Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Overseas Haven Report

Santo Domingo—the oldest city in the Americas—has over 500 years of history to offer along with its warm, plentiful sunshine and more than 1,000 miles of azure, Caribbean coastline.

At once cosmopolitan and rustic… a destination both for business and for fun… this city lives as equally in the past as in the present, with a rhythm to life that’s as vibrant as it is seductive… as energetic as it is languorous…

Today, Santo Domingo, capital of the country with the fastest-growing economy in Latin America, is chasing a new prosperity. And though most of the world knows the DR for its white-sand beaches (the expanding tourist traffic to this island nation’s many coastal resorts is a key driver of the economic growth the country is enjoying), the real appeal of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo, offering the best of all worlds.

In the Dominican Republic, people are friendly, the scenery is breathtaking, the seafood is fresh, and the drinks are cold. This is a place boasting an interesting mixture of essences: Caribbean (Afro-Antillean), European, North American, and Latin, all beautifully represented in capital city Santo Domingo, the most populated capital in the Caribbean, with nearly 2 million inhabitants.

The Colonial Zone, known as the oldest permanent European settlement of the New World, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its gorgeous architecture is well-maintained and open to the public—offering a genuine experience and a chance to relive the city’s intriguing history. You can still see the first cathedral, park, cemetery, hospital, convents, fortress, university, and legal court of the New World.

If you thrive on the pace of a city and enjoy more cultured amenities—museums, fine dining, nice grocery stores, nightlife, etc.—consider Santo Domingo, especially its new, modern, luxury towers lining the water in Distrito Nacional. Or perhaps a nearby colonial fixer-upper may pique your interest… there are plenty of these centuries-old gems ripe for the picking.