Orientation
It’s probably fair to say that most visitors spend the vast majority of their time in the capital either in the historic and increasingly lively Colonial City or (especially at night) along the seafront Malecón. The Malecón – site of many hotels, restaurants, dance clubs, and informal shanties for late-night eating and drinking – is officially known as Avenida George Washington and extends west for about five miles along the Caribbean from the Colonial Zone toward Río Haina.
Calle El Conde, the Colonial Zone’s main strip – and a somewhat seedy one at that – is a pedestrian mall with restaurants, bars, and shopping on both sides. No matter the day of the week or time of day, the Conde is typically packed with vendors hawking a variety of touristy wares and with people strolling back and forth or hanging out on the park-style benches.
This main artery is also where you’ll find most of your tourist services: Internet access, calling center, the tourist police station (at the intersection of El Conde and Calle Hostos), and a scattering of ATM machines inside the shops (there’s one at the fast-food chain Pollo Rey, for example). If you want more ATM choices, you can head to the intersection of Calle Isabela la Católica and Calle Mercedes, where you will find yourself in the heart of the banking district, or alternatively to the banks along Avenidas Independencia and Bolivar in Gazcue. Keep in mind that after regular banking hours (3 or 4 pm during the week and 1 pm on Saturday) the only banks that provide access to their ATMs in the Zona Colonial are Banco León and Asociación Popular.
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