Introduction
Santo Domingo is a city with a lot of hidden gems. From museums to parks, this city has so much to offer that it’s hard to pick just one place to visit. I’ve lived here for over three years now and feel like I’ve seen most of the tourist attractions by now, but there are still some places that I haven’t been and people always tell me about when they come back from vacation. Here are my favorite hidden gems in Santo Domingo:
La Callejuela
La Callejuela is a street in Santo Domingo that’s known for its many shops and restaurants. It’s also very popular with locals and tourists, so you’ll find plenty of places to eat and drink here. You can shop for souvenirs on La Callejuela as well!
If you’re looking for an authentic Dominican experience, visiting La Callejuela is an excellent way to get it!
El Museo de la Moda Dominicana
If you’re looking for a museum that celebrates the history of fashion in the Dominican Republic, then El Museo de la Moda Dominicana is the place for you. Located on Calle La Esperanza in Santo Domingo, this little gem is easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention–but it’s worth stopping by if only because it’s one of those museums that feels like home once you walk through its doors.
The museum opened in 1994 as part of an initiative by designer Jose Luis Valverde and has since become one of the most popular attractions in the city when it comes to learning about Dominican clothing history. If nothing else, visiting this museum will give visitors insight into what makes them unique among other Latin American countries who also have such rich cultural traditions surrounding fashion design!
Plaza Espana
- Plaza Espana is a park in the heart of Santo Domingo. It’s a popular place to go for a walk, have lunch or just sit and relax. There are many restaurants nearby as well as shops selling souvenirs, jewelry and other items.
- The Plaza Espana is located near the Malecon (waterfront promenade) and Parque Colon, which means it’s easy to walk around both areas if you want to explore more than one part of this city during your visit!
Parque Eduardo Leon y Enrique Inglesias
Located in the Santo Domingo Norte neighborhood, this park was named after Enrique Inglesias and Eduardo Leon. It’s a popular place for locals to hang out, especially on weekends when you’ll see people enjoying picnics or playing games. The park is also home to many trees, including mangoes and guavas!
Parque Mirador del Sur – Mirador Sur Park
- Location: Located in the Piantini neighborhood, Parque Mirador del Sur is a beautiful green space that offers panoramic views of Santo Domingo and its surrounding mountains.
- What to do there: The park has several trails that wind through its lush vegetation and lead you to different areas of interest. It’s also a good place for bird watching!
- Food & Drink: There are no food vendors at this park, but if you want something else than water or soda (and who doesn’t?), head over to nearby Restaurante El Puerto located on Calle Altagracia de Almonte y Herrera (it’s about 15 minutes away by foot). This restaurant serves delicious Dominican dishes like mofongo de camarones (shrimp mofongo) and pastelitos de carne frita con coco y queso blanco (fried meat pies topped with shredded coconut). You can even get drinks from their bar if your thirst hasn’t been quenched after walking around in the heat all day long!
- How To Get There: Parque Mirador del Sur is located about 2 miles north of downtown Santo Domingo so it would be best if someone drove us there since public transportation options aren’t very reliable in this part of town yet so I wouldn’t recommend trying them out unless absolutely necessary…but don’t worry because we’ll still have fun regardless because these hidden gems are worth exploring regardless what mode transportation we use 🙂
Santo Domingo has some hidden gems that you shouldn’t miss!
A “hidden gem” is a place that’s not well-known by tourists, but still offers something special and unique. For example, there are two museums in Santo Domingo that are not very well-known but have exceptional collections of art and artifacts. One of these museums is called Museo de Arte Moderno (or MAM), which contains paintings by local artists as well as paintings from around the world. The other museum is called Museo del Hombre Dominicano (or MHD), where you can see artifacts from ancient civilizations such as Africa and Europe!
Conclusion
Santo Domingo is a beautiful city with many hidden gems. These are just a few of them, so go explore and discover your own!
