The Malecón of Santo Domingo

The avenue by the sea

In Santo Domingo, "el Malecón" means the road and promenade that follow the Caribbean shore south of the city centre. Its central stretch is Avenida George Washington, and that is where Malecon Vibes stands, about 200 metres from the water.

How it was built

A Dominican engineer, Arístides García Mella, sketched a coastal avenue for the capital in 1924. Work began at the end of 1931 under the Junta de Ornato, the city works board appointed by Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, and building it meant taking a strip of seafront land, about 35 metres deep, from private owners.

The first section opened on 22 February 1936, the birthday of George Washington, and took his name. The choice was a gesture toward the United States, whose military occupation of the country had ended about twelve years earlier.

The avenue's best-known landmark, the Obelisco Macho, rises about 40 metres. It was inaugurated on 11 January 1937, timed to mark the renaming of the capital as Ciudad Trujillo; the city took back the name Santo Domingo in 1961.

Near the lounge

Distances below are straight-line from our door, measured on OpenStreetMap.

For more, including the museums of the Plaza de la Cultura, see what's near the lounge.

An evening on the Malecón

1. Before sunset: walk the promenade while the light is low over the water. Our sunset guide has the time for each month.
2. After dark: come back up to the avenue for a drink on the terrace or at the bar. We are open until midnight.
3. Getting home: book a taxi or a ride-hailing car and share our Google Maps pin with the driver.

Sources: CDN (cdn.com.do), "Por qué la avenida George Washington lleva ese nombre"; El Dinero (eldinero.com.do), "Avenida George Washington, eje turístico en Santo Domingo"; Wikipedia, "Santo Domingo"; OpenStreetMap contributors.