OUR DESTINATIONS
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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Caribbean
- Dominican Republic
- Santo Domingo
- Columbus Lighthouse Monument
Columbus Lighthouse Monument
This mammoth structure was built on the eastern shore of the
Ozama River in the early 1990s, to commemorate both Santo Domingo's
status as the oldest European city in the Americas, and the 500th
anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. The building is
693ft (211m) long, and built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree
angle. It houses what the Dominican Republic claims are the remains
of Columbus himself, and is fitted with intense lights which
project the image of the cross into the sky at night. The monument
was designed by English architect J.L. Gleave, who won an
international competition for the design after 455 plans were
submitted by architects from 48 different countries. The building
is also the repository for numerous documents and artefacts
associated with the early Spanish colonial times.
Information & Facts
Address
Admission
RD$20 (adults), RD$5 (children under 11)
Language
Spanish is the official language, but English is spoken
in the main tourist centres.
Money
The currency is the Dominican Republic Peso (DOP), divided into
100 centavos. Many of the hotels and restaurants in the main
tourist destinations display their prices in US dollars as well as
in Dominican Pesos, as US dollars are widely accepted and some
places will also accept Euros. The peso cannot be exchanged outside
of the Dominican Republic. Major currencies can be converted into
pesos at Central Bank approved bureaux; only 30% of the pesos
bought can be re-converted and this only if the original receipts
are produced, so it is best not to buy more pesos than you are
likely to need. Major credit cards are accepted everywhere, but a
commission is usually charged and it is recommended that you only
use your credit card at your hotel as fraud incidents have been
reported. The best exchange rates are paid on US travellers cheques
and secondly on US dollars cash and are best exchanged at exchange
bureaux (
casas de cambio). Banking hours are Monday to Friday from
8.30am to 4.30pm; some banks also open on Saturday. ATMs are
widespread.
Opening Times
Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to
5.30pm