Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

Santiago de los Caballeros, or simply Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European settlement in the New World, the city is the "first Santiago of the Americas". Today the city is one of the Dominican Republic's cultural, political, industrial, and financial centers. Due to its location in the fertile Cibao Valley it has a robust agricultural sector and is a leading exporter of rum, textiles, and cigars. Known as "La Ciudad Corazón" (the "Heartland City"), Santiago offers many breathtaking sites and landmarks.