The facade
Golden coral stone.
Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dr. Thomas Liptak — CC BY-SA 4.0
The oldest standing cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1504 and completed in 1550, its architecture blending late Gothic and Renaissance styles; its formal name is the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor. It is part of the Colonial City World Heritage Site. Outside, its finest feature is the west front of golden coral stone, with a richly carved doorway in Spanish Plateresque style, a low bell tower and thick walls ringed by quiet stone courtyards and passages. The cathedral faces Parque Colón, the Colonial City's central square, shaded by big trees and centred on a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus pointing north. Old buildings, cafés and many pigeons surround it, making it the natural meeting point for walks around the district. The cathedral is a working church with services, open to visitors at set hours in modest dress. The Colonial City is busy and patrolled by tourist police; watch your belongings, use registered taxis or ride apps, and avoid walking alone late at night.
Golden coral stone.
Columbus statue.
Stone passages.
Parque Colón, Colonial City, Santo Domingo
Fortaleza OzamaThe oldest European military building in the Americas, built by the Spanish betw3 minutes walk4.5
Colonial City of Santo DomingoThe capital's old heart and the oldest continuously inhabited European settlemen4 minutes walk
Museo de las Casas RealesThe oldest seat of Spanish power in the New World, a sixteenth-century stone bui4 minutes walk4.7
Alcázar de ColónThe first fortified European palace built in the Americas, raised by Diego Colón7 minutes walk4.5Work began in 1504 and finished in 1550, making it the oldest standing cathedral in the Americas.