El Museo del Tabaco

Learn about the art of cigar-making—from the cutting of the tobacco leaf to the rolling of the cigar—with a visit to El Museo del Tabaco. Housed in a former Victorian cigar warehouse, museum exhibits include the rustic tools used to shape cigars along with old photos of workers.

Calle del Sol

Explore Calle del Sol. Spend an afternoon hunting for bargains on one of Santiago’s most fascinating streets. The artisan shops of Mercado Modelo offer a variety of rustic handicrafts. Keep an eye out for larimar, a light blue, semi-precious stone found only in the Dominican Republic.

The Monument  to the Heroes

Enjoy a Panoramic View. The Monument  to the Heroes of the Restoration stands 230 feet  (70 meters) tall on a hilltop overlooking the city. Originally constructed by Trujillo to honor himself, and renamed at the fall of his regime, it boasts murals by renowned Spanish artist José  Vela Zanetti.

Victorian and Spanish colonial architecture

Go Back in Time. A horse-drawn carriage ride is the perfect way to take in the city’s Victorian and Spanish colonial architecture. Two must-see sights include the Catedral Santiago Apóstol, built in the late nineteenth century, and the Centro de Recreo, formally a gathering place for Santiago’s high society.

Catedral Santiago Apóstol

Santiago’s cathedral, opposite the south side of Parque Duarte, was built between 1868 and 1895 and is a combination of Gothic and neoclassical styles. The cathedral contains the marble tomb of the late-19th- century dictator Ulises Heureaux, an elaborately carved mahogany altar and impressive stained-glass windows by contemporary Dominican artist Dincón Mora.