31 things about Santo Domingo that you didn't know

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31 facts about one of the largest cosmopolitian cities in the Caribbean: Santo Domingo

  1. Parque Colon, the central square of Santo Domingo’s colonial zone was named in honor of Christopher Columbus in 1887.

  2. June is the hottest month in Santo Domingo with an average temperature of 82°F and the coldest is February at 76°F, making sidewalk cafes a permanent fixture within the city’s bustling landscape.

  3. Almuerzo La Bandera for 400 pesos at the Green Bar on Calle del Conde. As of December 26, 2016, one US Dollar is equal to 46.35 Dominican Pesos.

  4. Los Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes) is a series of three lakes, located in open-air limestone caves in the middle of the city. Fed by water from an underground river, the site was created centuries ago as a result of tectonic fractures from the collapse of underground caves.

  5. Santo Domingo is not known for its beaches, despite its impressive setting along the Caribbean Sea. The organization Ciudad Alternativa estimates that approximately 200,000 people live in the neighborhoods along the banks of the Río Ozama. Several areas can not be reached by garbage trucks, causing many inhabitants to throw waste into the river. The river brings waste to the Caribbean Sea where its waves send it back to the city’s beaches.

  6. Larimar is a usually light blue semi-precious stone that has only been found in the Dominican Republic. Throughout the city, there are several small factories and stores that create and sell jewelry featuring Larimar.

  7. Built by the dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1944, the National Palace was used for the new year’s scene in The Godfather Part II where Michael confronts Fredo about his betrayal.

  8. Expreso John F. Kennedy is a part of DR-1. Completed in 1922, DR-1 is the oldest highway in the Dominican Republic, connecting Santo Domingo with the country’s second city Santiago.