A Day Trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with Olympus Tours
- curvychristina
- Jun 24, 2015
- 10 min read
When you are staying in an All-Inclusive resort in the Carribean, it is easy to just lay back on the sunlounger, slather on some suntan cream, sip another cocktail and totally chill out. For some people, a holiday is a much needed chance to relax. Many people never go beyond the gates of the resort during their stay but my philosophy is that if you are going to spend a lot of money on travelling to a really exotic place, you should aim to get the most out of your holiday experience. Whilst I enjoy a few days on the beach or lazing around the pool, I can't do it for an entire week. I like to find out more about the country I am visiting as well. I enjoy learning about the history and culture of places, sampling local food, and seeing the sights.
Whislt staying in the Dominican Republic at Excellence Punta Cana, we had the opportunity to book up a couple of excursions through Jeanette, the lovely Olympus Tours Rep. Both myself and my friend had talked about wanting to visit Santo Domngo on the flight out, so we were delighted to find that a day trip was on offer. Santo Domingo was Jeanette's hometown and she said we would love it, especially if we wanted to learn more about The Dominican Republic and it's history and culture.
We had to meet the mini bus at 6.30am on the morning of our trip. We left the resort and picked up some more people at other resorts along the way. Then we met one of our tour guides Carlos. On the 3 hour journey to Santo Domingo we stopped off at a local arts and crafts store, and Carlos told us some interesting facts about the Capital city of his country. Santo Domingo is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. It is also the largest city in the Caribbean by population.
Founded by Bartholomew Columbus - brother of Christopher - in 1496, on the east bank of the Ozama River and then moved by Nicolás de Ovando in 1502 to the west bank of the river, the city is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and was the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World. Santo Domingo is the site of the first university, cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress in the New World. The city's Colonial Zone was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Santo Domingo was called Ciudad Trujillo, from 1936 to 1961, after the Dominican Republic's dictator, Rafael Trujillo, named the capital after himself. Following his assassination, the city resumed its original name. Santo Domingo is the cultural, financial, political, commercial and industrial center of the Dominican Republic.
Our first stop on the tour is at The Columbus Lighthouse or Faro a Colón in Spanish. The monument's lighthouse-style features projecting beams of light, forming a cross shape, which are so powerful they can be seen from neighboring Puerto Rico. Containing what are purported to be the remains of Christopher Columbus, the monument is both a mausoleum and a museum showcasing objects including a boat from Cuba and Columbian jewelry. Constructed of concrete, the monument is cross-shaped and represents the Christianization of America. It looks a bit unkempt now on the outside. There is a former Pope Mobile outside on display too. It reminds me of something you'd find in a Communist or Eastern Block country - not in the Carribean!
The Dominican historian Antonio Delmonte y Tejada, in his book History of Santo Domingo, published in 1852, expressed the idea of erecting a monument in honor of Columbus in Santo Domingo. In 1914, the American Pulliam William Ellis began selling the idea of building a monumental beacon in the first city of the New World to the American press. The idea becomes universally accepted during the 1923 celebration of the Fifth International Conference in Chile, when it is decreed that this monument should be built in cooperation by all governments and peoples of America.
Scottish architect Joseph Lea Gleave won the competition among 455 participants from 48 countries. The ceremony was held in Brazil in 1931, and the judges included distinguished architects such as Horacio Acosta y Lara (Uruguay), Eliel Saarinen (Finland), and Frank Lloyd Wright (USA). But, by 1950 only eight countries had made contributions totaling less than $15,000, yet the Dominican government forged ahead with the project, and in 1948 the foundations of the monument were inaugurated. After 1948 there was growing instability in the country and the political situation made it impossible to resume construction until 1986. During the government of JoaquÃn Balaguer, construction resumed under the supervision of the Dominican architect Teófilo Carbonell, and culminating in the construction of the monument in 1992, in time for the celebration of the quincentennial discovery of the Americas.
The monument, though originally conceived by Gleave as a mausoleum, was adapted to house a permanent collection of exhibitions from each American country as well as other European and Asian countries, as requested by former President Balaguer.
After we leave the lighthouse, we drive through Chinatown and arrive at the Monasterio de San Francisco which was built around 1508, with the arrival of the Franciscan fathers. The ruin is one of most important of the city because it was the first monastery in the New World.
Construction began on the main part of the church in 1544 and was completed on July 23, 1556. In 1586 it was sacked by Francis Drake. Repairs were completed in 1664, but according to historians, the building was damaged by earthquakes in 1673 and 1751. Alonso de Ojeda was buried at the main entrance to the monastery. His remains were moved to the former Convento Dominico on October 12, 1942. Also found were the remains of Bartholomew Columbus.
The building was used as a mental asylum from the 1880s until the 1930s. A hurricane at that time caused a lot of damage, which was never repaired. Currently, the ruins are used for social and cultural events and are cared for and protected by law. While we are there, we have a tropical downpour of rain, all the birds fly off the ruins, and it is a beautiful sight. We find shelter whilst our Guide Leo tells us all about the history of the place.
Then for our next stop, it's off to see the most photographed and cinematic street in Santo Domingo. Calle Hostos (pronounced Caye Ohto) is a long street containing this colorful little hill, which featured in "The Godfather 2" movie when the Corleone's visit Havana in Cuba . Many film directors come to the Dominican Republic to shoot on location and it's doubled up for tropical places all over the world in many other films.
Then it was off to a local shop to sample some Mama Juana. Mama juana is a drink from the Dominican Republic that is concocted by allowing rum, red wine, and honey to soak in a bottle with tree bark and herbs. The taste is similar to port wine and the color is a deep red. The specific herbs that make up Mamajuana were originally prepared as an herbal tea by the native Taino Indians; post-Columbus, alcohol was added to the recipe. Besides being rumored to be an aphrodisiac, Mamajuana is also consumed for its medicinal value. The alcohol is said to act as an extract base that pulls the herbs' curative properties, creating an herbal tincture often served as a shot. The reported positive effects on health vary, ranging from a flu remedy, to a digestion and circulation aid, blood cleanser, sexual potency, kidney and liver tonic.
After this we walk through the pastel coloured streets of Santo Domingo and another sudden rain shower means we have to have our umbrella's at the ready. The place has a real Hispanic feel to it and the sights, sounds, smells and colours are vibrant. There's lots going on, but it's all quite laid back. A horse and carriage comes trotting down the street, a moped zips along on the other side, people pass by and shout to one another, workmen busy are fixing things. People drink coffee under the shade of a tree in the square. This is daily life in Santo Domingo.
Parque Colon is the central square of the Ciudad Colonial historic district of Santo Domingo. In its Center stands a late-19th-century statue by French Sculptor Ernest Gilbert of Christopher Columbus, in whose honor the square was renamed in 1887. Previously the square was known as Plaza Mayor.
Monuments bordering the square include the Catedral de Santa Maria la Menor, Santo Domingo's Municipal Palace, and the Palacio Borgella, which once hosted the Dominican Republic's Parliament. Calle del Conde, the 1km long shopping street, which was once the thriving commercial heart of Santo Domingo, starts from Parque Colon and runs to the Puerta del Conde. At the beginning of Calle del Conde is a late-20th-century bust of Bartholomew Columbus, Christopher's brother and the founder of Santo Domingo.
Then we find ourselves getting out of the humidity and going into the cool, and peaceful interior of the Catedral de Santa Maria la Menor.
The Cathedral of Santa MarÃa la Menor is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1512 and completed in 1540. It is the Cathedral of the Archbishop of Santo Domingo who has the honorary title of Primate of the Americas because Santo Domingo was the first Catholic diocese established in the New World.
The Cathedral is fronted with a golden-tinted coral limestone façade, the church combines elements of both Gothic and Baroque styles as exemplified by the high altar chiseled out of silver.
The first noticeable feature of the structure are the solid limestone walls and three doors, two of which are gothic and the third main door which is plateresque. There are twelve side chapels, three aisles and a nave. The roof of the nave is pitched, while the aisles have cross vaulted ceilings.
The cathedral has a treasury containing retablos, paintings, old woodwork, furniture, sculptures and tombstones. There are pieces that were involved with the funeral proceedings of several colonial archbishops. The remains of Christopher Columbus were once housed at the cathedral, before their final resting place in the Faro a Colon.
We head on to the historic street, Calle Las Damas and then on to The National Pantheon The National Pantheon was built from 1714-1746 by the Spaniard Geronimo Quezada y Garçon and was originally a Jesuit church. The structure was constructed in the neoclassic-renaissance style. Today the structure stands as a national symbol of the Dominican Republic and serves as the final resting place of the Republic's most honored citizens.
At the heart of the city is the Zona Colonial where most of this tour takes place. We see lots more of spanish looking buildings and ramparts from old fortifications, then we take a drive along Malecon (George Washington Avenue). This waterfront boulevard is home to several huge hotel/casino complexes and dozens of small restaurants, clubs and cafes. We are on our way to have lunch.
We arrive at El Meson De La Cava - a restaurant situated in a Cave. Open since 1967, built inside a quaint natural cave, and acclaimed by the New York Times as a landmark of the city of Santo Domingo I enjoyed a national dish of Chicken & Beans. They have recently opened an outdoor terrace with a unique wood fire exterior kitchen, from where chefs interact with clients. The terrace has its own menu with a very excellent selection. A recently installed elevator connects the lobby to the restaurant which is some forty feet down, and the outside terrace. The terrace temperature is kept comfortable through the means of a misting system which adapts perfectly to the lush tropical garden.
This was a welcome surprise - a restaurant with such Wow! factor! We enjoyed lunch and then after a drive around the wealthy part of town we headed for a quick stop outside the presidential palace. The was a lady in our tour group who had been born and spent her childhood in Santo Domingo, before moving to the United States. She remarked on how things had changed in the city over the years, and remembered parts of the old town, and a more sedate way of life.
Then we headed to the poorer side of town in the mni-bus and saw how the ordinary people lived. We drove past ramshackle streets, filled with small busineses vying with each other for custom, make-hift roadside stalls selling fruit and bottled water, and run down houses, with families and kids sitting on steps or men and women chatting in the street. We were on our way to Los Tres Ojos, or The Three Eyes, a series of open-roof caverns located in the Mirador del Este park The site is currently one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country. The caves are open from 9 am to 5 pm. and are illuminated at night by a myriad of colored lights.
The site was created centuries ago as a result of tectonic fractures when underground caves collapsed, forming a bowl-shaped depression which subsequently filled with water. Initially, the cave was inhabited by the indigenous TaÃno Indians who were the first inhabitants of the Hispaniola island. The three lakes are called "Aguas Azufradas" (discovered in 1916), "La Nevera" and "El Lago de las Mujeres". Some of the lakes also have openings on the outside. A staircase cut into the rock gives access to the first cave. A boat pulls visitors across the second lake.
The caves are fed by water from an underground river and surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites. The composition of the water varies. The two ponds are respectively made of sulphurous water and salt water, while the large lake is composed of freshwater. Their temperature varies between 20°C to 29°C, depending on the site, and their various depths give rise to different colored reflections, blue, green, and sometimes yellow. The fauna is also very varied and includes fish, bats and turtles. Surrounding vegetation is lush and abundant. The depth of the lake remains unknown.
The caves and lagoons were used as a location in some of the Tarzan films and have also featured in the Jurassic Park movies. They certainly have a "Lost World" quality. Getting up and down the stairs takes it toll on your knees, but the reward is worth the decent and climb back up.
This is the end of our tour, so after a break for refreshments, its time to go back to the mini-bus and head back to our resort. There is time to rest on the 3 hour journey back. We are the last to be dropped off, and it's getting dark. We've had a fantastic day and the Tour Guides Carlos and Leo were very informative and humourous. The Tour was offered in English and Spanish, plus there was an official photographer attached to our group for those that wanted images of their experience.
Watch our video of the Day Trip below and see everything we did!
