Shopping in Santo Domingo

Alcázar de Colón

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.

Boca Chica

A forty-minute drive east of Santo Domingo, this white sand beach town offers authentic Dominican bustle: hotels and restaurants line the sand, vendors hawk wares, and fry fish shacks sell plates of red snapper, tostones, and yaniqueques.

Calle El Conde

The first commercial street in the New World remains the most popular pedestrian shopping area. Stretching over 10 blocks, this cobblestoned road is lined with restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops, and street side art vendors.

Calle Las Damas

The first paved street in the Americas: Calle Las Damas or the “street of the ladies,” connects directly to the Alcazar de Colón; María de Toledo and her ladies would step out of the palace and stroll up and down Calle Las Damas in the evenings.

Capilla Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios

Originally built in the 16th century by the Dávila family, the 500-year old Gothic chapel was intended as a private religious shrine, where prominent Spanish families would congregate for prayers.

Casa de Tostado

This colonial home restored into a museum showcases the lifestyle of 19th century middle class Dominican families, with model displays of bedroom and library furniture to a charcoal oven kitchen, sewing room, and tea lounge.

Catedral Primada de América

Built between 1510 and 1540, the first cathedral of the Americas continues to stand tall in all of its glory over the heart of the Colonial City. The remains of Christopher Columbus were found here in the 19th century.

Centro Cultural de las Telecomunicaciones

The city’s youngest museum showcases the history and evolution of media in the Dominican Republic, from television to radio, and the internet up to the 20th century and beyond.

Chinatown

Signature Chinese gates mark the start and end of Santo Domingo’s Barrio Chino. Sculptures dot the streets, from a Chinese monk to life-size lions, and the city’s most authentic Chinese restaurants are found here.

Ciudad Colonial

Stroll the romantic streets of the first European settlement in the Americas.