It's the capital of the Dominican Republic and the oldest remaining European city in the 'New World'. It's also a vibrant, exciting, polluted, sometimes dangerous (leave the Rolex at home) and always interesting Caribbean city with more to do and see than you might think.
Sights to take in include the Zona Colonial, the ground zero of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the arrival point for settlers and conquistadors, and an administrative centre once helmed by Christopher Columbus' son, Diego.
© 2005 Lonely Planet Publications