Enjoy Colonial Zone Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 

Zona Colonial or Ciudad Colonial (Spanish for "Colonial City" or Colonial Zone) is the historic central neighborhood of Santo Domingo and the oldest permanent European settlement of the New World. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is colloquially known as "Zona Colonial" (Colonial Zone). The Ciudad Colonial is located on the west bank of the Ozama River, which bisects the city. It covers less than 5 square kilometers.

HISTORY.

The first settlement of what is now Santo Domingo was established by Bartholomew Columbus on the East bank of the Ozama River. After the 1502 hurricane that claimed Francisco de Bobadilla among its victims, however, the city was relocated on the West bank under the leadership of Nicolas de Ovando. Ovando and his successor Diego Colon presided over the first constructions of the Colonial City, many of which still exist today.

The Ciudad Colonial is now the main tourist attraction of Santo Domingo, even though the main sites of governmental and commercial activity are now in other parts of the city. The central public space of the district is Parque Colon (Columbus Park), a square that borders the 16th-century Cathedral and has a late-19th-century bronze statue of Columbus in its center. East of Parque Colón, the cobblestone Calle Las Damas is the New World's oldest paved street, dating from 1502.

The street is bordered by many of the zone's more prominent landmarks, including Fortaleza Ozama, the site of major events in Dominican history; Casa de Bastidas, which now houses a children's museum; the French Embassy, in a building said to have been the house of Hernán Cortés; the Casa de Ovando, said to be the former residence of Governor Nicolás de Ovando and now a luxury hotel; the National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic; and the Museo de las Casas Reales, in the former governors' palace and Audiencia building.

Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor or Primate Cathedral of The Americas.

The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor is ubicated in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo and is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It 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 the Americas because Santo Domingo was the first Catholic diocese established in the New world.

The Cathedral was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1504 and its construction began in 1512 under the leadership of Bishop Fray García Padilla. The arrival of Bishop Alexander Geraldini in 1519 motivated the construction of a temple of greater solemnity, so it was decided to build the current church, whose foundation stone was laid in 1521. The construction was carried out by Luis Moya, according to plans designed by Alonso Rodriguez, of Seville, Spain. By 1523, the construction achieved continuous progress until his its consecration in 1541. On February 12, 1546, at the request of Emperor Charles V, Pope Paul III granted the status of Metropolitan Cathedral and Primate of the the Americas. 

The english raider Francis Drake when he captured the city in 1586, used the cathedral as his headquarters and saved it from destruction. It was also the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, which bore the aforementioned title of Primate. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV designated the Cathedral a Minor Basilica in his Inter Americae.

The architecture is characterized by solid walls and three doors, two of gothic them in contrast to the third and main Plateresque. The cathedral contains a vast art treasures made with altarpieces, paintings (including a table of the Virgin of Altagracia dates from 1523), old woodwork, furniture, monuments and tombstones, among other objects. The tombs of archbishops of the colonial period are highlighted, it is also mentioned the tombstone of Simon Bolivar, one of the predecessors of the Liberator. In the cathedral for a time housed the remains of Christopher Columbus which moved to Columbus Lighthouse. The archbishop's throne valuable Plateresque is dated 1540 The Cathedral is built of limestone, while some walls are masonry and bricks, and has twelve side chapels, free three ships and a main nave. The cover is nave gable. Those of the aisles is constituted by vaults that accuse the outside, as if it were hemispherical domes. The longer the basilica is 54 m in the central nave to the bottom of the presbytery. The width of the three ships is 23 m. The greater height from floor to vault reaches 16 meters, and the building area exceeds 3,000 square meters. Fourteen side chapels were built along the history of the cathedral. The area around the cathedral is formulated into three separate spaces, north Plaza de Armas, the crenellated atrium is like an anteroom that marks the main entrance to the religious complex. South cloister called the Plaza of the Priests. Annexes around the courtyard allow passage called Alley Cures.

Columbus Alcazar

The Columbus Alcazar or Viceregal Palace of Don Diego Colón is a palace located in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which was built on a nearby site to the cliffs that overlook the Ozama River, granted to Diego Columbus, son firstborn of the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus, by King Ferdinand the Catholic, for him to build a house for him and his descendants on the Hispaniola’s island , which came in 1509 as governor and where now the Palace Museum Columbus.

Columbus Alcazar, is the oldest Viceregal residence in America, and forms part of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo World Heritage Site. The building houses the Museo Alcázar de Diego Colón, whose collection exhibits the Caribbean's most important ensemble of European late medieval and Renaissance works of art, which were acquired in the 1950s. The Tapestry collection (spanning from the 15th to 17th centuries) is particularly important and unique in the Caribbean, and includes pieces produced by the Flemish Van Den Hecke family from cartouches created by Charles Le Brun.[1] The Alcázar is the most visited museum in Santo Domingo.

The palace is an impressive construction of coralline blocks that once housed some fifty rooms and a number of gardens and courtyards, although what remains today is about half the size it once was. It was built under Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus; when he became Viceroy of La Española and the Indies in 1509, he ordered the construction of a family home and governor’s mansion between 1510 and 1512.

During the early Spanish colonial period, the mansion occupied a very important place in history. It was from here that many expeditions of conquest and exploration were planned. In 1586, the palace was sacked by Sir Francis Drake and his forces. As the influence of Santo Domingo waned, the house fell into ruins, and by the mid-18th century was abandoned and in danger of rotting away. It was rescued and extensively restored between 1955 and 1957, being filled with period furniture, artwork, and other accessories. A self-guided tour using a portable audio speaker that discusses each room's function is available in various languages.

Sans Souci Terminal at Santo Domingo Harbor

The Port of Santo Domingo is located on the banks of the Ozama River. Its location in the center of the Caribbean is perfect for plannings flexible itineraries, like various accommodations and transfers easy, due to the excellent road and airport infrastructure in the region of Santo Domingo. The port is ready for operations mother and transit port.

According to the Dominican Port Authority, the Port of Santo Domingo is the oldest of the National Port System. It is located on the south central coast, at the mouth of the Ozama River. It is located just steps from the attractive and historic Colonial City, a World Heritage Site. Tourism has two terminals designed for the reception of cruise: Don Diego and Sans Souci. The Port of Santo Domingo is bordered by a large shopping area that offers visitors space craft shops, restaurants and bars that make the stay of visitors a unique experience. The port has been completely renovated as part of an urban renewal project aimed at integrating the port area with the Colonial City, to create an attractive destination for cruise ships, yachts and tourism in general. The Sansouci Terminal is the terminal for cruise ships in the Port of Santo Domingo Caribbean art. It is located on the east side of the city of Santo Domingo and the arrival of cruise allows high capacity, low operating as terminal mode Puerto Madre (Homeport), allowing passenger changes, migration and baggage handling. It offers all the facilities to care for a large flow of passengers efficiently and safely. The SANS SOUCI Terminal has a handling capacity of about 3,800 passengers simultaneously; taking as an essential part of their design, flexible spaces, lighting and architectural connection with the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.

Monastery or Ruin of San Francisco

The Monastery of San Francisco in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Dominican Republic, is a monastery that was built around 1508, with the arrival of the Franciscan fathers. The ruin is one of most important of the city. It is located in the Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo and has been declared a "heritage Dominican". In 1502 the command of Nicolas de Ovando arrived Franciscans, but the construction of the monastery began in 1508 and was the first monastery of 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. According to historians, 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.

Ozama Fortress

The Fortaleza Ozama (in Spanish; Ozama Fortress in English) is a sixteenth-century castle built by the Spanish at the entrance to Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic, and overlooking the Ozama River. Named after this river, the castle, also referred to as "La Fortaleza" or "The Fortress", is the oldest formal military construction of European origin in America.

An impressive architectural structure of medieval style and design, the Tower of Homage (Spanish: Torre del Homenaje) stands in the center of the grounds. The castle was designed to guard the entrance to the port of Santo Domingo and defend the city from seaborne enemies. Construction began in 1502 and it was completed in 1505. The entrance gate on Calle Damas was originally built in 1608, known as the Prevention Gate. The castle was well-built enough to serve as a prison until the 1960s. When the prison was closed, the "Fortaleza" was opened to the public. It is located at the end of Las Damas Street.

Museo de las Casas Reales

As it was known during colonial times, it had to host two palaces, which date from the sixteenth century. This palace was built by order of the Spanish Crown, under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon, on October 5, 1511, which was built to house the main government offices at the time. It was called like Building of the Royal Houses, as it was the Royal Court, which was the first court of the New World. In the past, it was used as headquarters of the Dominican government until the National Palace was built in 1947.

Night’s activities and famous restaurants to visit at Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.

Night’s activities: In the evening activities you can enjoy in the Colonial Zone are concerts open to the public at Plaza of Spain; or enjoy a theatrical presentation at Casa de Teatro; you can sit you to get some fresh air at Colon Park, watching the Primate Cathedral of America, or placed against the Puerto Ozama and observe the movement of ships by touching the port. Also, walk up the Calle del Conde, a very old pedestrian shop-lined street that used to be the commercial heart of the city. This street leads to the Puerta de la Independencia, where the Dominican Republic proclaimed its independence from Haiti, and theParque Independencia, where the country's founding fathers' remains are kept. On Sunday evenings, check out the Ruinas de San Francisco for live bands playing Merengue, Bachata, Salsa and Son, in a wonderful weekly show where both locals and tourists dance, drink and enjoy themselves. This would be an unforgettable experience! Also check out La Atarazana street after dark for a variety of romantic outdoor cafes with a spectacular view of the Alcazar and bay area. One such brasserie, Pat E Palo, has operated uninterrupted since 1505. Check out the house where Ponce DeLeon lived before he embarked upon his quest for the fountain of youth and ended up discovering Florida.

Famous restaurants to visit at Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.

Pat'e Palo European Brasserie: Where it is located gives a plus to this restaurant, located in the heart of Colonial Zone in front of the Alcazar de Colon and close to other restaurants. Impress your meats, seafood and Creme brulee is worth trying. For drinks and tapas with friends in the evenings of the weekend, for a romantic dinner for two it is ideal. Their menu is varied. good atmosphere, service and cleanliness.

Hostal Nicolas de Ovando: Hotel in charming colonial building in downtown Santo Domingo.Tiene near all the sights of the city. Spacious rooms with a comfortable like bathing bed; separate tub and shower. It includes rooms overlooking the Ozama port. The pool is an added bonus.

Hotel Conde de Peñalba: Here you can get a double room with balcony, minibar, safe, air conditioning and breakfast. The fourth fully satisfied: spacious, with beautiful views of El Conde Street and the main plaza, called Parque Colon. The hotel is old but well maintained, attention is good and very good breakfast. Also, Regular foods, good beers, relaxed conversation and take several cold environment. bohemian atmosphere with good the best view of the street the count. affordable and good attention.

Restaurante Atarazana: In Atarazana we have a fine menu that brings together national and international dishes and drinks at a good price. They are specialists in handling social activities. Moreover, the colonial decor seeks to create a welcoming atmosphere where beauty and elegance of colonial style prevails.

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[1] http://rsta.pucmm.edu.do/ciudad/alcazar/website/esp/tapicesdelalcazar.htm