Visiting Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is one of the oldest cities in the New World founded by Europeans, in this case the younger brother of Christopher Columubus! Santo Domingo was founded by Bartholomew Columbus in 1498, and is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo is a country I haven’t properly visited, but one I’ll be sure to return to, especially because of its easy access from the United States. This first photo shows the national palace in the heart of the city, as well as a small humming bird I saw on the palace grounds.

It goes without saying that this city is filled with someone of the most impressive historic structures from the newly arrived Europeans. One of the most famous is the Alcazar de Colon, the house of the Christopher Columbus’ first born son. Diego Columbus, moved to Alcazar de Colon in 1509 in order to govern the colony. This building saw lots of impressive history, from the first home of a viceroy in the Americas, to expedition planning, and even a successful attack by the famous English pirate, Sir Francis Drake.

You might almost feel overwhelmed by all the things to do in Santo Domingo. Like always, my favorite thing is just to get out and go, and start exploring the city. This photo above was taken in Santo Domingo’s Flag Square, where you can find the Independence Memorial photographed above. The Dominican Republic became an independent nation from Spain in 1821. Below is the old city wall surrounding Flag Square, with the Dominican Flag above the gate.

I stayed in Santo Domingo for a few days, and usually walked everywhere I went. One of the days I passed by the police department which had some large ceremony that was taking place. The media was present while myself and some locals gathered outside the gate and watching, so I got the idea it wasn’t a normal occurrence. In another neighborhood I passed by I took this shot below of some kids playing a game of basketball.

The photo above shows the central plaza, otherwise known as Columbus Park. It’s a pretty lively area, full of some vendors, tourists, and even a large flight of pigeons. Of course there’s a large statue here of Christopher Columbus, but the photograph I took wasn’t worth posting!

Also in Columbus Park is one of the most famous churches in the Dominican Republic, the Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor. This is actually the oldest church in the New World, and it had the honor of being commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1504. The church began construction in 1512 and then was finished nearly 30 years later in 1540.

While there’s an infinite about to do in Santo Domingo, I really just scratched the surface. Aside from the historical places, until I return all I can really add is that this is a really beautiful city. The most popular place to visit is the historic downtown, or colonial zone as its called by locals.

You’ll find lots of colonial architecture, great restaurants, and tons of people here. This photo above shows a side street, with some impressive architecture. The photo below is of a restaurant that looked a little too fancy for to me dine at alone.

My last two photos are also from the colonial zone. Although Haiti to the west of Dominican Republic is a world apart in terms of culture and infrastructure, I found it interesting that both countries sold similar artwork on the street. Another photo below was once I couldn’t resist taking, some locals playing chest in the middle of the street!sn