Santo Domingo

FULL DAY – CULTURAL TOUR

Santo Domingo is a city of profound contrasts. Immense riches coexist with situations of extreme poverty. Historical and cultural heritage coexist with decadent neighborhoods. It is the oldest inhabited European settlement in the Americas and was the first Spanish colony: it was here that the first University was opened, the first road was paved, the first Church was built and the oldest Monastery of the new world.

It was the meeting point between Europe and New Americas, the centerpiece of a development that would later influenced and changed the world.

In the excursion to Santo Domingo you can visit all the main places of historical and cultural interest, but also savor the rhythms and lifestyles of the locals.

The excursion to Santo Domingo will begin at about 8:30 am: we will come to pick you up in your resorts (for those staying at Viva Beach, Viva Village and Viva Palace the meeting will be in front of our agency). In an hour and a half by bus we will reach the Capital.

The first stop will be the Los Tres Ojos National Park, which is home to numerous underground caves, used by the ancients Taino as a refuge or place for rituals. A winding staircase leads to a complex of caves and paths that wind between the three iridescent blue freshwater lagoons, which the Taino called “the eyes” for their oval shape. Using a small wooden boat, it is possible to visit a fourth lagoon, immersed in a splendid panorama and surrounded by a rocky landscape covered with thick vegetation. Here too it is possible to observe ancient rock carvings and fragments of ceramic vases.

Later our guide will introduce us to the Colonial Zone, where we can live and breathe the true atmosphere of Santo Domingo. It is in this area, in fact, that there are the greatest number of museums, churches and places of historical interest, such as the Catedral Primada de America, the first church built in the New World.

After all morning to visit museums, churches and monuments, for lunch we will go to a typical and simple place where we will taste typical Dominican dishes.

The afternoon is dedicated to walks through the streets of the Old Town and, for those who want, to some shops in typical local shops. In addition to classic souvenirs, you can also find precious amber, here it is of good quality and is affordable, and in Larimar, a precious blue gemstone. This is the only place in the world where this type of mineral has been discovered. Obviously also collector’s Rum and handmade cigars.

Around 4 pm we will return with the bus towards Bayahibe.

Note: during the excursion to Santo Domingo small variations may occur in the visit of the Monuments or places of interest, which may depend on contiguous traffic situations or factors not dependent on our agency.