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| | Key Features
The Dominican Republic is a large independent country in the western Caribbean that shares an island (Hispaniola) with Haiti, with a huge variety of terrain from near desert to jungle and the Caribbean’s highest mountain. Well connected to mainland US (Miami and New York) and regionally to Puerto Rico. Spanish spoken, some English in tourist areas, also some other European languages (German, French, Italian). Very strong Latin culture, music (merengue, bachata), food, also cultural interest, old Spanish colonial architecture in Santo Domingo. A full variety of beaches, many with excellent sand, some long strands, others secluded coves, some with hotels, others undeveloped. A full range of tourism, both resort and independent travel, generally with good service. Several resort towns, many resort hotels (generally mid-range) including some gated resorts, some excellent palacio hotels in Santo Domingo, a sprinkling of good beach inns and guest houses. Endless activities, limitless restaurants and bars, many casinos, good natural life, horse-riding, hiking, extensive golf, some good scuba, whale-watching, windsurfing, considerable cruise tourism.
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Below is an article by James Henderson which was first published in the Financial Times
‘No shot pants!’ And that was an order.
It’s not that often that you come across soldiers in the Caribbean. But here was one, in full ceremonial gear--white spats and the like—on guard duty at the Catedral de Santa María la Menor, and he was informing me that my trousers were in a mess.
I was about to tell him not to be so cheeky (I’m not in the habit of doing this to soldiers, but his judgement didn’t seem appropriate in the circumstances--we were in the middle of the main square of the tourist zone), but then I realised that he didn’t mean that they were too tatty, but that they were too short. Ah, brain kicks into gear. In the Dominican Republic visitors to national monuments are expected to wear long trousers as a mark of respect.
Not to worry. On cue an enterprising hustler trips up and pulls out a pair of shimmering silver tracksuit bottoms. Mine for the hire, he said, for just a few pesos. And so I visit the oldest Cathedral in the New World in half a Nike shellsuit.
Santo Domingo was the first major settlement in the New World and for many years capital of the Spanish Dominions. Most of the oldest buildings in the western hemisphere—hospitals, convents and official buildings--are here. But then the settlers drifted on to richer pickings on the Spanish Main. Santo Domingo has been marginalised pretty much ever since.
It is a lively, likeable place, though. The city seethes, heaves and of course it pulses with the local rhythms—merengue and bachata. At its heart, the old colonial zone is pretty as well as ancient. Swathes of wrought iron—balustrades, balconies and streetlights—adorn the bare coral rock and stucco.
The city is untypical of the rest of the Dominican Republic, which is generally known for cheap tourism--package deals to all-inclusive beach hotels--not the sort of thing that would interest FT readers at all really. But as a large (well, for the Caribbean, anyway), Latin island, there is a lot more besides. You simply have to admire a place where entertainment is the largest industry—there are more restaurants, bars and clubs than anywhere else I know. It is visibly very poor, but in the way of Latin America, there are also moments of great luxury and style too.
I continued my tour of the colonial city next day, in a pair of lightweight summer slacks as it happens. It is a tight grid of streets, built with defence in mind, protected by walls that no longer exist. As you wander, wonderful ruins pop up at the street corner, particularly at the eastern end, were the oldest and prettiest buildings stand above the Ozama River.
Here, among the old Spanish official buildings, you will find the Alcazar de Colon, built for Don Diego Columbus, son of the explorer himself and the governor in the early 1500s. The Alcazar seems small for a viceregal palace, but it is venerable and it certainly has an ambience of power. It was restored in the 1970s, with stone from the original quarry, and fitted out with likely artefacts, including suits of armour, a 14th century triptych and some 16th century tapestries. There are some creole pieces, but most, like Don Diego’s bed, with its faintly ecclesiastical arches, are from Spain. My favourite spot are the many window seats, with views over the domain.
Of course the Dominican Republic is not only Santo Domingo. Like so many of the islands, the countryside is superbly beautiful. On the coasts it is tropical enough to have the sunbaked beaches, but interestingly in the mountainous interior the climate is cool and fertile enough to grow vegetables from temperate zones (strawberries and apples). I ranged along the south coast, stopping at the famous Casa de Campo, thousands of acres of neatly tended grassland with some extremely smart villas and a hotel, and four golf courses. This is where the Dominican wealthy, and a few Americas besides, keep their weekend retreats.
For lunch I visited Altos de Chavón, a small network of cobbled streets and stone buildings that stand high on a bend above the Chavón River. Where Santo Domingo has an effortlessly antique atmosphere, this place has a slightly out of control, overtly gothic edge. It’s enough to send shivers up an architect’s spine. A fifteenth century hilltop village ?! That’s older than Santo Domingo. Then you discover that it was created in 1978 as an artists’ colony, with a special link to the New York Parsons School of Design. The amphitheatre, a 5000–seater, was inaugurated by Frank Sinatra. There are three art galleries. I can imagine myself becoming quite fond of the place in the end.
It seems odd to want to race back to the city, but strangely that’s how I feel about Santo Domingo. Of course, one of the reasons is the secret I haven’t yet divulged. Like so many Latin American cities, hidden among the streets are palacios with delightful interior courtyards, ranges of arched balconies two and three storeys high. It is difficult to get the best of them because they are usually private, but a number of bars and restaurants use these gracious old buildings as their setting. It is also possible to stay in them and they are wonderful pockets of calm in the bustle of the city. It’s authentic, at least. |
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