One of the most popular museums in the Colonial City. Completed around 1512, this Gothic and Renaissance style palace was the home of Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus, and his wife María de Toledo, niece of King Ferdinand of Spain.
Operated by one of the country’s top cacao exporters, this part museum, part chocolate factory—located in the heart of historic Calle Las Damas—offers a comprehensive glimpse of the DR’s thriving cacao industry. The multimedia presentation includes a holographic theater, as well as a guided audio walk through the various rooms and visual exhibits, explaining the process of chocolate from tree to pod, and tablet. The tasting room features various types of chocolates, from white to dark that you can sample to your heart’s content. A chocolate making factory sits inside a glass-enclosed room at the center of the building’s courtyard, where workshops are offered for those who sign up in advance.