Santiago de los Caballeros is the second largest city in the Dominican Republic and the cultural capital of the Cibao valley. Set in the fertile northern interior, Santiago is the heart of Dominican tobacco country — the surrounding plantations produce some of the world's finest cigars, and you can visit the La Aurora factory at the Centro León to watch the process from leaf to finished product.
The city has a grittier, more authentic feel than the beach resorts on the coast. The Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración towers over the centre from a hilltop, and the streets below are full of local restaurants, merengue clubs, and a lively nightlife scene that caters almost entirely to Dominicans rather than tourists. The Centro León on the north side is one of the best museums in the Caribbean. Santiago makes a good base for exploring the Cibao region, with the mountain town of Jarabacoa and the peak of Pico Duarte within reach.