One of the best parts about travel is learning history from other perspectives. In US history books, Sir Francis Drake is generally viewed favorably for his role as an explorer and a privateer for the Crown; in the Spanish-speaking world, however, he was seen as a pirate and a scourge, raiding Spanish galleons, sacking towns, and ultimately defeating the Spanish Armada. This viewpoint was abundantly clear in the Museum of the Royal Houses when I visited Santo Domingo last October, and for good reason: in 1586 Drake captured the city and set a ransom to be paid by Spain. As an added incentive, Drake began demolishing and setting fire to parts of Santo Domingo until the ransom was ultimately paid. When Drake departed, one-third of the first seat of Spanish rule in the New World--not to mention the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas--lay in ruins. Nevertheless, the city recuperated, and historic buildings can still be found throughout the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.

The heart of the colonial city would have to be Parque Colón, a beautiful tree-covered plaza that was full of music and activity throughout the weekend of my visit. The square is surrounded by civic buildings such as City Hall; hotels and restuarants housed in historic buildings; and one of the must-see sights in the city, the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, which is the oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. Audioguide tours provide an excellent overview of the cathedral, which has beauty in its simplicity.

To the east, along the Ozama River, lie the remains of the city walls, most impressively seen at the Ozama Fortress (the oldest fortress in the Americas). The view from the fortress is not particularly memorable, since the Ozama River was industrialized over the past century, but there are tour guides and information boards available to give context to the history of the fortress. Further up the river, more city walls can be seen along the Museum of the Royal Houses (housed in the former Palace of the Viceroy of Santo Domingo), and an old city gate can be seen below the Alcázar de Colón, the first fortified Spanish palace in the Americas, and the former home to Christopher Columbus' son Diego, as well as Diego's family (the palace is now also a museum).

The Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is compact, but it has an amazing amount of history. This history includes the ruins of the first hospital in the Americas, the Hospital San Nicolás de Bari, and, following the colorful houses along Calle Hostos uphill, the ruins of the first monastery in the New World, the Monastery of San Francisco. On Sunday evenings, the monastery is often used by local Dominicans for dances, however there were no dances the evening I visited, and I couldn't find out whether this was due to Covid restrictions. One of the spots I enjoyed most in the colonial zone was the Quinta Dominica, an art museum with a beautiful secluded garden that used to be part of the Dominican convent.

There are echoes of more modern history and culture in the Colonial Zone as well. The National Pantheon is located in a former Jesuit church near the Museum of the Royal Houses, and is the resting place for notable Dominicans. At the west end of the main pedestrian street through the Colonial Zone lies an old city gate as well as Independence Park, which includes statues and a mausoleum for the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. Outside of history, there are plenty of museums throughout the colonial zone, where visitors can learn more about Dominican products like chocolate or rum. To bring this review full circle, the tourist attraction that surprised me most with how much I enjoyed it was the 4D Cinema that gave an amusing overview of Sir Francis Drake's attack on Santo Domingo. The colonial zone of Santo Domingo is has enough attractions that I would consider it worthy of at least one full day, if not more, to fully appreciate it.

Logistics: The Colonial City of Santo Domingo is very easily traversed on foot.