Fortaleza Ozama in Monte Plata

beautiful colonial fortress that tells the history of the republic

Ir was a beautiful placeI love it

Wow !!! First time on Dominican Republic and I had a great time walking around the zona colonial and going to Fortaleza Ozama. There’s a fee to go in but hey it’s to keep it maintained so go and visit !!!

Great place... But this last time was a little abandoned, too dark inside... I have been there before and was better than this time....

Beautiful fort at the heart of the colonial area. The tickets were about DR 140 pesos per person. We did not take any guides but they were available for extra charges. You can spend about 30 minutes here and YES you can climb the fort. The fortress is pretty small and empty but you can see some great views of the Ozama river from the top. It was not crowded when we went there and you can get some beautiful pictures here. Definitely worth visiting!!

Great part of the Dominican Republic history to visit. Its a good idea to pay a tours guide they know the history.

Worth to visit even from the outside. There is a small entrance fee. Not much to do but you can take amazing pictures.

Lots of things to see, entry price is reasonable.

The interior court is big, but the forstress itself is quite small. Cant climb the highest turn because was closed for restauration. I expected a spectacular view from the top but it was not the case. Also the "gun powder building" is closed for visiting because there are still remains of powder and could be dangerous

An opportunity to see the history of the country - well preserved and worth every penny of the entry fee. The view from the top... has to be seen.

A beautiful structure from colonial times, it is a great place to know and understand the history of the Dominican Republic.The views of the city are beautiful, and its located just across many other iconic places.A must-visit.@Aventure.dos

One of the most emblematic monuments of the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo. This coral stone building is the oldest military construction of European origin in the Americas. It is shaped like a medieval European castle and its main objective was to protect the city from attacks by English, French and Portuguese pirates and invaders. It also served as a prison compound.

Great place for pictures. Super hot during summer time. Bring water and sunblock. Kids-friendly. Entrance is less than $10

Nice to see but not much to see. Watch out for the ,,Tourguides" after the entrance. It seems that they are part of the visit but they will follow you afterwards and talk about different things about the the city and they want you to pay them 20 Dollars. Nothing against a good tourguide but they should tell you before that he costs extra.

Diego Columbus stole this residence fromDiego Salcedo, then the warden of the fortress, was out of town. The king at the time had to intervene to kick Columbus out to remediate the residency of the warden.Beautiful view, interesting stories, overall great experience. There is a restroom by the gate for those walking around the zone and in need of responding to the nature’s call.

If youre a history buff you pretty much have to come visit here. Its a really good experience my son and I enjoyed our time.

This is a beautiful fort right in the heart of the colonial area.It costs about 100 Pesos to enter, and the price is worth it. There is always someone willing to tell you the whole history of the place for just a few Pesos. A must go.

It is one of the most employable places in the Colonial Zone, as it served as a fortress, housing and castle for the first colonizers of the island.They should provide more information about the roles of strength in the history of the nation.

This is a centennial historical landmark (a sixteenth-century castlewhich lies at the entrance to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - known as "La Zona Colonial".- Overlooking the Ozama River and next to Calle Las Damas. Named after this river, the castle, also referred to as "La Fortaleza", (built on 1502is the oldest formal military construction still standing in America and it was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, together with the other historical monuments of the Ciudad Colonial.

Great place with good views, you can find some mangos to eat at the end of the row of cannons. Costs 70 pesos per person and you can have a tour guide show you around (I wouldnt recommend it since there isnt too much to see)

Absolutely beautiful! Hard to believe is place is over 500 years old. The view is breathtaking from there

Historically important structure and beautiful fort tower but there isnt a lot to see.

This is a great ruin to visit in the afternoon. Its not expensive, and its nice to learn about the history of the fort and of Santo Domingo

GreatHistorical place, great view in a sunny day.

Realy nice to visit.

Nice monument but the grounds need better landscaping and more could be done in the area of tour guides . Still, it is a place to see.

Very interesting, I love history. STAY AWAY FROM TOUR GUIDES AT GATE. There are signs everywhere in Spanish and English that tell you want everything is. Plus figuring things out for yourself is always fun. Its 100 pesos to get in and the so called guides want $40 US dollars. Ive been 4 times and learned about everything without there help, but their are employees walking around you can always ask questions for FREE

Beautiful historical place ! Luckily I had my boyfriend who visits a lot and knows about this place and what the history. No tour guides just random people over charging tourist for a simple tour. No maps at all due to their lovely government sending no money for funds.

nice place, nice view. another classic one shouldnt miss.

One place you have to visit due to the historical importance of this place.

Great historic place. You should pay for a guided tour if you want to get into the details, but its not mandatory.

A mini-fortress designed to guard the river traffic, now a historic monument to the nations history of occupation and revolution.

There is like a small fee entrance fee of like 25 pesos (0.50 USDused to keep the place tidy but its a nice place to see visit and especially to chill and relax!

Very nice. 100 pesos to go in. 2 dollars

Cool and simple local historical place with a great plus of restaurants in walking distance.

Very nice historical monument located in the heart of the colonial zone, the first city founded in the Americas. Today its a museum which portrays original furniture and artwork once owned by Christopher Columbus and his sons.

This was an exciting fortress to get to see in person. Make sure to read all the information panels in and around the buildings.

Excellent monument of the Dominican history. Frequently they have different kinds of activities, including concerts and other kind of things. Its next to other monuments and museums and you can see the Ozama River from the fort. Its located in La Damas Street in La zona colonial.

I visited this fort in April 2017. It was cheap. They did have a guided tour available but we declined and they let us go right onto the grounds and in the fort and free roam it. It made for great pictures. The history of it is sort of cool where its another Spanish colonial building and served as the fort and the opening of the Ozama river. We had fun exploring in and out of it. Its at the end of El Conde street so its close to other landmarks and shops. Its definitely worth a visit. Its in really great shape considering it was built in the 1500s.

A place of great historical importance and a nice walk. 70 pesos to enter, Dodge the tour guides and read up beforehand.

Nice historical place! I grow up close to it, and I had the opportunity to explore this place during the weekends. This monument is part of the “Colonial City” a very unique place to visit if you love history! Visiting this place will get you transported back in time!

Good place to spend some hours walking and wandering around, nothing iconic or special about this place, but still a good place for some good views and a good walk, be aware! Not a good place for anyone who is taller than 510! All doors and passages are really short! Watch your heads!

Fortaleza Ozama (in Spanish; Ozama Fortress in Englishwas built in 1502 castle built by the Spanish at the entrance to in Santo Domingos Ciudad Colonial, Dominican Republic, and overlooking the Ozama River. Named after this river, the castle, also referred to as "La Fortaleza" or "The Fortress", is the oldest formal military construction of European origin in the Americas. An impressive architectural structure of medieval style and design, the Tower of Homage (Spanish: Torre del Homenajestands in the center of the grounds. The castle was designed to guard the entrance to the port of Santo Domingo and defend the city from seaborne enemies. Construction began in 1502 and it was completed in 1505.[1][2] The entrance gate on Calle Damas was originally built in 1608, known as the Prevention Gate.[2]The castle was well-built enough to serve as a prison until the 1960s.[2] When the prison was closed, the "Fortaleza" was opened to the public. It is located at the end of Las Damas Street

beautiful historic place, bring a hat and water, lots of climbing ,entance fee is $100 dop ($2.50 USD)

Ancient culture is hidden in every wall here. It has a beautiful view of Sansoucis pier and some of East Santo Domingo city as well.

This was a beautiful site with a breadth of history. Crowds were sparse and with a small tip, you should be able to hire your own tour guide. Admittance was only $200 DO Pesos

Walkable fort within the Zona Colonial limits. Certified guides are available at the entrance to give tours for about 300 pesos for 2 people. They dont offer printed info so you may be better off with the guide.

Beautiful and significant place to the history of the Dominican Republic. I love my country and a place like this one represents everything that it has gone through.

This is a 500 yr old Spanish fort that overlooks the Ozama River and dates from the time of Christopher Columbus. There is a large inner area which houses a tower with winding stairs all the way up. If youre afraid of heights youll want to be securely stationed in the middle of the top deck. Otherwise adventure seekers will enjoy standing on the turrets next to the Dominican Republic flag. It is the oldest formal military construction of European origin in the Americas.The construction of the tower walls is interesting in itself. Whatever material they used has pieces of fossil coral and even conch shells embedded in the concrete-like material. There are openings in the walls for both cannons and rifles, so the soldiers could ward off their enemies. There are even some cannons that are lying on the ground near the tower. Short doorways make for a challenge if youve been blessed with great height, but most wont have an issue.The view from the top of the tower is beautiful and provides a panorama of the river and a glimpse into what Columbus might have look out on because his historical house is right down the street from the tower. Dont miss it! History is especially great when you get to literally walk through it.

Went there without a guide. If you like historical places; this site is for you. The walls seem to speak to you. Its a quiet place with a nice view and ancient architecture. It is an empty fort but i could imagine lots of stories as I discovered its corners.