Santo Domingo
Travel Guide > Caribbean > Dominican Republic > Santo Domingo
Introduction
Santo Domingo is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. It has a total population of roughly 2.3 million inhabitants in the total metropolitan area and is one of the biggest cities in the Caribbean as well. It is located in the southern part of the country, along the coast of the Caribbean Sea at the mouth of the Ozama river. It is in fact the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the New World, from the end of the 15th century onwards. It is the economic, cultural and political heart of the country and has some fine colonial architecture, museums, cathedrals and other landmarks which deserve a few days' visit.
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
- The colonial district of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Presidential Palace
- Teatro Nacional
- Museo de Arto Moderno (Museum of Modern Art)
- Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts)
- Catedral Santa María La Menor, the first Catholic cathedral in the Americas.
Events and Festivals
Weather
Santo Domingo enjoys a tropical climate, with the usual hot and humid weather year round. Daytime temperatures average 29 °C while nights rarely drop below 21 °C. May to October is just slightly warmer than the November to April period, the latter also being the dry season, making this time the best for a visit. From May onwards rains intensify and hurricanes are possible from August onwards. That said, anytime of year there are some possible refreshing rain showers.
Getting There
By Plane
Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) near Santo Domingo receives a number of international flights to most neighbouring countries and islands, South America, Central America, North America and several direct flights from Europe as well. Destinations include Frankfurt, Toronto, New York, Madrid and Paris.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Ferries del Caribe offers three weekly ferries between Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic and Mayagüez in Puerto Rico. From Santo Domingo they leave on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8pm arriving in Mayagüez at 8am the following morning. From Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, they leave on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm, and arrive in Santo Domingo at 8am the next morning. The journey takes about 12 hours in both directions.
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This is version 6. Last edited at 6:04 on May 15, 08 by GeoBot (+58). 12 articles link to this page.
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