how
To Get There
The Aeropuerto Internacional de las Américas is a 35-minute taxi ride from Santo Domingo that costs around $25. Visitors must buy a $10 tourist card and pay a $10 departure tax.
where
To Stay
Hotel Santo Domingo is a unique hotel located along the picturesque “Malecón” in the heart of the oldest city in the Americas. Majestic archways, fine decor and impeccable service attract discriminating global travelers.
Sofitel Francés (Calle Las Mercedes, Arzobispo Merino, Zona Colonial, Tel: 809-685-9331) housed in a 16th-century colonial mansion offers a more intimate atmosphere. In July, Sofitel Nicolás de Ovando opens its newest hotel in Santo Domingo.
To Eat
The classy Peperoni (Plaza Universitaria Mall, Sarasota, #25, La Julia, Tel: 809-508-1330) offers excellent food and is a popular meeting place for discriminating Dominicans. La Briciola (152A Arzobispo Meriño Street, Tel: (809) 688-5055) serves Italian fare and Scherezade (Av. Roberto Pastoriza 226, Naco, Tel: 809-227-2323) has an exotic Moorish décor and a Middle Eastern menu. Crowds congregate at the hip Caribbean Blue (North of El Conde 682, Tel: 682-1238) by the eclectic menu cooked in the original 16th century wood-burning stove.
To Drink
We recommend Chez Duke for its pleasant living-room atmosphere
To Unwind
Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial features many historic buildings and museums among which are the 16th century Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, the palace of Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus and a viceroy of the island, and the churches of San Nicolás and San Francisco.
what
To Buy
Dominican amber is considered the best in the world for its perfect specimens of insects and plants that were trapped millions of years ago. The amber is also used to create jewelry. Larimer, a stone found exclusively on this island, is also used to create Dominican jewelry.