Colonial Zone and Malecón
The recently refurbishedcolonial zone is the tourist district par excellence. The cobbled streets, colonial-style buildings and squares shaded by majestic trees give the impression of a journey back in time. The well-preserved colonial architecture tells the complex story of this legendary city. However, the Zona Colonial is more than just a tourist attraction, and the historic part is no amusement park: it's also a place to live. The colmados in the Zona Colonial are always full in the evenings, and everyone comes to drink a beer, a rum or a coffee. There's also live music, dancing and socializing. On the Plaza Colombo, you'll come across overpriced cabs and unofficial guides, but at the Cafetera in the Condé, you'll still meet Dominican intellectuals who've come to chat or simply enjoy a cup of home-made coffee... The colonial zone, an open-air museum, is home to many convivial places to live, and it's here that you'll find the vast majority of hotels and restaurants.
The south-west of Santo Domingo is rather rich. Here you'll find the headquarters of some of the world's leading companies, ministries and universities, as well as major hotels and casinos. The Malécon, which on maps corresponds to George Washington Avenue, runs west along the entire waterfront. In the evenings, the hustle and bustle of children, laughter, traditional music and béisbol broadcasts set the pace for life with friends, lovers or family. Here, you can stroll, eat, play and enjoy the fresh air, with the sound of the waves in the background. The Mirador del Sur park also offers shade and coolness, while wealthy Dominicans buy luxury apartments nearby. A number of shopping squares dot the center of this area, but it's the Plaza de la Cultura (Culture Square) with its museums that really catches the eye.
Neighbourhoods to the north and east
Northern districts. Santo Domingo is an ever-expanding city and, of course, the only space it really has to continue expanding is to the north of the colonial zone. It's a very diverse area, with a mix of shopping, residential and business districts. In the western part of this zone, right up to the banks of the Ozama River, the barrios, or working-class, poor and underprivileged neighborhoods, stretch out. Then, as you approach the city center, you enter commercial areas, with chic restaurants and large shopping malls, interspersed with high-rise buildings and residential neighborhoods made up of pavilions.
Further north, you'll find the Botanical Gardens, Santo Domingo's green lung, where you can relax, discover the island's endemic orchids or go for an early-morning jog with Dominican socialites... A little further north, you'll find the National Zoo and, even further north, the chic and expensive residences of Arroyo Hondo, a bit of the American dream on the city's outskirts...
To the east of the Ozama River, you'll find a quintessential Dominican scene: colorful, musical, noisy, lively... In short, streets full of life, where the Dominican working class finds its quarters, but not only... The aquarium, a beach, the marina, strolls, big American-style bars where they play beisbol, small colmados and good empanadas as well as discreet cabañas for lovers, this is the atmosphere of this warm neighborhood.
It's also home to the town's only bathing spot, La Caleta, where divers dive from beached galleons, searching for fresh almonds on the sharp rock and dusty sand...
There's also the Columbus lighthouse and museum. For those who prefer to stay cool and discover the underground lakes of Los Tres Ojos, the wildlife and rock paintings are well worth the trip.