Santiago de los Caballeros

About

Settled in 1495 by 30 aristocrats who followed Columbus to the Dominican Republic, Santiago de los Caballeros was the country’s first capital before it was leveled by an earthquake in 1562. It’s since recovered, and today, the “Ciudad Corazón”, is the second largest in the country. The historic center is lined with Victorian houses and crowned by the Neo-Classical Cathedral of Santiago.To the southeast, the 18th century Fortaleza San Luis serves as a museum displaying everything from cannons and tanks to statues of important historical figures and Taino artifacts and cultural items. But Santiago’s chief landmark is the Monumento a Los Héroes de la Restauración, a white marble tower, surrounded by gardens, which has four floors of displays documenting the Restoration War. On the fifth floor, a wraparound balcony offers panoramic views of the city with the Cordillera Central mountain range in the distance.