Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is the oldest continuously inhabited European city in the Western Hemisphere — founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, four years after his brother landed on the island. The Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains more firsts than any other block of real estate in the Americas: the first cathedral, the first university, the first hospital, the first paved road, and the first European fortress built in the New World. The architecture is Iberian Renaissance pressed into tropical heat — stone walls, wrought iron, heavy doors, and central courtyards designed to move air. The food culture is excellent and underrepresented internationally. Mangú, sancocho, tostones, and fresh fish preparations that reflect the island's African, Spanish, and indigenous Taíno heritage. The modern city surrounding the colonial core is a fully functional capital of 3+ million people with good restaurants, an active art scene, and a malecón waterfront boulevard that comes alive at night.