Tourist Attractions & Monuments Dominican Republic

It is accessible by car via a tarred road (follow the signs, 7 km outside the village) and visited by the whole lot of travel agencies and resorts in the area, and even by a few crooks attracted by the tourist windfall (be careful!). As you can see, with its miles of sand and its transparent water, it is far too beautiful to have it all to yourself. At the end, a small river allows a refreshing swim. And then, take a break in the local restaurants offering seafood and lobsters!

Long before being transformed into a museum, these two imposing palaces were the seat of the main royal institutions. They housed the General Captaincy (the first Court of Justice in the New World with authority over all the courts of America) as well as the Royal Treasury and the Royal Audience, which was created in 1513 before being transferred to Cuba on 12 December 1799, after the signing of the Treaty of Basle that ceded the western part of the island to France. The construction of the complex was completed in 1520, and on the southern façade facing Mercedes Street was the only known coat of arms of Queen Joanna of Castile, mother of Charles V. The coat of arms is now on display in the museum. The complex was restored in 1967. The entrance is through the main façade of the building. It is decorated with the coats of arms of Emperor Charles I of Spain, those of the island of Hispaniola and that of the city of Santo Domingo, granted by royal privilege on 7 December 1508.

The museum exhibits treasures found in Dominican waters and traces the history from the beginning of the Conquest to 1821, the date of the first independence. All the Spanish period of the island is shown in the form of objects, maps, weapons... An interesting curiosity is the magnificent apothecary's cabinet, where the ceramic pots for the different medicinal herbs are displayed in a rigorous alignment. Temporary exhibitions are held here regularly. The whole place is well worth a visit.

From mid-January to mid-March, join whale expert Kim Beddall on board the Pura Mia, a two-deck boat that can accommodate up to 65 passengers. For 4 hours, the boat cruises the bay in search of marine mammals. Kim has been commenting on the encounters in several languages for over 30 years with the help of translators. There is also a full day formula with a stop at Cayo Levantado. Kim wishes to demonstrate that responsible whale watching is a viable economic alternative to whaling.

This huge open-air cave, which is reached by a 350-step stone stairway, is filled with stalactites, stalagmites and bats. There are also three ponds (hence the name), the first, El Ojo de Azufre, filled with sulphurous water, the second, El Ojo de las Damas, with salt water, and the third, El Ojo de la Cañuela, with fresh water. The works of development of the site were carried out by order of Trujillo. A ferryman will take you to the last of the ponds by means of a makeshift ferry, for the modest sum of 25 pesos.

A cable car, inaugurated in 1975, makes it easy to climb this high hill - the Loma Isabel de Torres, a national park - which stands like a sentinel above Puerto Plata. Trujillo decided to build a fortress here because of its height (the hill rises to just under 900 metres above sea level) and the panoramic views it affords. By posting sentries here, the town was protected, or at least able to retaliate if attacked from the sea. In fact, although the summit (where you'll find a cafeteria) is often trapped in the clouds, today the mirador has become a tourist attraction in its own right: the panorama over the city and the entire bay is breathtaking! The statue of Christ the Redeemer, more modest than its counterpart on the Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, sits enthroned above the dome of this fortress, watching over the city. The other attraction of Loma Isabel de Torres is its botanical garden. Engineer Benjamín Paewonsky is responsible for this complete creation, which dates back to 1973. You can follow paths lined with no fewer than 600 local plant species (594 trees and flowers to be exact), while discovering the reconstruction of a traditional Taino habitat. A recommended visit, and a great way to cool down when the heat in the heart of the city becomes stifling.

After walking along narrow paths through the rainforest, crossing several rivers (be sure to take a dip!), climbing many steep inclines, you will be rewarded by the discovery of a natural pool into which a 50 m high waterfall flows, surrounded by deep caves. The water is pure and fresh and the panorama sublime. A well-deserved swim, after the efforts of the climb, is divine. You can also rent horses in the ranches located along the road (it climbs!). To leave well shod.

Parque Colón invites you to rest in the shade of its trees. In its center, a bronze and granite statue, sculpted by the Frenchman E. Gilbert and erected in 1887, represents Christopher Columbus in a voluntary and conquering attitude, while the cacica Anacaona writes on its pedestal. Anacaona, reputed to be the most beautiful and talented woman on the island, succeeded her brother, the cacique Bohechio. She witnessed, powerless, the genocide of her tribe committed in 1503 on the orders of the monk Nicolás de Ovando, governor of the island. This episode in Dominican history is known as the "Fury of Jaragua". The park originally represented the center of the colonial city. Today, it is overrun with souvenir vendors, drink stands, shoe shine boys and guides on the lookout for tourists. The commercial and pedestrian artery El Condé begins at Parque Colón.

On the eastern side of the square is the Borgella Palace. On the north side is the Casa del Abogado. On the south side, the old prison of the city, called the "house of the medallions" because the busts of the fathers of the fatherland, in medallions, decorate its facade, served as the seat of the legislative power from 1844. Today it houses the Cathedral Museum. On its right flank stands the residence of the archbishop. The west side includes the Vivaque building, the former town hall of Santo Domingo, a 16th century building restored in 1904-1905 by the architect Osvaldo Báez. Today it is the headquarters of the Workers' Bank.

In its centre stands the statue of Nicolás de Ovando, architect of the city and third governor after Columbus and Bobadilla. The work is by the Spanish sculptor Juan de Vaquero. The founder of Santo Domingo holds in his hands the compass he used for his work, as well as the governor's baton. From this place you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view, especially of the Colón lighthouse. At night, in the discreet charm of its lighting, the square with the Alcazar Colon and all the bars and restaurants takes on a magical dimension.

This immense grey concrete edifice is the capital's most recent and probably least attractive monument. However, its illumination and blessing by the Pope was the highlight of the 1992 celebration of the ^500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the New World. The building stands on a hill in the center of the Mirador del Este park, in the eastern part of the city, on the very spot where it was originally founded in 1496.

The project to build a monument to honor the memory of the great admiral dates back to 1852. Dominican historian Antonio del Monte y Tejeda launched the idea of erecting a colossal edifice on the site of America's first city, La Isabela. The collaboration and financial participation of all the countries of the American continent, as well as that of the European capitals, were obviously required. The initial project envisaged a statue the size of the Colossus of Rhodes, embracing the two American continents between its two arms. In November 1927, the Pan-American Union (now OAS: Organization of American States) decided to launch an international competition for the construction of the lighthouse. Nearly 450 projects were submitted by 1,926 architects of 44 nationalities. The ten best were selected in April 1929 and exhibited at the Palacio de las Artes in Madrid. On October 17, 1931, an international jury, meeting at the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, chose the design by English architect J.-L. Gleave: a gigantic, elongated cross, placed on the ground, symbolizing evangelization and progress. At night, the lighthouse would offer a fairy-tale spectacle: two great blood-red rays forming Columbus's cross would be encircled by the white cross of progress. The cross would be reflected in the sky, as if suspended above the city.

The project was built in reinforced concrete, on the hill where the original city of Santo Domingo stood. Construction began on April 14, 1948, then was interrupted. It was not resumed until 1987. The inauguration finally took place on October 6, 1992. The monument officially cost 135 million pesos, but the Dominicans claim it cost much more.

The Faro a Colón is exactly what was planned: the imposing edifice (310 m long, 44 m wide and 33 m high) houses at its center the remains of Christopher Columbus, in the white marble mausoleum, now guarded by an incessant ballet of sailors.

A museum traces the history of the monument. Another evokes the period of the Conquest and colonization.

The trip through the Gri Gri lagoon takes about an hour. The boat glides slowly through a network of shallow channels in the middle of a dense mangrove forest. The scenery is magical and breathtakingly beautiful. We advise you to make this excursion early in the morning, as this is the time when the birds are present. After the visit to the Swallow Cave, you will swim in the clear waters of Caletón Beach. A pleasant outing alternating between physical effort, admiration and relaxation.

Rather wild and quiet, the beach is really beautiful, but beware of mosquitoes. The access to this paradisiacal and almost deserted area is to be deserved, but the game is worth the candle (we will leave our car about 300 meters before arriving at the beach). The colors are magnificent, between the intense blue of the sea, the golden of the fine sand, the green of the coconut trees which border the beach... There is no restaurant, except for a few young people who sell piña colada. It is better to bring a picnic.

Many commercials have been filmed in this exquisite little bay, bordered by green, transparent waters and shaded by almond trees with abundant foliage. Excursion boats stop here for a swim after touring the Gri Gri lagoon.

It can also be reached by road, 3 km after Río San Juan. It takes about 10 minutes to get there. There, on the sand, a few restaurants, roughly equipped with tables and wooden benches, await the visitor to offer him grilled fish, salads and fruit juices..

Playa Fronton and its neighbor Playa Madame are only accessible by boat or horseback. It takes 25 minutes to reach them through extraordinarily beautiful coastal landscapes. Impressive cliffs fall steeply into the ocean. Coconut trees, almond trees and cactus vegetate the fine sandy beach. Playa Fronton is a beautiful diving site with corals and tropical fish. Don't forget your mask and snorkel (and bring water shoes to protect you from corals and sea urchins!). An excursion not to be missed from Las Galeras.

The vocation of the centre, which is one of the most modern in the Caribbean, is to raise awareness of Dominican art and culture. In addition to the temporary exhibitions, three permanent exhibitions allow you to immerse yourself in the Dominican soul. One should also not forget the gardens and the reproduction of the authentic Jimenez cigar factory...

The tours are very didactic and fun, and all the modern techniques facilitate the approaches. "Signs of Identity" proposes an anthropology exhibition more or less equivalent to that of the Dominican Museum of Man in Santo Domingo, with the presence of testimonies of all the cultures that have forged the Dominican culture; one will see in particular a large collection of objects of the Taíno culture, beautiful pieces recovered from the Spanish galleons that ran aground in Dominican waters, an approach to African origins, religious syncretism and daily life in the 19th century. "Genesis and Trajectory" (second level) is an exhibition of contemporary plastic arts: some of the great masters of Dominican painting are present, including Jaime Colson. The Jiménez family is honored in the exhibition "Footprint and Memory" (second level of the building replica of La Aurora) which traces the path of this real tobacco dynasty from 1903 to 2003 through documents and photos, from the purchase of the first land to the internationalization of its products.

Straight out of a medieval postcard, the Iglesia San Estanislao, in the heart of Altos de Chavón and overlooking the river Chavón, was consecrated in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and is one of the most beautiful churches in the Dominican Republic. Its attractive portico houses a wooden statue of Stanislas, patron saint of Poland, carved in Krakow. An urn containing the saint's ashes was donated by Pope John Paul II to celebrate its inauguration. Church services are held here on Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm.

Phillipe has lived in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years. Knowing the island on the tip of the fingers, it proposes to make it discover it, off the beaten tracks, with its jeep jeep. You can choose your route, or follow its advice, and you will have an overview of the country as few people have the chance to discover it.

Few people know it, even Dominicans, but the country's north coast is home to a colony of manatis . This mammal, measuring 3 to 4 meters and weighing up to 300 kilos, has made its home in an estuary surrounded by mangroves to the east of Punta Rucia. Long hunted by local communities, only 10 remained in 1996. It was then that the authorities decided to protect the area by creating a protected sanctuary dedicated to manatee conservation. One of the results of this project was the opening of the Ciudad Manatí information center in 2013.Here, local guides will tell you all about the manatee and its habitat during a guided tour through the mangroves, where you will be introduced to the different types of manatee. The highlight is the viewpoint from which you can watch the manatee come to the surface to breathe. According to the guides, you have a 90% chance of seeing one! Today, over fifty representatives of the species inhabit these waters. A fine example of successful animal protection and responsible tourism.

Alsoworth a visit: Finca la Protectora. An agricultural and craft farm producing coffee, avocados and cocoa, among other products. It is accessible by quad or 4x4. It is also possible to sleep on site (rather basic). A wonderful discovery of an eco-responsible place in the heart of lush nature.

Cayo Arena, from its original name Cayo Paraíso, is an essential visit of the north coast. Located at 20 min of boat of Punta Rucia, it is a small isolated sand bank in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, protected by a coral barrier. Its size varies according to the tides; it is advisable to go there at low tide, when the island is larger and the beach more beautiful. On the beach, 2 cane roofs are installed to provide some shade. The surrounding water is calm, turquoise and crystal clear, and the sea bed is spectacular. The name of Paraíso has never been so justified! With the help of a mask (usually provided with the transport), you can admire the perpetual ballet of tropical fish in an explosion of colors. The corals are not to be outdone, forming a veritable underwater forest whose diversity amazes. The corals are (for the moment) in a good state of conservation, but the increasing number of visitors does not bode well for the future. During the high season, up to 500 people crowd the island, which is barely larger than a tennis court. Our advice: sleep in Punta Rucia and negotiate to leave early in the morning, so you will have the island and its seabed all to yourself, and the sensation for a few hours of having reached paradise.

The association of fishermen Astrapuca (+1 809 931 8626) offers tours to Cayo Arena (1 000 pesos / person - minimum 3 people). The tour lasts about 2 hours and includes a tour of the mangroves and a snorkeling stop.

This museum opened in 1973 and presents a very complete panorama of Dominican culture, from prehistory to the present day. An important part of the exhibition rooms is devoted to the indigenous populations of the island. A magnificent collection of Taino art is presented: ceramics, urns, trigonoliths and cemis, vomiting spatulas, ceremonial seats(duho). An important section is devoted to the period of the Conquest, as well as to religious syncretism and the carnival.