Parque Colón

In Colombus Park, the rhythm is gonna get you.

With the statue of Christopher Columbus at its centre pointing north, "Columbus Park" has been the heart and "living room" of Santo Domingo's old town for more than 500 years, and though it looks modest today, the onetime Plaza Mayor has plenty of history behind it - not to mention an animated parade of locals both passing through and hanging out. We'd highly recommend you hang out a bit, too - perhaps feed the pigeons, watch the buskers, have a drink in one of the cafés surrounding it, and just generally get a feel for the life of the city. From here you can also check out the Cabildo (colonial city hall), cathedral, and Ozama Fortress.