Things to do in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo,

the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas and the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World. The city’s Colonial Zone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Many people go to resorts in the Dominican Republic but I think every trip to the DR should include a few days in the historic area of the city.  

1. Alcazar de Colon: The home, one of the oldest in the Americas, was built under the direction of Diego Colon, son of Christopher Columbus, in 1510. The beautifully restored building is now a museum with a fascinating collection of European Late Medieval and Renaissance art. Although many of the furniture items are reproductions, they give visitors an idea of what life was like in Colonial Santo Domingo.
2. Museo de las Casas Reales: The building dates back to the sixteenth century and has a comprehensive display of cultural artifacts from the earliest days of the Spanish conquest to the formation of the Dominican Republic. It was home to the treasury, governor’s office, and courts. 
3. History in Motion: Hop on one of the “Chu Chu” trollies for a city tour called “500 years of History in 45 Minutes.” During the tour the narrator provides insight into local history with stories about the people who once lived there. A must-do. There are also horse-drawn carriages available for a private tour.

4. Chocolate Museum: Learn about chocolate from the cacao bean to the chocolate bar.  The museum depicts the process from start to finish.  Plan to participate in one of their workshops and make your own chocolate. If you don’t have time for a workshop you can always buy chocolate items including Cacao Liqueur and chocolate bars.
5. El Conde: Stroll down the eight block pedestrian walkway lined with Art Deco buildings that house a variety of small shops. It extends from Parque Colon to Parque Independencia and is one of the city’s oldest streets. It is the place to buy locally made souvenirs and other “treasures.”
6. Cathedral Primada de America: The first cathedral, consecrated in 1540, was built in the Gothic style. The Cathedral is home to a treasury of art, painting, monuments and tombs of archbishops from the colonial era. It is a favorite place for weddings. There are many other churches in the city.
7. Parque Colon: The park is the hub of all the activity in the historical zone.  It is centered by a statue of Christopher Columbus. Interestingly Columbus’ back is to the Cathedral and he faces the Hard Rock Café  - two faces of the city. Sit on one of the benches to soak in the local ambiance.

8. The Lighthouse: Where is Columbus buried? According to one version his remains are entombed in a newer part of the city in the towering Lighthouse which was built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.  It was built in the shape of a cross and the powerful beam of light is said to be seen in neighboring Puerto Rico.  
9. Los Tres Ojos: While not in the historic district the limestone

cave called The Three Eyes in English is a series of three lakes one of which has a Garden of Eden look and is reached by a unique guide-propelled raft.  The lakes are connected by a series of walkways and steps. 

10. And more: There are a plethora of museums some deal with amber, larimar and rum. Stroll the Calle de Damas, the oldest paved street in the Americas. Take note of the many buildings with traditional balconies. 
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Visit Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo, the capital and largest city in the Dominican

Republic, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas and the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World. The city’s Colonial Zone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Many people go to resorts in the Dominican Republic but I think every trip to the DR should include a few days in the historic area of the city. 

1. Alcazar de Colon: The home, one of the oldest in the Americas, was built under the direction of Diego Colon, son of Christopher Columbus, in 1510. The beautifully restored building is now a museum with a fascinating collection of European Late Medieval and Renaissance art. Although many of the furniture items are reproductions, they give visitors an idea of what life was like in Colonial Santo Domingo.

2. Museo de las Casas Reales: The building dates back to the

sixteenth century and has a comprehensive display of cultural artifacts from the earliest days of the Spanish conquest to the formation of the Dominican Republic. It was home to the treasury, governor’s office, and courts. 

3. History in Motion: Hop on one of the “Chu Chu” trolleys for a city tour called “500 years of History in 45 Minutes.” During the tour the narrator provides insight into local history with stories about the people who once lived there. A must-do. There are also horse-drawn carriages available for a private tour.

4. Chocolate Museum: Learn about chocolate from the cacao

bean to the chocolate bar.  The museum depicts the process from start to finish.  Plan to participate in one of their workshops and make your own chocolate. If you don’t have time for a workshop you can always buy chocolate items including Cacao Liqueur and chocolate bars.

5. El Conde: Stroll down the eight block pedestrian walkway lined with Art Deco buildings that house a variety of small shops. It extends from Parque Colon to Parque Independencia and is one of the city’s oldest streets. It is the place to buy locally made souvenirs and other “treasures.”

6. Cathedral Primada de America: The first cathedral, consecrated in 1540, was built in the Gothic style. The Cathedral is home to a treasury of art, painting, monuments and tombs of archbishops from the colonial era. It is a favorite place for weddings. There are many other churches in the city.

7. Parque Colon: The park is the hub of all the activity in the

historical zone.  It is centered by a statue of Christopher Columbus. Interestingly Columbus’ back is to the Cathedral and he faces the Hard Rock Café  - two faces of the city. Sit on one of the benches to soak in the local ambiance.

8. The Lighthouse: Where is Columbus buried? According to one version his remains are entombed in a newer part of the city in the towering Lighthouse which was built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.  It was built in the shape of a cross and the powerful beam of light is said to be seen in neighboring Puerto Rico.  

9. Los Tres Ojos: While not in the historic district the

limestone cave called The Three Eyes in English is a series of three lakes one of which has a Garden of Eden look and is reached by a unique guide-propelled raft.  The lakes are connected by a series of walkways and steps. 

10. And more: There are a plethora of museums some deal with amber, larimar and rum. Stroll the Calle de Damas, the oldest paved street in the Americas. Take note of the many buildings with traditional balconies. 

Where is Columbus buried?

For years there has been a controversy as to where Christopher

Columbus is buried. It seems Columbus continued to travel after he died! In 1506 he was buried in Valladodid, Spain. When I was in Seville, Spain I went to see his tomb in the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Sede.  It is huge with four full-size elaborately attired figures carrying the casket on their shoulders. Later Columbus was moved from Valladolid to Seville. 

Later, at the request of his daughter-in-law, Columbus and his son, Diego, were transported across the Atlantic to Hispaniola where the remains were interred in the Santo Domingo cathedral. When the French captured Hispaniola in 1795 he was disinterred and taken to Cuba. In 1892, at the close of the Spanish-American War, the remains were sent back across the Atlantic to Seville. 

The issue was muddied even more in when a leaden box containing human remains was discovered in the Santo Domingo cathedral with the inscription “Illustrious and

distinguished male, don Cristobal Colon.  The Spanish did some DNA testing in 2006 that indicated at least some of the remains in Spain belonged to Columbus.  To date there has been no DNA testing of the remains in Santo Domingo. In the Dominican Republic his remains are in the large lighthouse monument built for that purpose. With all the interring and disinterring and moving the remains from one place to another it is possible that both Seville and Santo Domingo have some of his remains. 

Columbus led four voyages to the “New World” but it wasn’t until his fourth voyage that he set foot on the mainland of the Americas. After visiting the Honduran Bay Island they set sail again and for a month endured the storm-tossed sea.  When the mountains of the mainland were finally spotted Columbus thanked God. Today the mountains near the north coast of Honduras are called “Gracias a Dios” (thanks to God). On July 30, 1502 his ships sailed into the large Trujillo Bay. Most of the early voyages included a priest. The first Catholic mass was held in present day Honduras near the present-day town of Trujillo. 

Much is made of Columbus’ voyages and, yes, crossing the

Atlantic in such small ships and not knowing where they were going was certainly adventurous and brave. There were many brave seamen through the years and there is much controversy about what people reached the Americas first.  

The Mormons believe that Lehi arrived about 700 BC. The Irish believe that St. Brennan made landfall in AD 500. Many claim that Leif Erikson, the Icelandic explorer, was the first European to set foot on the mainland of the Americas 500 years before Columbus. In Hong Kong I visited the History Museum where there is a model of one of Zheng He’s ships on display. Next to it is a model of Columbus’ ships.  They would fit on the deck of one of Zheng He’s

ships which were 400 feet long. The Santa Maria was 50 feet long.  Zheng He’s many voyages predate those of Columbus. His voyage in 1405 was comprised of 317 ships and 27,870 men. Some believe that at least one of his seven voyages made it to the Americas. For sure he made it to India and Africa. Most likely there were others; regardless, Columbus is the one who changed the history of the Americas. 

From Bean to Bar in Santo Domingo

John and I have been to several chocolate museums but nothing

compared with our visit to the Chocolate Museum in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic and the first European city in the Americas. The Choco Museum is just steps from Plaza Colon in the heart of the colonial center of the city.  The tour started in a small garden of cocoa plants and then followed the production process. We learned that the cocoa plant is “finicky.” It needs between 60 and 80 inches of rain a year and the temperature should not go below 60 degrees.  The soil should be well-drained and the plant likes to be shaded and protected from the wind by canopy trees so it is only found in the tropics. 

The history of chocolate is fascinating. For 3500 years the people of Mesoamerica used cacao in everyday life and in their rituals as documented in stone, pottery and oral histories. In Maya times, drinking chocolate was one of the privileges of the royalty, nobles, shamans, and warriors. It is thought that the bean was used as ‘money’ so essentially money grew on

trees.  Initially, the Spanish did not like the taste of the chocolate which is very bitter without the addition of sugar. They introduced chocolate to Spain and the rest of Europe and popularized the chocolate drink and with the addition of sugar it became very popular but at first it was available only to the wealthy.   It was called “Food of the Gods.”

The best part of our visit was signing up for their chocolate workshop.  As advertised we participated in the chocolate making process from “bean to bar.” First we roasted the dried cocoa beans then removed the shells. Our guide, Tomas, explained that shucking the beans was considered time to relax and socialize.  Hot water was poured over the shells and allowed to seep for a few minutes. We added a little sugar to create a delicious cacao tea. They sell the shells so people can make their own cacao tea.

Then we ground the nibs and made three types of hot chocolate.

 There was the hot chocolate that we are used to with just milk and sugar whereas the Spanish version included cinnamon, anise, and cloves ground along with the cocoa beans.  My favorite was the Mayan version which included ground chili peppers but no sugar.  It was surprisingly good with a little kick.  While we were making our chocolate beverages the chocolate beans were turned into smooth, creamy chocolate. 

We made our very own bonbons.  First a dab of chocolate was dropped in the tray to which we added something special.  We had a choice of nuts, M&Ms, and dried fruit. Finally it was covered with more chocolate.  Our two-hour workshop was nearly over.  But, since our chocolate bonbons needed to harden, Tomas suggested we walk around the colonial center and return to pick them up. 


We decided to see “500 Years of History in 45 Minutes” so we hopped on the Chu Chu trolley tour. The train-like trolley was located next to the Parque Colon just a short walk from the museum. The tour took us past all the main attractions in Santo Domingo and, luckily, the tour was in English.  When our sightseeing tour finished we wandered back to the Choco Museum and picked up our chocolates. 

Visiting Santo Domingo - first permanent European settlement in the Americas

Sometimes we are very lucky when we book a hotel and that was the case with our hotel in Santo Domingo.  The Hotel Atarazana is a boutique hotel that was once a private home but the best part was its location in the colonial center of 
Santa Domingo so it was a short walk to all the places we wanted to visit. Also, the owners, Susanne and her husband, along with the entire staff were very helpful.  Susanne was especially helpful in hooking us up with a private driver, Jesus, who was able to connect us smoothly from our resort to the hotel and to the airport.

I think it is amazing to walk the same streets walked by Christopher Columbus.  We say that Columbus “discovered America” but, of course, there were people living in the “New World” before the Europeans arrived and Columbus never made it to what is now the United States. Regardless, his voyages changed the world. 

We took the train-like trolley tour of the colonial center.  They

advertise 500 years of history in 45 minutes.  It was a good overview and told the complicated story about Columbus’ current burial site which they claim today is in a huge building called The Lighthouse.  Jokers like to say Columbus did most of his traveling after he died. There is a statue honoring Columbus in the Parque Colon that faces the Hard Rock Café – 500 years of history! There are also several restaurants with patio dining making it a great people-watching area.  Yes, there were vendors but they were not annoying.  Mostly they were selling paintings – too big to pack in a suitcase.  What were they thinking?

We toured the home of Diego, Columbus’ son, who was Viceroy to the Indies and the Museo de las Casa Reales, which originally housed the royal court and other administrative offices. The bottom floor is mainly a museum devoted to the founding and development of the Dominican Republic.

There is a great chocolate museum where visitors can learn about

chocolate and its relationship to the Dominican Republic. There are several shops (some try to call themselves museums) that feature amber, lamier (a turquoise-like stone) and cigars. The main street through the colonial center called El Conde is closed to vehicular traffic so it is a great place to just wander and window shop. 

One day we hired a taxi to take us to Los Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes in English). It is a large limestone cave with three little lakes in Mirador del Este Park. Luckily our driver told us that hiring a guide was not necessary. There really was nothing to explain we understand stalagmites and stalactites.  There were a lot of steps so we could mosey along at our own pace.  At one spot there was a raft-like boat to take us to another lake.  It was a cenote or sinkhole. It was like a paradise with sun shining and the area draped in greenery. 

In the late afternoon we would stop at one of the restaurants on the El Conte and order take out.  Back at Atarazana we would take our food to the roof where there were café tables and chairs and huge lounges.  We could see Diago’s house and the Lighthouse across the river. It was the perfect place to relax, cool off, and watch the sun set. 

Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach in the Dominican Republic is a great getaway

It had been years since we stayed at an all-inclusive resort and we had forgotten what a stress free vacation it can be. We recently spent a week at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach near La Romana in the Dominican Republic. We picked it because it was near the Santo Domingo airport. United Airlines had a reasonable airfare to the Dominican Republic so we decided on a two-country getaway: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Because we booked everything independently we had to provide our own transportation to the resort so we hired Jesus Humberto Minevino Villegas to transport us. He was recommended by the owners of a hotel we had booked in Santo Domingo. 

At the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach we had a cabana facing the pool and beach.  The resort is comprised of two-unit stone cabanas each with a porch.  It was perfect – not necessarily fancy.  The resort is three-stars but as another guest said, “I’d give it another half star.” And, I would agree.   One of the nice things about an all-inclusive resort is everyone can do what they want.  There were a lot of activities including beach volleyball, dance lessons, water games, yoga classes and other activities posted on the event board by the pool. We basically enjoyed the pool but near our cabana there was a trapeze that offered classes in the morning for the youngsters and later in the day for adults. We were impressed with how well

everyone did with the help of the staff.  So, John had to try it.   The staff gave him a mini lesson on the low bar.  Basically they instructed John on how to get his legs over the bar so he could hang by his legs.  And, much to the amazement of the watchers, who were much younger, he climbed the ladder, took off through the air, and was hanging by his legs on the second try. However, he admitted it was more difficult than it looked and he nearly got blisters from hanging on.  

The majority of the guests were from Europe and South America which we liked.  My feeling is if people only want to meet Americans then they might as well stay in America.  Most of the guests took day trips to a nearby island but also there were snorkeling and diving options.  The evening shows were fun. I personally preferred the one that featured Dominican dances.  Dining at the resort was buffet style but, as is true of most resorts, they have fine dining by reservation. Check on the reservation policy when checking in. 

Some thoughts on deciding which all-inclusive resort to book.  Pick

the best deal. Basically a beach is a beach.  I think most people staying at an all-inclusive are not cognizant of what country they are in. Consider a three- or four-star resort keeping in mind that the chances of booking a five-star resort for three-star prices are slim to none. The savings can be significant and the stay can be just as enjoyable.  Off-season or low season usually means a lower price.  We stayed at the Wyndham in early November and even though the weather channel indicated clouds and rain every day while we were there it only rained a couple of times and then only for a short period of time.  The rest of the time it was sunny. So much for the veracity of the weather channel.