The city's harbor at the mouth of the Ozama River accommodates the largest vessels, and the port handles both heavy passenger and freight traffic.

In June 1502,[16] Santo Domingo was destroyed by a major hurricane, and the new Governor Nicolás de Ovando had it rebuilt on a different site on the other side of the Ozama River.

[17][18] The original layout of the city and a large portion of its defensive wall can still be appreciated today throughout the Colonial Zone, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

[18]: 143–144, 147 The first major slave revolt in the Americas occurred in Santo Domingo during 1521, when enslaved Africans led an uprising on Diego Colombus's sugar plantation.

[20] A report which reached the English government in May 1586 states that from Santo Domingo he took away 1,200 Englishmen, Frenchmen, Flemings, and "Provincials out of prison, besides 800 of the countrey people".

[21] Drake's successful capture signaled the decline of Spain's dominion over Hispaniola, which was accentuated in the early 17th century by Spanish policies that resulted in the depopulation of most of the island outside of the capital.

The city and the colony lost much of their Spanish-born peninsular population as a result of these events which caused a great deal of instability and unrest.

[20][26][27] On 27 February 1844, Santo Domingo was again the capital of a free nation, when it gained its independence from Haiti, led by Dominican nationalist Juan Pablo Duarte.

In 1861, Spain returned to the country, having struck a bargain with Dominican dictator Pedro Santana whereby the latter was granted several honorific titles and privileges, in exchange for annexing the young nation back to Spanish rule.

Newsweek described it this way: Amid the clatter of automatic weapons, the sharp rattle of .50-caliber guns and the heavy explosions of bazookas and recoilless rifles, the paratroopers of the 82nd U.S. Airborne Division blasted their way four city blocks into Caamaño's bastion.

Heavy fire from U.S. guns across the Ozama River ringed rebel headquarters on El Conde Street, shattered buildings and started huge fires.Eventually, the fighting would end on August 31, 1965, with 2,850 Dominicans and 44 American servicemen dead.

The Columbus Lighthouse – Faro a Colón – was erected in Santo Domingo in honor of this occasion, with an approximate cost of 400 million Dominican pesos.

Santo Domingo's position on its banks was of great importance to the city's economic development and the growth of trade during colonial times.

The average temperature in Santo Domingo varies little, because the tropical trade winds help mitigate the heat and humidity throughout the year.

Thanks to these trade winds, Santo Domingo has a borderline tropical rainforest (Köppen Af)/tropical monsoon climate (Am), as its driest month is very close to 60 millimeters (2.4 in).

[33] Many of Santo Domingo's most notable landmarks are located within the Zona Colonial district of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

The Colonial Zone, bordered by the Río Ozama, also has a collection of early 16th century buildings, including palatial houses and majestic churches that reflect the architectural style of the late Middle Ages.

The Alcázar de Colón, having once been the colonial palace of the Columbus family – beginning with his son Diego – is now a museum displaying period furniture and decorations.

The city proper of Santo Domingo is subdivided into incorporated areas (neighborhoods) called sectores which could be considered as small urban towns.

The President's office and ministries, National Congress, Supreme Court of Justice, and other main government institutions are located in the metropolitan area.

The construction boom is reflected in the many high density residential towers, shopping malls, elevated highways, the metro expansion and overall increase in commercial activity.

Santo Domingo has areas of high development, among them Serralles, Naco, Arroyo Hondo, Piantini, Urb Fernandez, Ens.

Its location at the center of the Caribbean is well suited for flexible itinerary planning and has excellent support, road and airport infrastructure within the Santo Domingo region, which facilitate access and transfers.

Avenida 27 de Febrero: It is the main avenue to cross the National District from east to west in the central part of Santo Domingo.

It starts at the Juan Bosch bridge and crosses the entire city until the roundabout at the Plaza de la Bandera, which extends into the town of Santo Domingo West and ends on the Duarte Highway.

The four lanes in the center of the avenue are express that facilitate transit in the city from east to west, with several elevated cross streets, overpasses and tunnels.

Avenida George Washington: It is colloquially referred as "El Malecón" This is Santo Domingo's Maritime Boulevard, running alongside the Caribbean sea's waterfront.

On this Boulevard you will find the most exclusive hotels in the city, several casinos, the mixed business and residential high rise complex Malecón Center, the Obelisk and Eugenio María de Hostos' Park.

Local attractions located on this strip includes Gallístico Center Herrera Industrial Zone, and the Plaza de la Bandera.

This avenue is the main commerce route for low-income people throughout the metropolitan area with department stores, restaurants, and shops that offer goods and services at modest prices .