From winter in Europe to spring in the Caribbean in the span of two weeks … let’s go!

On a sunlit afternoon in Santo Domingo, I set out with my cousins to explore the cobbled heart of the city: La Zona Colonial. Our steps echoed through history as we walked past centuries-old buildings, vibrant plazas and open-air cafés filled with music and people enjoying each other’s company. But the highlight of our day was a quiet, powerful stop at Centro Cultural Taíno Casa del Cordón.

Tucked into the historic Casa del Cordón — the oldest stone house in the Americas — this cultural center is a small but moving tribute to the Taíno civilization, the indigenous people of the Caribbean whose legacy still pulses through Dominican identity. As someone from San Juan de la Maguana, a southern province known for its deep historical tie to the Taíno world, this experience felt especially meaningful.

Caique Burial

Once inside, I was drawn to the displays on Taíno social organization, which offered a glimpse into how structured and spiritually grounded their communities were. The exhibit on how caciques (chiefs) were buried — often ceremonial positions, surrounded by symbolic items — was hauntingly beautiful and a reminder of how sacred leadership and ancestry were to them. A short film brought their origin story to life, intertwining myth, ritual and history in a way that made the ancient feel intimate.

These moments left me thinking not just about the past but about the living threads of culture that connect us to it — language, art, music, food and even geography. In my hometown of San Juan de la Maguana, those threads are strong. It’s a place where stories of Anacaona still echo and where the Taíno spirit remains embedded in the land and its people.

After leaving the center, we continued to wander la Zona. Enjoying an ice-cold beer in Parque Colón, we admired the stained glass of Catedral Primada de las Américas and watching the afternoon light hit the façade of El Alcázar de Colón. Each corner here tells a story — some beautiful, some brutal — all part of the layered history of the Dominican Republic.

Whether a visitor or a Dominican reconnecting with your roots, I highly recommend a stop at Centro Cultural Taíno Casa del Cordón. It’s a quiet place, but it speaks volumes.

— Yasser Ogando, executive media director