Caribbean
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
The first city of the Americas, still dancing.
The culture
Why we bridge here
Founded in 1498, Santo Domingo is the oldest continuously inhabited European city in the Americas — and one of the liveliest. Its Zona Colonial holds the first cathedral, the first university and the first hospital of the New World.
The Dominican Republic is where merengue and bachata were born, and both are danced in public, badly and joyfully, by everyone. Under the Spanish colonial surface is a deeply African country, and the food, the rhythm and the way people greet each other all say so.
Experience
What you'll do
- Zona Colonial walking tour
- Primada de América cathedral
- Malecón waterfront
- Los Tres Ojos caves
- Boca Chica beach day
After dark
Nightlife
- Merengue and bachata live on the Malecón
- Zona Colonial lounges
The bridge
Teaching sessions with your hosts
- Merengue and bachata with a local instructor
- Taíno and colonial history
- Dominican Spanish and street food