Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo's fabulous colonial-era buildings document Spain's conquest of the New World. This is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas, founded in 1504.

The number of historically important buildings in the Colonial Zone is staggering: Columbus' tomb, the first Cathedral in the Americas, the house of Hernan Cortis, conqueror of Mexico, Diego Columbus' palace.

From this last building, the Audencma, a kind of combination governing council and supreme court, ruled all of Spain's New World possessions for 300 hundred years.

• Tourist Information: 888-374-6361
• Website: wwww.dominicanrepublic.com
• Language: Spanish (English is widely spoken)
• Currency: Dominican Peso
• Taxes: US $10 departure tax. Hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge plus an 8% sales tax to the bill. Hotels add an additional 5% for room tax.
• Electricity: 110 volts/60 cycles
• Documents: U.S. citizens must have a valid passport or an original birth certificate and photo ID. Upon arrival, visitors must purchase a tourist card for US $10.