Top Sights in Santiago de los Caballeros - Dominican Republic
Posted: March 28, 2025 | Tagged: Dominican Republic
Santiago de los Caballeros or simply Santiago, is the 2nd largest city in the Dominican Republic. I took a bus from Santo Domingo, lodged at the hotel "Alegria Hostal", and backpacked the city over 2 days.
Santiago de los Caballeros was founded in 1495 and was the "first Santiago of the Americas". It is also known as "La Ciudad Corazón" - The Heartland City:
Santiago is often overlooked. The Dominican Republic is not such a popular backpacker destination. It's not cheap here, and when travellers do make their way here, they visit the capital for a day and then head straight to the beaches on the north coast, which is a shame because having seen the capital and the beaches at Samana and Las Galeras, Santiago de los Caballeros has more going for it than anyone could imagine. No mosquitoes like on the coast, no exaggerated costs in the restaurants and no broken sewers like in the capital.
Here are my top 7 sights in Santiago de los Caballeros:
Here are my top 7 sights in Santiago de los Caballeros:
1. El Monumento de Santiago
Also known as the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración. The 67-meter (220-foot) high monument is named in honour of the heroes of the Restoration War (1863-1865) who died in the fight to regain the DR’s independence from Spain.
Santiago's iconic white marble tower is circled on all sides by a multilevel garden and boasts panoramic views over the entire city and the Cordillera Central mountain range in the distance.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday - 10 am to 6 pm
The fee for climbing the tower is 100 pesos.
Santiago's iconic white marble tower is circled on all sides by a multilevel garden and boasts panoramic views over the entire city and the Cordillera Central mountain range in the distance.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday - 10 am to 6 pm
The fee for climbing the tower is 100 pesos.
2. Monumento a Gregorio Luperón
Gregorio Luperón was the 20th President of the Dominican Republic between October 7, 1879 and September 1, 1880. The Primera Espada de la Restauración monument is located at the bottom of the hill of the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración above.
3. Estatua de Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Pablo Duarte, 1813 - 1876, "Padre de la Patria", was a Dominican liberator, politician, businessman and poet who played an active role in the first phase of Dominican independence. He was also the architect of the first coup d'état in the Dominican Republic, which made him the first inspector general (commander in chief) of the Liberation Army of the Dominican Republic.
4. Monumento a los Mártires y los Héroes de la Restauracion 1863 - 1918
Small monument dedicated to the martyrs and heroes of the Restauration, 1863 - 1918, located in Duarte Park
5. Plaza de la Constitucion
This small square commemorates the 39 Constitutions the Dominican Republic has been through when it gained independence from Haiti in 1844.
6. Fortaleza San Luis
"In this place, the separation from the Haitian government was proclaimed for Santiago on March 6, 1844, at 4:00 in the afternoon, and on that date, the national flag, made by Mrs. Apolinaria Perez de Franco, was flown for the first time in our city."
The San Luis Fort, has free entrance, though the museum itself costs 50 pesos. You can admire the clock tower and other sculptures and the tanks and armoured personal vehicles.
The San Luis Fort, has free entrance, though the museum itself costs 50 pesos. You can admire the clock tower and other sculptures and the tanks and armoured personal vehicles.
7. Catedral de Santiago Apóstol
The all-white St. James the Apostle Cathedral, with its Gothic and neoclassical styles, dates from between 1868 and 1894, after the original structure was destroyed by an earthquake in 1842.
It was named after James the Great, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
It was named after James the Great, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
