so impressed with the lectures on theology that he granted the church and convent the title of university, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the New World.

Constructed between 1512 and 1544, the St. Francis Monastery contained the Franciscan order's church, convent, and hospital. Sir Francis Drake's demolition squad significantly damaged the building in 1586, and in 1673 an earthquake nearly finished the job. Still, when it's floodlit at night, the eerie ruins are dramatic indeed. There's live music every Sunday night from 6 to 10 pm. The scene is like an old-fashioned block party. Zone residents mingle with expats and tourists, who snap pictures of the octogenarians dancing merengue and bachata. Others who come are content to just sit in white plastic chairs, swaying and clapping. It's nice.

The neoclassical facade of the National Pantheon towers over Calle Las Damas, and its interior is just as impressive. Guarded daily by a presidential honor guard, this former 18th-century Jesuit church became the country’s national mausoleum in 1956. It houses the remains of Dominican heroes, such as Gregorio Luperón, Salomé Ureña, José Núñez de Cáceres, Concepción Bona, Emilio Prud’Homme, Juan Sánchez Ramírez, and María Trinidad Sánchez, among others. Explore its striking baroque interior, with a ceiling mural depicting the ascension to heaven and the Last Judgment and an eternal flame burning beneath it.

The huge statue of Christopher Columbus in the park named after him dates from 1897 and is the work of sculptor Ernesto Gilbert. At the far end, the Catedral Primada de América is a landmark and most worthy of a visit. Like all the parks in the Zona Colonial, this one is quite a social gathering place, as is the sidewalk café across from it.

Calle Las Damas dead-ends as it goes in the direction of the Malecón. Few people ever make it past the junction of Calle Padre Bellini, thinking there's nothing to see. If you keep walking past the convent (you may hear the nuns singing in the chapel), just keep going until the street actually stops; make a right turn, and you'll find yourself in this delightful little park. Known almost solely to residents of the Zone, the Plaza de Castro was not named after the Cuban leader but rather a Dominican poet, Arturo Bautista Pellerano Castro. It's an enchanting green space, peaceful, and usually free of litter.

This wide esplanade, which goes past the Casas de Reales in front of Don Diego Columbus's former palace, Alcázar de Colón, is the area in the Zona Colonial where national holidays are celebrated. It's bordered by what once were the ramparts of the original walled city. People enjoy the views of the Ozama River from here and watch the cruise-ship activity below at the terminal. Lovers stroll by night, sharing a kiss under the gas lamps. When many people talk about the Plaza de España, they often refer to the half-dozen restaurants in a row, which are on the upper level of these 16th- and 17th-century warehouses. The popular tables are on their outdoor decks. On certain weekends, cultural performances are held on a stage across from the Plaza.

Make dinner reservations on those nights and you'll have a special Santo Domingo experience.