Take a stroll around Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial

Ciudad Colonial, Spanish for "Colonial City", also known as Zona Colonial, is the oldest portion of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital. While Santo Domingo has a thriving metro population of over two million people, making it the Caribbean's largest city, the nearly 500-year-old town is also noted for its rich history and tradition. This is almost exclusively centered on the so-called Ciudad Colonial (or Zona Colonial), which extends all the way up to the western banks of the Ozama River as it runs to the sea.

This combination of cobblestone walkways and magnificent homes is the New World's oldest colonial city core. Columbus walked here in the 15th century, and a huge bronze monument in the central Parque Colon bears witness to his long-lasting influence. The First Cathedral of America (the first of its type in the Americas), the majestic Alcazar De Colon, and the crenulated tops of the Ozama Fort are all must-sees in the UNESCO region.

Columbus Park is one of the Colonial City's most notable landscaped spaces. It used to be the location where the people of Santo Domingo enjoyed their festivities. Today, it is still utilized as a venue for many festivals and other cultural events, which you may enjoy owing to the city's comprehensive schedule of activities. The structures that surround this area exemplify the finest colonial design. In the center, there is a monument of Christopher Columbus, who gives the park its name, ruling over the space with his finger pointing towards the sky, which grabs our attention because images of Columbus with his finger pointing forward are more popular.