According to Calculatorinc, Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the Antilles system, and the largest. It was founded at the end of the 15th century on the site of the first Spanish city. In this city there is a huge number of various historical monuments, which became the first creation of Europeans in the New World. The old part of the capital was built up in the 16th century, so here you can find the largest number of interesting objects. Basically, all the monuments and old buildings located in this part of the city are made in the colonial style. The most interesting are: Fort San Diego, the oldest university in the region – Santo Domingo, the first hospital – St. Nicholas, etc. The giant lighthouse of Faro aux Colon is also quite an interesting place, and is considered one of the symbols of the city. This lighthouse is located in the eastern part of the city, on a hill. There is a mausoleum inside the lighthouse, made of white marble, and the remains of Columbus lie inside, there is also a museum here. The city is full of various churches, once from here they began to convey Christianity to the “wild tribes” living in these places. The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is a symbol of the capital, at the moment it is the oldest church in America. Despite the fact that Santo Domingo is a big city and the capital of the state, it still remains quite clean and green. Cozy green parks or, in extreme cases, small squares are often located around historical monuments and structures. The National Botanical Garden of the Dominican Republic contains a wide variety of plants from around the world. It will be interesting to visit the cave of Los tres Ojos, where at a depth of 15 meters there are three lakes with different chemical composition of water and, accordingly, color. The Cibao region is unique in that, despite the prevailing mountainous terrain, this place is considered one of the most fertile in the world. Here is the second most important city of the Dominican Republic – Santiago, which at one time was its capital. In Santiago, it is worth visiting the city’s cathedral, the Museum of Santiago, located in the building of the old City Hall, the monument to the Republican heroes, which offers a magnificent view of the city, as well as the famous Jean Clement tobacco factories. Those who love a beach holiday should visit the city of Puerto Plata. There are no good beaches in the vicinity of the city itself, but about 200 meters away begins the white sand beach of Long Beach, after which numerous beaches, bays and first-class resorts stretch. The city was founded by Bartolomeo Colmub, so the ruins of the house where he once lived have been preserved here.

National cuisine of the Dominican Republic

The national cuisine of the Dominican Republic includes part of European, African and local cuisine. The main feature is the significant use of legumes and bananas, which go well with local vegetables, many of which are exotic. At first glance, it may seem that the amount of seasonings and spices that are used in cooking is simply huge, but in fact, the Dominicans skillfully cope with their use and spices practically do not interrupt the taste of the main dish. Fried bananas are used only one kind (platano), they are cooked when they are still green and hard, these bananas are not consumed raw. Traditional dishes are considered to be a thick soup of vegetables, rice and meat (asopao), as well as vegetable stew with meat, which is made from vegetables, rice, fried bananas, beans and meat. The side dish is most often rice or red beans cooked in various ways. Despite the fact that the country is rich in a wide variety of seafood, they are rarely used in everyday life. However, the choice of seafood in restaurants and cafes is very large. The most popular dishes here are grilled or skewered fish, fish in coconut milk sauce and crabs in cangrejo guisado sauce. Fruits are an important part of the Dominican diet, as many fruits grow in local tropical conditions: pineapples, bananas, guava, mangoes, coconuts and much more. Most often they are consumed without heat treatment in their natural form. In addition, excellent coffee is brewed in the country, the most popular variety is Santo Domingo.

Transport

In most cities, transport is represented by buses, taxis, collective taxis that travel along a specific route and express buses. Traveling by public transport is inexpensive, on average a trip around the city will cost only 5 pesos. Dominican taxis travel without meters, but the payment is calculated strictly for travel between certain points, travel through the city never exceeds 50 pesos. You can take a taxi at the parking lots near shops, hotels or restaurants.