If you love history, then you have to go to this beautiful city. One can spend days wandering through the streets and learning about the history of this amazing place. This is a true walker’s paradise, with many attractions and sites to explore.
Brief History of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and the “First City of America” and being the site of the first university, first cathedral, first castle, first monastery and first fortress in the “new world”. According to Wikipedia, Santo Domingo was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the “New World” and was established in 1496. La Zona Colonial refers to the old, original, colonial part of Santo Domingo. See Wikipedia for a full history of La Zona.
Ariel view, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo
Getting to Santo Domingo
Prior to going to Santo Domingo, it is advisable that you learn Spanish or go with someone who can speak the language. If you are learning Spanish, or polishing your Spanish to improve it, this is a great immersive experience to really level up your language abilities as there are few people who speak English in the city, which again, is great for those who want an immersive language experience. Dominicans are outgoing, super-friendly people and you are sure to have many wonderful conversations on your trip as you explore the beautiful city.
Getting to Santo Domingo from the United States is easy, Santo Domingo has an airport called, Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas and it is about 29km to the slight south and east of the Zona Colonial. The best way to get back and forth to and from the airport is by taxi, Ubers are not allowed near the airport. It is best to arrange for a taxi to meet you at the airport ahead of time through the hotel you are staying at, but there is a taxi stand at the entrance of the airport as well.
When taking a taxi from the airport, be sure to either use the transport provided by your hotel if your hotel has this service or take an official taxi from the taxi stand. Always verify that the taxi or transport is official. If your hotel is providing transport, they may give you the name and WhatsApp phone number for the taxista so that you can communicate with that person directly, which, becomes important at the airport because the area outside of the airport is chaotic and finding your driver can be a challenge.
Taxi drivers many times take American dollars for payment but be sure to have some Dominican Pesos to pay with if the driver prefers. You can exchange American Dollars for pesos Dominicanos at the airport. The ride from the airport to la Zona Colonial is about 30 minutes and costs about $40 dollars each way, though prices can vary.
If you happen to fly from Miami to Santo Domingo, get a window seat and fly during the day. The water is beautiful all of the way there and you can get some amazing aerial photographs of many of the islands.
Aeriel View, Mangrove Cay Bahamas-Return portion of flight.
Hotels in La Zona Colonial
There are many hotels in La Zona Colonial within walking distance of attractions and restaurants. A good one is Gran Hotel Europa. It has a beautiful rooftop terrace that overlooks the river, the city and with views of Faro a Colón in the distance. You can easily book hotels in La Zona Colonial on apps such as Expedia. Note; your hotel may not have hot water, and, if you are the type that likes to use wash cloths when you shower, bring your own as your hotel may not provide them.
Rooftop terrace, Gran Hotel Europa
Sites and Points of Interest in La Zona Colonial
La Zona Colonial is a true walker’s paradise. There are so many sites to see around the historic area that one can easily have a full itinerary every day. Note that there is a large-scale restoration project in La Zona Colonial, so you may not be able to go into some locations. Wikipedia has a great list of all of the places to see in the city, the Dominican government has an official tourism site that is also informative.
Prior to traveling, it is useful to go on Google Maps and save each location you woud like to visit, that way you can have a full itinerary planned. A good strategy is to visit saved locations that are near to each other each day, that way, you can visit the maximum amount of places.
Some of many of the key points of interest in La Zona are:
Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, Museo de la Catedral, Alcázar de Colón, Christopher Columbus last house (Última Residencia de Cristóbal Colón), Fortaleza Ozama.
Christopher Columbus last house (Última Residencia de Cristóbal Colón)
Items to Note for La Zona
Beware of anyone who randomly comes up to you and starts talking to you and starts explaining to you the history of a building you are in, or pointing out sites to you; these individuals will expect a tip for them telling you about the city, even if you did not solicit this information from them. For example, you may be in a building just walking around looking at different items and someone comes up to you and starts giving you all of this historical information about the site. You would probably assume that the person is an employee of the site, but that may not be the case.
La Zona Colonial is a safe place for women to walk alone, just be sure to stay inside of the borders of La Zona and do not wander off alone outside of the central areas. There is a strong police presence in this area, and it is generally a safe, clean place to visit.
You may have many random people walk up to you and try to sell you various items; tours, craft goods, etc. which can be alarming or annoying. You can politely tell the person no thank you but be prepared for many such encounters.
Tipping; there is a propina legal along with local taxes that is usually added to all bills at restaurants and bars which is shared among staff. Of course you can add additional tips at your discretion.
Sources
Wikipedia, “Santo Domingo” (last edited 20:08, 18 January 2026), Santo Domingo
Wikipedia, “Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)” (last edited 03:50, 28 November 2025), Ciudad_Colonial_(Santo_Domingo)
godominicanrepublic.com, (n.d.), Santo-domingo