Santiago

Generations of Italian and Cuban immigrants, including the famous cigar-making Fuentes, have become successful in everything from the restaurant business to cigar manufacturing, adding flavor to the ethnic mix. Like Santo Domingo, Santiago is a city of real Dominicans—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.

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 and fanciful colors, while more recent construction is often designed in a Victorian style. Old Town Santiago covers roughly the area from the central park, Parque Duarte, to the fort, and then to the monument.

Santiago is 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 overlooked. 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).