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Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
An important landmark because it is the first cathedral of the Americas. Construction began in 1514, and was finished in 1540.
The Cathedral of the Americas, Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Cathedral Basilica of Santa María la Menor or Minor Basilica of Santa María de la Encarnación, officially known as the Minor Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Incarnation or Annunciation, in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It is the oldest existing cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1504 and was completed in 1550, and the second constructed after the Garðar Cathedral in Greenland. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Santo Domingo who has the honorary title of Primate of the Indies because this cathedral was the first diocese and the oldest cathedral established in the New World in the post-Columbus era.
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Parque Colón
This park is most popular among locals and visitors alike. It is a beautiful plaza which surrounds a monument of Columbus to which the park is named after. It is visited by people who would like to relax, families who come to enjoy the park with the kids and couples who enjoy the scenery and its wonderful restaurants. Because the park is very popular you will find plenty of vendors selling CDs of local music, hand made trinkets, rosaries and food. You will also find many tour guides hanging around ready to give anyone who wishes a guided tour of the cathedral and the colonial zone at a price. Taxis ready to take you anywhere will also be hanging around the park. A typical taxi fare within the city will rarely exceed RD$200, as of January 2012.
If you want to try making chocolate or bar soap, this is a place for that, in addition to tours of a confectionary and buying sweet stuff.
Ozama Fortress
The oldest formal military construction still standing in the Americas. Cost of entrance is RD$200 per person and about RD$200 for a guide to take you. The guide is recommended because he will explain much of the historical background. The fortress itself is not very large, but within the perimeter you will find a large open area with a park and an exhibition of military vehicles and weapons, most of them relatively modern.
Museo de las Casas Reales
Another great museum featuring collections depicting life in 16th-century Santo Domingo. It is walking distance from the Alcazar de Colon and the Naval Museum. In September 2025, under renovation
Museo Memorial de la Resistencia Dominicana (Memorial Museum of the Dominican Resistance) presents an ample presentation of 20th-century history of the country, and the ordeals endured under the Trujillo regime.
Might be kind of cheesy, but it's almost like a living history museum of the DR's past. A collection of artifacts and writings regarding the Dominican Republic's founding father, Juan Pablo Duarte.