Santo Domingo: the first city of the New World

In the heart of the pedestrianised Calle de Las Damas, you can admire the old fortress Fuerte Del Homenaje (nicknamed "Fortaleza"), the Casa de Bastidas and the Palacio de los Capitanes, the Casa de Ovando, which houses a superb hotel, and its famous Gothic-Isabellian gateway.

Calle Isabela la Catolica is home to the cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, built in 1518 and the oldest in the Americas (an emblematic monument on the island), the Palacio de Borgella, the imposing ruins of the San Francisco monastery, the Casa Del Duarte and the Church of Santa Barbara.

In Calle Padre Billini, don't miss the Regina Angelorum church, which took over 200 years to build, the Los Dominicos church, home to the first university in the Americas, the Casa de Tostado, the Santa Clara church, the Casa de Las Monedas and, finally, the Tapao house and the legend of the mysterious masked man. The Alcázar de Colón, the first cathedral in America, the Ozama Fortress, the Las Casas Reales Museum, the National Botanical Garden, the Malecon and the Palace of Fine Arts are the seven wonders of the Dominican capital included in the "Representative List of World Cultural Heritage Treasures".

Santa Maria la Menor, also known as Our Lady of the Incarnation and Catedral Primada de América, was the first cathedral built in the New World. Construction began in 1523 and was completed in 1541, with the exception of the bell tower, which was never built. It was initially built of rammed earth and covered with palms. The floor is brick and the furniture is solid mahogany.

The main portal is adorned with an enormous door weighing 2.5 tonnes, dating from its creation and restored for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. The exterior is Renaissance in style, with Gothic vaults. Its façade of ochre coral stone and its priceless silver altar set it apart from the rest.

The cathedral has several styles, as it was built over several periods and has been renovated many times, following numerous earthquakes. For a month, it served as the headquarters of the English privateer Sir Francis Drake, who sacked Santo Domingo in 1586. The guides like to point out the first chapel to the right of the altar, where Francis Drake is said to have hung his hammock and accidentally cut off the nose of a statue with a sabre!

The cathedral enclosed the remains of Christopher Columbus in a marble mausoleum in one of the 14 small interior chapels (according to his wishes), until he was transferred to Seville in 1785... or to the Columbus Lighthouse in 1992 (Spain and the Dominican Republic are vying for the honour of housing the remains of the illustrious navigator!). The cathedral dominates the Plaza de Colon (formerly the Plaza Mayor), in the middle of which stands the bronze and granite statue of Christopher Columbus, erected by the Frenchman Gilbert in 1887.

Pleasant and shady, it is lined with numerous cafés, art galleries and cigar shops, and gives rise to El Conde, a long, lively pedestrian street with plenty of shops.

The calle del Conde is a meeting point for residents of the colonial zone and tourists alike, with an incredible number of bars, restaurants, fast-food outlets and shops of all kinds, from the puerta del Conde to the parque Colon and its cathedral.

The only pedestrianised street in Santo Domingo, this never-ending commercial thoroughfare is teeming with life: a true strategic axis, it is the heart of the city. Shops line the cobblestones, and here and there you'll see old yellow number plates and other original knick-knacks. During your strolls through the colonial zone, you'll cross this thoroughfare many times. It was named after the Conde de Penalva (Count of Penalva), Governor of Hispaniola, who defended the city against the English in 1655.

At the end of the pedestrianised El Conde street, the Puerta del Conde, a 17th-century gateway and remnant of the old colonial wall, marks kilometre 0 of the Dominican Republic. This majestic fortified gate guards the Independence Park, which houses the Altar de la Patria, the mausoleum where the remains of the founding fathers of the Patria are laid to rest: Duarte, Sanchez and Mella. A perpetual flame commemorates the three founding fathers of the nation. On 27 February 1844, they declared Independence here, giving birth to the Dominican Republic.

The seat of the Spanish crown in the New World for sixty years, the Alcázar de Colon played a strategic role in the Spanish conquest and colonisation of America.

It was from here that Cortez, Pizarro, Balboa and Velazquez planned their conquests of Mexico, Peru, Panama and Cuba respectively. The residence of Diego Columbus, Viceroy of the Indies and son of the famous navigator, the Alcazar de Colon was built from coral rock (like the cathedral) in a blend of Mudejar and Gothic styles between 1510 and 1514 with the help of 1,500 indigenous people. Not a single nail was used to build the 22 rooms, 72 doors and windows of the first European-style palace in the New World, restored in 1955.

Adorned with a palm tree at each end, the façade consists of five arches on each of the two levels. All the furniture, armour, paintings and religious objects on display inside date from the 15th and 16th centuries. To the rear, a garden overlooks the River Ozama. In the evening, the monument is beautifully illuminated and the square comes alive with joy. A giant Christmas tree takes pride of place in December, and the terraces of the chic bars and restaurants housed in the splendid colonial buildings are always full. This is undoubtedly one of the most fashionable places in the colonial zone.

Built between 1502 and 1507 on the orders of Governor Nicolas de Ovando to protect the city from pirate attacks, Fortaleza Ozama was the first European fortress and the first military building in America. A stone wall separates it from the River Ozama, from which the building takes its name. Access is via the famous Calle de las Damas, the first street in the New World. Inside, you can wander through a vast garden featuring a bronze statue of Don Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, a famous 16th-century chronicler who wrote the first history of the Americas.

The complex is dominated by the Torre del Homenaje (Tribute Tower), a massive coral stone medieval keep. This square building dates from 1503 and contains a spiral iron staircase. From its 18-metre height, you can see the whole city and the river. Ships entering the port used to be greeted from the top of this tower, hence its name, the Homage Tower. In 1937, the dictator Trujillo reinforced it with a crenellated wall and used it as a prison until 1970. At the rear, the Carlos III gate is one of the oldest entrances to the fortress, which was never taken by force!

Built in 1512 by monks of the Order of Saint Francis, the monastery of San Francisco was both the first monastery and the first centre of higher learning (1538) in the New World.

The Franciscans (and not the Dominicans) were the first religious to settle on the island of Hispaniola. They arrived on the second voyage of Christopher Columbus. Partly burnt down in 1586 when Sir Francis Drake destroyed the city, it barely survived an earthquake in 1673. Despite this, the impressive and moving ruins are still a popular place to take a stroll.

Numerous concerts and cultural events are held at the foot of the building, which is surrounded by vast green spaces. A free concert is held in front of the San Francisco monastery every Sunday, come rain or shine! The old well and a reservoir where water was stored for the town's residents have survived. The site of the tomb of Alonso de Ojeda, one of the most intrepid captains of the conquistadores, can be seen beneath the ruined vault. Legend has it that, in an act of extreme humility, he asked to be buried at the entrance to the convent so that everyone could walk over him!

There are many 'Houses of the Cord' in the Hispanic world. Commissioned in 1502 by Don Francisco de Garay, a fellow traveller on Christopher Columbus's first expedition, the Casa del Cordon in Santo Domingo was the first stone house in the New World. The name of the house comes from the symbol of the Franciscan monk order: a rope belt carved on the façade.

Located on Calle Isabel la Catolica opposite the Palace of Telecommunications, the Casa del Cordon now houses the Dominican Popular Bank, but don't hesitate to push open the sumptuous wooden door to discover its treasures: there is a magnificent collection of furniture from the colonial era, as well as a pretty patio. The only condition: it's forbidden to take photos!

The former residence of the governor Nicolas de Ovando from 1502 to 1509 is one of the finest jewels in the colonial area, with its interior fountains, flower-filled patios, old stonework and period furniture, as well as views of the river from the terrace. Located in the heart of the colonial district on the first street of the New World, calle las Damas, this splendid palace with its Gothic-style portal (unique in America) is made up of three houses dating from the early 16th century.

The first governor of the city (and of the Americas), Nicolas de Ovando designed the architecture and gave it the name Santo Domingo. Accor has taken charge of restoring this palace, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and turned it into a remarkable boutique hotel with the Sofitel label, one of the group's flagship hotels. The colonial-style rooms offer superb views over the garden, the pool, the river or the famous Calle de las Damas. In addition to the swimming pool (unique in the colonial area), the Nicolas de Ovando has a modern fitness centre and a gourmet restaurant serving refined dishes. An unforgettable experience in a comfortable, fully-equipped environment set in 16th-century surroundings!

Opposite the Hotel Hodelpa Nicolas de Ovando, you can admire the National Pantheon, which houses the remains of heroes from Dominican history, particularly from the War of Independence. Formerly a Jesuit church built between 1714 and 1745, the building was successively a tobacco warehouse, a seminary and then a theatre in 1860 before being transformed into a Pantheon in 1955 by the dictator Trujillo. The central nave forms a cross with the side chapels.

Particularly well restored, the first street of the New World owes its name to the ladies of the court who used to stroll along it, in particular Maria de Toledo, vice-regent of the colony, niece of the King of Spain and wife of Diego Columbus, the son of the illustrious navigator. Today, visitors can follow in the footsteps of these ladies along this superb street, full of charm, for a real journey through time, which seems to have come to a standstill in this very peaceful place, barely disturbed by the few children playing along its picturesque facades.

Calle Las Damas is lined with numerous colonial houses and several interesting buildings. It starts at the Plaza de Espana, where the Alcazar de Colon stands. As well as the casa de Ovando, the Ozama fortress and the chapel of Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios, it is home to the casa de Francia, an early 16th-century Gothic building that originally belonged to Governor Nicolas de Ovando. Hernan Cortés prepared his expedition to Mexico here. Renovated in 1932, it was loaned for fifty years to France in 1978, which used it as a cultural centre before moving its embassy there.

Opposite the Hotel Hodelpa Nicolas de Ovando, you can admire the National Pantheon, which houses the remains of heroes from Dominican history, particularly from the War of Independence. At the end of Calle las Damas on the way to the Plaça de l'Alcazar de Colon, you can see a sundial built in 1753 on the orders of Governor Francisco Rubio y Penaranda, and framed by four cannons.