29°Lluvia ligera [location-weather id="6356"]
History, food, nature or shopping. Choose your route for a day in the capital before returning to Cap Cana.
A day trip to Santo Domingo can take you from the streets of the Colonial City to the freshwater pools of Parque Nacional Los Tres Ojos, or from Dominican boutiques to international brands at the city’s shopping malls. These three itineraries help you plan your day around your interests.
For those who enjoy walking, exploring history and taking a break over a good meal.
Start at Parque Colón and visit the Catedral Primada de América, the first cathedral in the Americas. Then walk along Calle Las Damas and continue toward Plaza España. Along the way, you’ll find monuments, museums and spots to stop and admire the architecture.
The Colonial City brings together museums, cultural centers and galleries that offer a closer look at Dominican history and creativity. Choose one or two visits based on your interests and available time.
Round out your itinerary with exhibitions at Centro Cultural Banreservas, Centro Cultural de España and Centro Cultural Dominico Alemán. You can also visit Abad Gallery, Galería Bolós and Centro Cultural Amaya.
Check exhibition schedules, opening hours and visitor access before planning your stops, particularly at sites undergoing restoration.
For Dominican flavors, choose Mesón de Bari, Jalao or Buche Perico. If you prefer international cuisine, consider Maraca, Maialino or Pat’e Palo European Brasserie.
For a coffee break, Casa Barista & Co. serves Dominican coffee in a setting that blends contemporary and colonial styles. If you’re in the mood for ice cream, Antojao’ offers artisanal ice cream from Ivón. At Paletas Bajo Cero, you can also cool off with a paleta—a frozen treat on a stick.
Choose a restaurant that fits your route and leave time for a leisurely lunch.
KahKow Experience adds a chocolate-focused stop to your day. You can also consider a bicycle tour with Zona Bici for another way to explore the Colonial City.
Alternatively, see part of the area aboard the Chu Chu Colonial sightseeing train. It offers a way to take in the streets and monuments without walking the entire route.
Continue along El Conde and Padre Billini, leaving time for coffee and browsing the shops.
For Dominican design, visit Jenny Polanco on Padre Billini and the Joarla Caridad retail space inside the Museo Mundo del Ámbar shop. The shop at Centro Cultural Taíno Casa del Cordón is another stop for local crafts and design.
Parque Colón → Cathedral → Calle Las Damas → cultural visits → Plaza España → lunch → strolling, experiences and shopping.
The Colonial City, Chinatown, Faro a Colón and Los Tres Ojos in a single day.
Spend the morning exploring the Colonial City outdoors. Parque Colón, El Conde, Calle Las Damas and Plaza España offer a glimpse into its history without visiting museums.
Then head to Chinatown, known locally as Barrio Chino. Browse its shops, discover different products and stop for lunch or a bite to eat.
After lunch, cross to Santo Domingo Este to see Faro a Colón, the Columbus Lighthouse monument. An exterior stop gives you time to appreciate its scale and take photographs before continuing.
Your final stop is Parque Nacional Los Tres Ojos National Park. Its stairways and paths lead through caves and freshwater pools.
Allow time to enjoy the visit and plan your earlier stops around the park’s closing time.
Colonial City → Chinatown → Faro a Colón → Parque Nacional Los Tres Ojos → Cap Cana.
If you’re visiting on a Sunday, start in Chinatown to catch its morning market. Then continue to the Colonial City and the stops in Santo Domingo Este.
International brands, boutiques and Dominican design in an itinerary tailored to you.
Start at BlueMall Santo Domingo, where you can browse several stores in one stop. Its selection includes Tiffany & Co., Rolex, Montblanc, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Saint Laurent, Ferragamo and CH Carolina Herrera.
For lunch without leaving the mall, choose from options such as San Marzano, Ostería O.livia, Shibuya Ichiban or Café SBG.
Ágora Mall offers stores such as H&M, MAC and Tous. You can also find Dominican design at the Jenny Polanco boutique and at Fiori, which offers leather bags and accessories made in the Dominican Republic.
Choose between BlueMall and Ágora Mall, or visit both and make them the focus of your day.
Spend the afternoon visiting a selection of boutiques. Indómita is a starting point for exploring local fashion and design.
You can also arrange visits to Mónica Varela, Hippólito, Carolina Socías Beachwear, Jenny Polanco, Ana + María, Maylé Vásquez or Oriett Domenech. Some of these brands also have a presence in the country’s eastern region; their Santo Domingo locations offer another way to experience Dominican design.
Choose two or three based on your style and what you’re looking for. Confirm locations, opening hours and whether appointments are required.
If you prefer to combine shopping with a walk through the historic district, spend the afternoon visiting Jenny Polanco, Joarla Caridad and Manos Dominicanas.
Add the shop at Centro Cultural Taíno Casa del Cordón for its selection of Dominican crafts and design. You can also visit Casa Alfarera for decorative pieces handmade by Dominican artisans.
BlueMall → lunch → selected city boutiques or shopping in the Colonial City → Cap Cana.
Allow approximately 2½ to 3 hours each way. Travel time may increase depending on traffic, your starting point in Cap Cana and your destination in Santo Domingo.
We recommend leaving between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. to make the most of the morning. For the shopping itinerary, you can leave at 7:30 a.m. and plan your arrival around store opening times.
If you need a vehicle for the trip, contact Goldnet Rent Car in Ciudad Las Canas. Book ahead and confirm pickup and return times.
For an early departure, consider collecting the vehicle the afternoon before.
You’ll find three visitor information points where you can ask about routes and get help planning your visit:
An electric transport service connects the Colonial City with Plaza de la Cultura. From there, you can take the metro to other parts of Santo Domingo, adding a walk or another short transfer to reach your destination.
Ask at the tourist information points for current stops and schedules if you would like to include this connection in your visit.
Confirm attraction and boutique opening hours, and book your chosen restaurant. Bring water for walking portions of the day.
Before heading back, check traffic and allow enough time to return your rental vehicle.
Wear lightweight clothing and comfortable walking shoes, and bring sun protection. When visiting the Cathedral and other churches, keep shoulders and knees covered.
For Parque Nacional Los Tres Ojos, choose closed-toe shoes with good grip and be prepared to walk up and down stairs.
The Terms & Conditions were last updated on September 3, 2013. Cap Cana reserves the right to change the Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice. It is your responsibility to review the Terms & Conditions regularly.
The information, text, graphics, images, sounds, links and all other software and information published or otherwise contained on this site (the “Contents”) are owned by, or licensed to, Cap Cana S. A. and, except as specifically provided herein, may not be copied, distributed, displayed, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Cap Cana S. A. Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved.
This Web site contains trademarks owned by CAP CANA S. A. (Cap Cana, Punta Espada, Marina Cap Cana, Cap Cana Real Estate among others) These trademarks and related property are protected from copying.