Santiago

The second city of the D.R., where many past presidents were born, is reached by the Autopista Duarte, the four-lane highway from Puerto Plata that follows a centuries old trade route that is even still dotted with sugar mills, many of which are being renovated by the Office of Cultural Patrimony and the Brugal Rum company. This industrial center has a surprisingly charming, provincial feel, and a gentility characterizes the entire city, which has a slower pace and less crime than the capital. The city is dominated by the families of sugar barons, who have been making their fortunes from rum for centuries, the cigar kings, and bankers; there is a hierarchy of moneyed families in this city, and their presence and influence is felt. The women of Santiago are said to be among the fairest and best-looking in the country, and the men are true caballeros (gentlemen), often donning Panama hats. Santiago's full name—Santiago de Los Caballeros—comes from the fact that it was founded by a group of 30 Spanish noblemen.

Generations of Italian and Cuban immigrants, including the famous Fuentes (the cigar Fuentes), have become successful in everything from the restaurant business to cigar manufacturing, adding flavor to the ethnic mix. Like Santo Domingo, real Dominicans live here—entire generations—not just the transplants who live in hotel housing in resort areas like Punta Cana, which never had an identity before it was developed.

Traditional yet progressive, Santiago is still relatively new to the tourist scene but already has several thriving restaurants and hotels. It's definitely worth setting aside some time to explore the city. Some colonial-style buildings—with wrought-iron details and tiled porticos—date from as far back as the 1500s. Others are from the Victorian era, with the requisite gingerbread latticework and fanciful colors, while more recent construction is nouveau Victorian. Old Town Santiago is roughly the area from the centralized park, Parque Duarte to the Fort and then to the Monument. It takes in Duarte Street, to Independence and includes Las Carreras Avenue Mella Street, San Luis Street, August 16, March 30, Sabana Larga, Luperon, Cuba streets, Salvador Cucurullo, and Benito Moncion streets and Avenida Monumento.

Santiago is also the center of the island's cigar industry, and the Arturo Fuente factory is in the free zone here. Cafés and restaurants abound on the Calle del Sol, and on weekends the outdoor cafés allow you to watch the world of Santiago go by. This is a great, feel-good city that is often underestimated. Inland, there are no pearl-white beaches, but in the nearby foothills and mountains of the Cordillera chain, there are icy rivers and little natural balnearios (swimming pools).