Quick Facts

Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and one of the Caribbean's oldest cities. Its walled, cobblestoned historic core, the Zona Colonial, has buildings that date to the 1500s, including the cathedral, which was the first built in the New World. On the cafe-lined Plaza de Espana is the Alcázar de Colón palace. It's now one of the city's many museums, displaying notable medieval and Renaissance art.