Things to see and do La Isabela

It was here, in 1493, that Christopher Columbus established the first European colony in America. The 1,500-strong community of craftsmen, farmers, herders and monks lived in this fortified place for almost 5 years, battling the indigenous people for possession of the land, before disappearing. A museum featuring a number of objects found during excavations retraces the daily life of these early settlers.

The ruins of this first city of the "New World" are grouped around two zones. The military zone, known as the Castillo, marks the site of the ancient stone buildings. The residential zone was home to the first generation of civilians, whose houses were temporarily built of more fragile materials.

In the first zone, among other remains, are those of the home of the conquistador Christopher Columbus, a two-storey edifice built on the edge of the rocks and whose mirador tower overlooked the town. A few stones mark the site of the first church, where Father Bernardo Boyl celebrated the colony's very first mass on January 6, 1494. It was here, on April 24 of the same year, that the first town hall was established, under the presidency of Giacomo Columbus, Christopher's brother, as well as the first court of justice. Then came the port and its warehouses.

Built to commemorate the settlement of the conquistadors, a church was inaugurated by the Spanish sovereigns.

The Templo Las Américas de La Isabela, also known as the Santuario de Jesucristo Evangelizador (Shrine of Jesus Christ the Evangelizer), was one of the very first Catholic churches to be built in the New World. Modest in size, what can be seen today is a reconstruction carried out on the ruins of the original temple. It's worth a visit for its historical value, as well as for the beautiful relics on display.