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Popular Off the Beaten Path | Other Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (25) Tourist enjoy going to beaches, resorts, meuseums, historical sites.... I'm glad I didn't visit the Dominican as a tourist cause I would've missed out on ALOT! Los Mameyes is one of the many poor neighborhoods in Santo Domingo where we focused our work on. The people there are just amazing! Los mameyes sits right beside the ocean so the cool breeze blows in... talk to some of the people there and they'll welcome you and treat you wonderfully! To see the best of the people, visit a poor neighborhood, walk around for a while and you'll find that you have a friend in all of them! Hang out with the children and play with them! You'll brighten up their day! Leave a Comment
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one of the most visited monuments in santo domingo, it probably doesnt warrant to be labelled as 'off the beaten path', but i have classified it as so, because it did take a bit of effort to get out there. basically, i gave up on the bus idea and blew some money on a taxi.
and yes, it was a bit of a waste of time. basically, the faro a colon is a huge concrete block of a monument that supposedly houses the remains of colombus (hence the name meaning 'lighthouse of colombus'. along the huge hallway preceding the 'remains' (disputed by italy and spain) there is a museum dedicated to the seafaring ways of the explorers of the americas.
the most funniest thing i learnt about this ugly monument however, was the fact that at night, huge light beams are meant to shoot out into the night sky from the top of the monument, but it hardly ever happens because when they put the lights on, the neighborhoods surround the faro are blacked out! so much light and power being wasted while people in 'third world' conditions dont get power. no wonder they rarely ever turn it on!
located on parque mirador del este, around US$3 to enter, closed mondays. Leave a Comment
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close to the faro a colon is an unusual system of caves and sinkholes, that are known as 'los tres ojos', or 'the three eyes'. they are called this because there are three sinkholes in the ground, and at the bottom of each are beautiful crystal blue pools of water.
formed by water shaping the limestone rocks, the caves can be entered by climbing down some rock-cut stairs. once in the caverns, there are paths that you can walk on and see the pools of water, the stalactalites, and the plant life that lives in the caves. the caves were very cool, but inside it was sooooo humid, as soon as you entered you would just start dripping with sweat. take lots of water, and take your time!
located at the parque mirador del este, approx. US$2 entry, 9-5 opening times.
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the jardin botanico nacional are an oasis in the calm of a city with over 2 million people. the day i was there it was humid as hell, and about to storm, and i think i was the only person in the whole of the gardens, apart from the old men who were working on the pruning and upkeep of the gardens.
the gardens were fascinating, with many different styles. the japanese garden was my most favorite, but i also enjoyed seeing the many flowering species. the succulents and cactus section was pretty cool as well.
located on ave. de colombia, admission approx US$2.50 and open every day of the week. Leave a Comment
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A few people know that the French embassy at the main historical square was actually Hernan Cortes' house. Hernan Cortes was one of the Spanish conquerors, responsible of the Spanish expansion among America. He was also responsible for the most cruel killings in several countries, including Dominican Republic and Mexico. Leave a Comment
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Los Tres Ojos are 3 lagoons inside 3 caves, and then there's a fourth eye, an "open lagoon", that's not considered an "eye". All of them are fed by a subterranean river. The taíno people, the islands first habitants, used these caves for religious ceremonies.
At the beginning all 3 caves were one but an earthquake made them in the shape they are today. The lakes are fed by an underwater river called Brujuela. All caves have stalagmites and stalactites, some even joined together.
Lake 1 = Lago de azufre (sulphur lake): it has beautiful bluish water which doesn't really contain sulphur but calcium carbonate. There are fish in this lake, some imported from Venezuela that you'll see closest to the sunlight and some national fish who like the dark parts of the cave.
Lake 2 = La Nevera (the fridge): it's called like that because the sunlight never comes in. It has clear water. From this lake you take a boat to the fourth lake (or eye) called Zaramaguyones lake (Los Zaramaguyones) and back to the second lake so that you can continue on to the third one. On one of the stones on the fourth lake you can see a petroglyph made by Taíno indians, sort of in the shape of a happy face.
Lake 3 = Las Damas (ladies' lake): in this lake the Taíno women would bathe with their children while the men would bathe in the first and second lakes.
And we have lake 4, also known as Zaramaguyones lake.
The boat trip costs 10 pesos for adults and 5 pesos for children if you don't take a guide, if you do then the trip is included in his fee. We can recommend the guide Nicolás, who charges 300 pesos or 10US. The admissions fee is 50 pesos for adults, 20 pesos for children and 30 pesos for students with a student ID.
Address: Av. Las Américas.
Tel. nr: 809 472 4204.
Access: About 1.5km from Faro a Colón (Columbus Lighthouse) - walkable if you're armed with comfy shoes and you don't feel like paying for a taxi. If you do take a taxi, negotiate a fare before getting in.
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The theater started as a home for independent theater but grew up to be the "home" of painting/photography exhibitions, courses within theater, photography, dance, etc, small concerts, poet reunions, movie shows, and some contests: painting, story telling, photography, theater, music, etc. The movies they show aren't what one would call "commercial" and they usually organize cycles where all movies belong to a specific theme, like comedy cycle. These shows are every Tuesday at 8pm and cost 30DOP per person.
Casa de Teatro is located in an old house at Zona Colonial and has a 2-floor café bar and a patio. They combine the charm of the past with what today has to offer as well as promises of future talent.
Address: Calle Arzobispo Meriño 110, Zona Colonial. Around 2 blocks from the Cathedral.
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The International Film Festival started as a non-profit project by some movie critics who invited a selected group of international directors and actors, and the Spanish Cultural Center. The first festival was on 1999 and since then it's become more popular, with more and more good movies and sponsors.
They move to a different movie theater and dates every year so check the link below for location and program (sorry, only in Spanish).
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The book fair is a yearly event a week long every April. All the major (and smaller) book shops have a stand there selling books at a discount prices. Every fair has a special guest country and they make seminars, expositions, etc about it.
There are other events like theater, shows, concerts and workshops.
Address: Plaza del Conservatorio Nacional, Avenida Cesar Nicolás Penson esquina Alma Mater
Access: Walking distance from the intersection of Av. 27 de Febrero and Tiradentes, close to UASD University.
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We were wandering around Av. Duarte area. We saw so many hairdressers (even in the middle of the street, see another tip) and so many nail shops. Something really unusual for us. We did not dare to put some false long nails in our hands... But we had our manicure done, and a relaxing hand peeling massage. Funny way to spend some time. Of course, the shop had latino music at high volume as background, and the manicurists were kind of dancing when unoccupied. As well, a good excuse to sit down for a while :-) Not recommended for hygiene-obsessed indeed :-))) Leave a Comment
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