Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, quick travel guide

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Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas is one of the major cities on Ecuador's coastal plain. A rapidly growing community, Santo Domingo has a fast-paced energy and dynamism that visitors are sure to notice. It is an important transportation and commercial hub linking the mountains and the coast. Santo Domingo is also the gateway to numerous cultural and outdoor attractions.

The area on which Santo Domingo now stands was the home of the Chachi and Tsachila indigenous populations. These people made use of the great forests and abundant rivers that covered the region, and they also farmed the region's fertile soils. Even today, the Tsachila and Chachi cultures remain intact in the rural areas outside Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo's history is somewhat shorter than that of most of the cities of similar size and importance. The area around Santo Domingo was mostly ignored by the Spanish colonial officials. The presidents of newly independent Ecuador, however, sensed the importance of linking the coastal ports with the mountain cities and placed more emphasis on colonizing the hinterlands between the two.

The administration of Gabriel Garcia Moreno decided to build roads to the northern coastal ports, and these roads opened up the region to settlers, who poured in from the highlands. By the end of the 19th century, Santo Domingo had been formed into a city and incorporated as such. As trade between the highlands and coast flourished, the population grew. The fertile soils that had supported Tsachila and Chachi agriculture proved advantageous for the production of commercial fruit crops, as well.

Today, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas is a bustling city of some 325,000 people. Most travelers reach Santo Domingo on their way between the Coast and the Sierra, but it can be a rewarding place to stop and explore for a few days.

Santo Domingo has a fast-paced energy and dynamism that visitors are sure to notice...

Santo Domingo Attractions

• Cerro Bombolí

Rising above town, the Cerro Bombolí hill is an important landmark. It also makes for a wonderful excursion: a piece of nature dropped into the midst of urban Santo Domingo. The hill's lower slopes are covered in old-growth forests that protect a number of species of birds and butterflies. If you follow the road all the way up to the top, you will come to the Santuario del Virgen de Cisne, a church built on the site of many pilgrimages. The views from the lookout spot at the top of the hill take in much of the city and surrounding countryside. A taxi from Av. De los Colonos should be able to take you up the hill.

• The Markets

Santo Domingo has always been a town centered on trade, and commerce has been the driving force behind the city's founding and growth. That mercantile spirit lives on in the city's markets, which are centered around Av. Ambato and Ca. 29 de Mayo and offer everything from produce to electronics. The alleys between the market stalls buzz with activity most days and give visitors a uniquely Santo Domingo experience. Sunday is the best day to visit the street market on Av. Ambato, because it tends to draw a larger number of vendors then.

• Botanical Garden

To get a taste of the natural treasures to be found in the surrounding forests, head to the La Carolina botanical gardens. Located three kilometers (2 miles) outside town on the road to Chone, and easily reached by taxi, the gardens are open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are numerous trails running through the property, and you can even hire a guide to explain the flora for you. Among the many native species on display are the 200 varieties of orchids native to the region. The gardens also have a number of flowering and ornamental plans, fruit trees and other delights. Admission is $1.50.

• Bosque Protector La Perla

Visitors have a number of options to really escape the city and experience the region's natural wonders. Foremost among these is the Bosque Protector La Perla, a protected forest that is renowned for its biodiversity. As part of the old Chocó rainforest ecoystem, few remnants of which still exist, La Perla is an important spot for bird watching. There are over 250 avian species at the site, including toucans, parrots and hummingbirds. To get to La Perla, follow the road towards Quininde, or take a bus that travels the route. Both will pass by the turn-off for La Perla.

• Tsachila Communities

The rural communities of Chigüilpe, Otongo Mapali, Peripa, El Poste, El Búa, El Congoma and Naranjos preserve the Tsachila culture and way of life. Many residents still wear traditional clothing and dye their hair red with achiote seeds, and the economies of these communities still resolve around agriculture. The communities generally welcome foreign visitors with advance notification, and arrangements can be made by tour operators in Santo Domingo.

• Rafting

The area around Santo Domingo is one of Ecuador's favorite spots for rafting. One of the favored spots is at San José de Alluriquín. Here, the mighty Río Toachi provides some first-rate rapids for adventurous souls to take on. During the rainy season, from November to May, the rapids run faster and provide a challenge best-suited for experienced rafters. During the dry season, from July to October, the rapids are more appropriate for beginners. To reach the launch sites, take a bus towards Aloag, or follow the modern highway that covers the route. You will find San José after about an hour of driving from Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo Seasons

Santo Domingo can be visited at any time of year. It is warmer and rainier from January to April. It is cooler, cloudier and drier during the rest of the year.

How to Get to Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is a transportation hub, and can be reached from nearly any other location in the country. There is a modern bus terminal near the center of town, with departures throughout the coast region and into the northern Sierra. There are good highway connections to Chone and Manta, Pedernales and Canoa, Esmeraldas, as well as to Quito and Aloag.