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Why choose Santo Domingo?
Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the New World, the town from which all settlement of the Americas first began. Visit the first cathedral and the first hospital ever established by the Spanish in the Americas. Wander down cobbled streets winding through colonial architecture while imagining how life must have been in the 1600s.
No other city in the Caribbean has a greater variety of restaurants and night life. There are so many restaurants in this city that it is practically impossible even for those who live here to have visited them all. And it's a city that never sleeps. A great place to meet people. Many a young single executive who comes here on business ends up leaving (if they leave) married to a Dominican.
Santo Domingo has great shopping. Major chains from all around the world have opened branches here and more open every day. Discount stores offer great prices on designer brands, with the leading shops offering clearance sales several times a year and there are many designer shops for more exclusive wear.
Santo Domingo is the most lively and diverse city in the Caribbean. It has a population of over three million inhabitants and sprawls out over some 250 square kilometers.
What else is nearby
Santo Domingo is located on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, midway between the western border with Haiti and the eastern coastline. The furthest western border, the northern and eastern coast are all a four-hour-drive away. The first major town to the east is the resort town of Boca Chica. Go west and you will arrive at the Palenque and Nizao beach areas. To the north are the cities of Bonao and Jarabacoa surrounded by the highest mountains in the Caribbean.
How to get to Santo Domingo
Las Americas International Airport is located to the east of Santo Domingo, some 30 minutes from the downtown core.
Another option is the Air Santo Domingo connection from San Juan, Puerto Rico that puts you right into town, avoiding the 30 minute drive into Santo Domingo. Inexpensive coach bus transportation is available from the North.
Getting around
Most tour groups will be bussed into the city on large chartered busses. If you are traveling individually, you will need to take a taxi from the airport to the city which will cost around RD$ 300. Negotiate this price with the taxi driver prior to leaving for your destination.
Another option is to rent a car. Driving in the city is pretty straight forward - take the Las Americas Expressway westbound until you pass over the Duarte Bridge and continue onto the 27 de Febrero overpass system.
A cheaper way to get from the airport to the city (if you have little luggage) is to take a taxi or motoconcho (motorcycle taxi) about 1/2 mile up the highway where a public bus will take you to Santo Domingo.
Within Santo Domingo there are excellent taxi services. You can call an air-conditioned taxi that usually arrives within five minutes and will take you almost anywhere within the city for RD$ 65. Befriend a taxi driver and he can become your tour guide, assisting you with many of your needs.
Other forms of public transport are the "carros publicos" (collective taxis), the minibuses, the OMSA large grey buses, and car rentals. For more information, see our Transportation Page
Best ports of entry
Santo Domingo has two international airports: the Las Americas International Airport and the Herrera International Airport. The Santo Domingo Port also receives many cruise ships throughout the year.
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