Backpackers and extreme sports enthusiasts who pass through Santiago and other northern areas of the Dominican Republic (like Puerto Plata and Cabarete) eventually find themselves drawn to the mountainous central areas of the island, such as the towns of Jarabacoa and Constanza – which have become major destinations for ecotourism. Such travelers stay in these […]
Younger visitors in particular may want to venture outside of the city to see the local amusement center, Kaskada Aqua Park (Av. Hispanoamericana # 90), whose management claims that it’s the largest in the Caribbean. Located a short distance from Santiago Airport, Kaskada Aqua Park offers a magic carpet water slide, swimming pools and other […]
With the Dominican Republic winning the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament held in the U.S. by Major League Baseball (MLB), a spotlight now shines on that country’s formidable baseball talent. Die-hard American and international baseball fans can visit Estadio Cibao (Av. Imbert) and see the local professional league team, “Águilas Cibaeñas”, play the island’s […]
The growing popularity of American-style shopping centers has resulted in the presence of two malls in the middle & upper class districts of Los Jardines and Gurabo in Santiago: “Centro Plaza Internacional”, which has a variety of ladies apparel boutiques, men’s clothing stores, a Starbucks-style local café & book stores, DVD and videogame rental shop, […]
To a growing number of visitors, Santiago’s evolving nightlife is an attraction unto itself. This is divided into two distinct areas. One is the traditional Latin music scene, composed mainly of the island’s trademark rhythms (Merengue and Bachata). Local discos like “Ambis” (located at Autopista Duarte Km. 2) and various lounges like “Level” (located at […]
If you want decent Dominican food, along with a eagle’s eye view of the Santiago area, as well as a bit of history, you can’t get better than “Camp David Ranch Restaurant” (Carretera Luperón. Km 7.5), which is part of a hotel of the same name. At over 2,000 feet above sea level, this classy […]
The region’s indigenous roots live on today in the form of tobacco production. Over the years, due to the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, the U.S. cigar market has increasingly bought hand-rolled fine cigars from the Santiago region (a.k.a. El Cibao). E. León Jiménez’s best-known label is “La Aurora”. There are also foreign-owned cigar labels […]
In further exploring the history of that part of the country, the best place for that would be the sleek, modern museum known as “Centro León” (built within the property of Dominican manufacturer E. León Jiménes). That firm is best-known for its line of hand-rolled cigars, as well as being the Dominican affiliate of […]
For Dominicans residing overseas, as well as for tourists, Santiago has at least one conspicuous historical site: “El Monumento” (The Monument) – located in the heart of the city, and built to commemorate Dominican independence from Spain after that country’s war of restoration in 1863. This part of Santiago is also distinct, because it is […]
Santiago (a.k.a. Santiago de los Caballeros), the island’s second-largest city (with nearby two million residents) grew in importance thanks to the large presence of its former residents in the USA, especially in New York City (which has half a million Dominican immigrants, and New York-born Dominican residents there). The city’s airport, Aeropuerto Internacional del Cibao […]