Exploring a new city is always fun whether you do it alone or with friends and family. Santo Domingo is a fun and vibrant city with so much to offer you can’t possibly see it all in one weekend.
Santo Domingo has so much to offer and today we are going to take a look at some of the best attractions you can experience while you are in the capital of the Dominican Republic. Before we get started I want to let you know something pretty cool about Santo Domingo and that it is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas! Santo Domingo is also the site of the first university, castle, monastery, fortress, and cathedral in the New World.
One of the newest and fun attractions in Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone is The Colonial Gate 4D Theater. You can see some great 4D short films (roughly 15-20 minutes) that are entertaining no matter what age you are, everything ranging from pirates, to dinosaurs, aliens, sports and history. My favorite happens to be the short film on the history of how Santo Domingo. One great feature is that you can watch the films in multiple languages, so if you don’t understand Spanish well, you can pick between English, French, Portuguese and other languages! The Colonial Gate 4D Cinema is rated ‘#1 of 19 Fun & Games in Santo Domingo on trip Advisor so we highly recommend it.
If you want to take two-wheeled approach to your tour of the Colonial Zone you can always rent a bike from Zona Bici. Zona Bici is highly rated and provides a great experiences if you would like to traverse the Colonial Zone in a different way. You will be able to bike from plaza to plaza with ease and speed and can even stop along the way in some of the different gardens such as Parque Billini or Parque Colon and have a beer a relax. We suggest visiting Alcazar de Colon which is the house of Christopher Columbus oldest son and is the oldest house in the Americas. It’s a great way to see how some people lived when Santo Domingo was first settled.
The Colonial Zone has around 300 different historical sites to see and we have included a list of some of them for you. You will never be bored in Colonial Zone!
Fort Ozama
Another attraction you should see is the Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor. It is the oldest cathedral in the Americas. Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria is extremely beautiful and a major attraction in Colonial Zone. You will not be disappointed, trust me!
The Dominican Republic is known for many things and producing some of the best cigars is one of them. If you happen to be a cigar aficionado I would suggest visiting the Caoba Cigar Factory in the Colonial Zone, it’s right across from the Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor.
Lastly I would love to recommend the Kahkow Experience! It’s a unique experience where you can see how REAL chocolate is made here in the Dominican Republic and you can try making it yourself! It’s a fun way to spend a couple hours learning how chocolate is made, designing your own chocolate bar and enjoying it when you are finished along with trying other authentic chocolate foods!
We never suggest buying tours over the internet because the price is so inflated. We have found that local tour guides can provide great experiences for a much lower cost. If you have any questions about taking a tour in the Colonial Zone drop us a note and we can help you out.
0 Comments