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Cueva de las Maravillas
More than 500 pictographs and petroglyphs can be seen on a tour of Cueva de las Maravillas , an enormous cavern complex on the highway some 20km west between San Pedro de Macorís and La Romana. Extending for 840m between Río Cumayasa and Río Soco, this massive underground museum is
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Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Barí
Standing next to a bright, white Iglesia de la Altagracia are the ruins of the New World’s first hospital. They remain as a monument to Governor Nicolás de Ovando, who ordered the hospital built in 1503. So sturdy was the edifice that it survived Drake’s invasion and centuries of e
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Monasterio de San Francisco
The first monastery in the New World belonged to the first order of Franciscan friars who arrived to evangelize the island. Dating from 1508, the monastery originally consisted of three connecting chapels. Today the monastery is a dramatic set of ruins that is occasionally used to
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Haitian Market
The Haitian market is impossible to miss; just stay on the main road through town until you run into it. Vendors lay their goods out on the ground, shaded by large plastic tarps suspended from every available tree, road sign and telephone pole. Cooking utensils, clothing, shoes, fr
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Casa del Cordón
Said to be not only one of the first European residences in the Americas, but also one of the first residences in the Western hemisphere with two floors, this was briefly occupied by Diego Columbus and his wife before they moved into their stately home down the street. Today the st
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Parque Nacional la Isabela
Unesco has been invited to step in and take over this slowly crumbling national park , which marks Columbus’ second settlement on Hispaniola. On his second voyage to the New World, Columbus found the first settlement at Cap-Haïtien in Haiti destroyed, so he shifted 110km east and s
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El Corral de los Indios
Despite being referred to as ‘the Stonehenge of the Dominican Republic,’ this pre-Colombian site – one of the few in the Antilles – doesnt quite live up to the hype. The site is composed of a large circular clearing, with a 1.5m-long gray stone with a face carved on one end. Resear
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Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración de la República
On a hill at the east end of the downtown area is Santiago’s most visible and recognizable sight, the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration of the Republic. This eight-story boxy behemoth was originally built by Trujillo to celebrate Trujillo, but was rededicated after his assa
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Aguas Blancas
This breathtaking waterfall, reputedly the largest in the Greater Antilles, is a scenic but rough 16km drive from Constanza (you need a 4WD). The falls – actually one cascade in three different sections – crash some 135m down a sheer cliff into a pool of clear blue and extremely co
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Salto de Jimenoa Uno
So picturesque are these waterfalls near Jarabacoa that an opening scene of the movie Jurassic Park was filmed here. It’s definitely the prettiest – a 60m waterfall pouring from a gaping hole in an otherwise solid rock cliff. There’s a sandy beach and nice swimming hole, but the wa
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La Vega Vieja
What’s left of the original site of the city are the ruins of the fort Columbus ordered built and a church. After the great earthquake of 1562, most of what remained of the structures was taken to the latter-day La Vega, where it was used in construction. With some imagination and
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Puerta del Conde
This gate is named for the Count of Peñalba, Bernardo de Meneses y Bracamonte, who led the successful defense of Santo Domingo against an invading force of 13,000 British troops in 1655. It’s the supreme symbol of Dominican patriotism because right beside it, in February 1844, a ha
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Laguna Gri
This lagoon (it shares the same ecosystem as Los Haitises south of Península de Samaná) at the northern end of Calle Duarte was once Río San Juan’s claim to fame. Unfortunately, overuse and pollution mean the lagoon is no longer pristine and swimming not recommended. It’s still fai
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Jardín Botánico Nacional
The lush grounds span 2 sq km and include vast areas devoted to aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, endemic plants, palm trees, a Japanese garden and much more. The grounds are spotless and the plants well tended, and it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of a city with
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Cayo Levantado
A gorgeous public beach lies on the western third of this lush island, 7km from Samaná, the only section thats open to the public (a five-star hotel occupies the rest). Boatmen at the pier make the trip for RD$250 per person round-trip; groups up to 15 people can negotiate a privat
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Monumento Natural Dunas de las Calderas
This protected reserve, part of the Península de las Salinas, is 20 sq km of gray-brown sand mounds, some as high as 12m. A guided tour offers views of the dunes and beaches beyond and is well worth a look if you want to see a unique landscape in the Caribbean. The brown sandy beac
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Playa Rincón
Playa Rincón is a pitch-perfect beach. Stretching uninterrupted for almost 3km of nearly white, soft sand and multihued water good for swimming, the beach even has a small stream at its far western end, great for a quick freshwater dip at the end of a long, sunny day. Rincón is lar
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Palacio Nacional
The Dominican seat of government which occupies most of a city block was designed by Italian architect Guido D’Alessandro and inaugurated in 1947. Built of Samaná roseate marble in a neoclassical design, the palace is outfitted in grand style with mahogany furniture, paintings from
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Playas Frontón & Madama
Preferred by some locals over Playa Rincón, Playa Frontón boasts some of the area’s best snorkeling. Apparently it’s also popular with drug smugglers, Dominicans braving the Mona Passage on their way to Puerto Rico, and reality show contestants – in 2002 Expedición Robinson, Colomb
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Museo de las Casas Reales
Built in the Renaissance style during the 16th century, this building was the longtime seat of Spanish authority for the entire Caribbean region, housing the governor’s office and the powerful Audiencia Real (Royal Court), among others. It showcases colonial-period objects, includi
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