Tres Ojos National Park and Santo Domingo
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Port
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$120
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
This tour of Santo Domingo's Los Tres Ojos National Park and the colonial Old Town will take your breath away. A combination of majestic natural and manmade wonders, it will give you a glimpse into the Dominican Republic that few see in a day.
To begin your tour, board air-conditioned transportation for the narrated short drive to the Cuevas Los Tres Ojos (the Three Eyes Caves). This series of huge natural caverns are decorated with an array of stalactites and stalagmites and dotted with freshwater lagoons of different sizes and depths. The mysterious Sulphur Lake occupies an extinct volcanic crater; the pre-Columbian Taino Natives used the site for religious ceremonies.
Your guide will explain the geological history of the area and lead you down a long staircase to view the beautiful cave. Today, the inhabitants include turtles, bats and humans. The latter are daytime daredevils who dive from the cave wall into one of the underground lakes.
Then, continue on to Santo Domingo. Listed as a UNESCO Colonial City, Christopher Columbus's arrival on the island in 1492 meant the arrival of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas. The city was laid out on a grid pattern that became the model for almost all town planners in the New World.
In Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone, your first stop will be at the well-known Amber World Museum. Your museum guide will explain all about amber from the Dominican Republic and lead you through the exhibits. Enjoy a cup of fine Dominican coffee, and browse in the gift shop where locally-made items and fine amber jewelry are for sale.
Next, take a short ride to Plaza Duarte, where your guide will point-out the New World's first university and earliest convent.
Finally, visit Plaza Santa Maria and enjoy approximately 45 minutes of free time to explore independently before your return to the ship.
Please note: Not advisable for guests with mobility limitations.