The courtyard
Palms and arcades.
Dr. Thomas Liptak — CC BY-SA 4.0 · © Dr. Thomas Liptak — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dr. Thomas Liptak — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Phyrexian — CC BY-SA 4.0
The oldest seat of Spanish power in the New World, a sixteenth-century stone building at the end of Calle Las Damas that housed the Royal Audiencia and the offices running Spain's colonies in the Caribbean and the Americas; trespassers faced the death penalty. The building is now a museum of the island's colonial history, its rooms set around a quiet palm-shaded courtyard: models of the first Spanish ships, old maps and navigation tools, armour, swords and weapons, coins and furniture, and a room explaining the trade routes between Europe and the New World. In front lies a small paved square with an eighteenth-century sundial and an iron horse sculpture, looking across to the Alcázar de Colón and the Plaza de España. The museum is close to most Colonial City sights, so it fits into a single walking tour. 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.
Palms and arcades.
The first voyages.
Out front.
Calle Las Damas, Colonial City, Santo Domingo
Alcázar de ColónThe first fortified European palace built in the Americas, raised by Diego Colón2 minutes walk4.5
Fortaleza OzamaThe oldest European military building in the Americas, built by the Spanish betw4 minutes walk4.5
Santo Domingo Cathedral and Parque ColónThe oldest standing cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1504 and completed in 154 minutes walk4.9
Colonial City of Santo DomingoThe capital's old heart and the oldest continuously inhabited European settlemen5 minutes walkThe seat of the Royal Audiencia and the Spanish offices that ran the colonies in the Caribbean and the Americas.