Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor
Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor
Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
3,212 reviews
Excellent
2,005
Very good
952
Average
220
Poor
21
Terrible
14
scotdoc2015
Birmingham, UK173 contributions
Feb 2023
Well organised place. Peaceful. Makes you ponder of the times when it was built, Awe inspiring holy place. Historic place. Must visit.
Written March 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Swift-Ohio
Hudson, OH316 contributions
Feb 2023
Beautiful cathedral. Work a look. The audio tour they give you was very informative. You do have to make sure you are dressing properly (no shorts or bare shoulders).
Written March 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Harley1Dave
Halifax, Canada220 contributions
Feb 2023
Today we explored more of the Zone Colonial which included a walk through The Cathedral of the Americas, my mom would have stayed in this cathedral all day, pretty amazing. They covered Donna’s legs, I didn’t think they looked that bad, lol.
Written February 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jackie S
Pleasant Prairie, WI89 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
If you’re Catholic, go to a mass here. We have very little Spanish but we’re able to follow the mass. So much history here! It’s gorgeous. Not open very frequently for tours. No shorts allowed. Pants or dresses.
Written November 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
maria k
New Port Richey, FL29 contributions
Mar 2022
This Cathedral is phenomenal. Anyone visiting DR must arrange a day visit to Santo Domingo and visit the Colonial section where this Cathedral is located.
Written March 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
B1714D
Belgrade, Serbia16,140 contributions
Dec 2021
Among many "first things" in SD, this Basilica is the most important one imo.
In Spanish they call it simply the First Cathedral (Catedral Primada), as it was the first Catholic breakthrough in the Americas. Today it celebrates more than 500 years on American continent.
The Basilica is located on the southern side of the Columbus park, behind Columbus back, and shines intact in its beauty. Interiors are very nice, including the altar and many side chapels.
The only reason I deduct one star is because they charge entry. Place of worship should be free for everyone.
In Spanish they call it simply the First Cathedral (Catedral Primada), as it was the first Catholic breakthrough in the Americas. Today it celebrates more than 500 years on American continent.
The Basilica is located on the southern side of the Columbus park, behind Columbus back, and shines intact in its beauty. Interiors are very nice, including the altar and many side chapels.
The only reason I deduct one star is because they charge entry. Place of worship should be free for everyone.
Written January 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ryan B.
North Kingstown, RI107 contributions
Dec 2021
At 4pm the church is closed to tourists, however if you're Catholic you can attend daily Mass at 5pm. The entrance for tourists and Mass goers alike is around the corner in the back. There was no signage indicating that, just people pointing. Admission with audio tour is $2. The audio tour has a recording for the nave and each of the 12 chapels. There are also multilingual plaques for each. You can take photos inside the church, but not of the side chapel containing the tabernacle. Men cannot wear shorts during Mass.
I'll admit I have a couple bones to pick, but nothing worth docking the rating much. It's still a world-class tourist destination with fascinating history and beautiful architecture.
Our first attempt to visit was a failure. We tried 5pm daily Mass and were turned away because I was wearing shorts. I then saw a girl with VERY short shorts allowed to enter. Not fair.
The next day, I toured the cathedral alone (in shorts). I paid for the audio tour, but quickly stopped using it when I realized there were English plaques for everything with the same information. Either way there wasn't a ton of information. While I enjoyed much about the cathedral, I was definitely not a fan of the modern abstract stained glass windows.
I returned later with my wife for the 5pm daily Mass. This time I made sure to wear pants. Another man was allowed to enter with shorts, but was given a shawl to wrap around his legs (I would have gladly taken a shawl the day before had it been offered to me).
We love attending Mass in various languages on all of our trips. This one was an exception though. The music ministry sounded like children's songs (there were no children attending Mass though) and sure enough they ended Mass with Jingle Bells. Ugh. Worse than the music though was the homily. Granted, we didn't understand it since it was in Spanish, but he was literally yelling into the microphone nonstop for what seemed like an eternity. It was brutal. I've sat through many homilies not in my language, but never experienced something like this before.
In summary, come for the amazing history and architecture, but skip the daily Mass.
I'll admit I have a couple bones to pick, but nothing worth docking the rating much. It's still a world-class tourist destination with fascinating history and beautiful architecture.
Our first attempt to visit was a failure. We tried 5pm daily Mass and were turned away because I was wearing shorts. I then saw a girl with VERY short shorts allowed to enter. Not fair.
The next day, I toured the cathedral alone (in shorts). I paid for the audio tour, but quickly stopped using it when I realized there were English plaques for everything with the same information. Either way there wasn't a ton of information. While I enjoyed much about the cathedral, I was definitely not a fan of the modern abstract stained glass windows.
I returned later with my wife for the 5pm daily Mass. This time I made sure to wear pants. Another man was allowed to enter with shorts, but was given a shawl to wrap around his legs (I would have gladly taken a shawl the day before had it been offered to me).
We love attending Mass in various languages on all of our trips. This one was an exception though. The music ministry sounded like children's songs (there were no children attending Mass though) and sure enough they ended Mass with Jingle Bells. Ugh. Worse than the music though was the homily. Granted, we didn't understand it since it was in Spanish, but he was literally yelling into the microphone nonstop for what seemed like an eternity. It was brutal. I've sat through many homilies not in my language, but never experienced something like this before.
In summary, come for the amazing history and architecture, but skip the daily Mass.
Written December 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
RCDS_Family
South Frontenac, Canada410 contributions
Nov 2021
Great stop in the old city.
The architecture was amazing. You really need to take the time and look at everything. There were a lot of hidden gems.
We were given headphones and an audio player. You can then tour at your own pace.
We enjoyed this stop quite a bit.
The architecture was amazing. You really need to take the time and look at everything. There were a lot of hidden gems.
We were given headphones and an audio player. You can then tour at your own pace.
We enjoyed this stop quite a bit.
Written November 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
717Alejandr0_C
Santo Domingo Province, Dominican Republic80 contributions
Aug 2021
Although I do not profess Catholicism, listening to the mass was a moment of great peace and reflection.
Written August 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Las Buganvillas
Cartagena, Colombia854 contributions
May 2021
A wonderful place and quite unique. Santo Domingo being the first town in the Americas has the only cathedral built in gothic style. There is so much art in it so it is recommended to either take a guide or at least audio guide.
Written May 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Suggest an editBasilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor (Santo Domingo) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor
- Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- We recommend booking Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 46 Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor:
- Private Santo Domingo Tour from Punta Cana, groups from 5-15 people (From $99.00)
- Full-Day Santo Domingo City Tour from Punta Cana (From $95.00)
- Historical Santo Domingo Day Trip from Punta Cana (From $95.00)
- Santo Domingo City Tour in Punta Cana (From $100.00)
- Full day tour to Santo Domingo from Punta Cana (From $90.00)
- Hotels near Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor:
- (0.04 mi) Boho Chic APT 6 pax - near to SDQ Centre
- (0.39 mi) Beverly Hills Residencial
- (1.97 mi) JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo
- (0.40 mi) Beverly Hills Residencial III
- (2.24 mi) InterContinental Real Santo Domingo
- Restaurants near Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor:
- (0.20 mi) La Locanda
- (0.26 mi) La Desserterie
- (0.34 mi) 3rd Street Cafe
- (2.23 mi) Factory Steak and Lobster
- (2.24 mi) The Market