Santo Domingo Facts

Founded in 1498 by Bartholomew Columbus (Christopher Columbus´ brother), Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital, has the distinction of being the oldest colonial city in the Americas. In the present days, this city, located on the southern coast of the island, bordering the Caribbean Sea, has a population that surpasses 3 million people (about 37 percent of the total population of the country) and a land area of approximately 230 square kilometers. The Río Ozama traverses Santo Domingo from north to south, dividing it into two major areas: the eastern and the western; the eastern portion being the most prosperous and modern of the two.

Colonial Zone

The city is divided in more than 600...

...) on the southeastern Caribbean coast in 1496. It's the oldest city in the New World and the capital of the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo has had a long, sometimes glorious, more often sad, history. At the peak of its power, Diego de Velázquez sailed from here to settle Cuba, Ponce de León went forth to conquer Puerto Rico and Florida, and Cortés set out for Mexico. The city today still reflects its long history -- French, Haitian, and especially Spanish.

Santo Domingo is one of the Caribbean's most vibrant cities, with a 12-block Colonial Zone to rival that of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Come here to walk in the footsteps of Cortés, Ponce de León, and, of course, Columbus himself. Allow...