An hour's drive south of Puerto Plata is the Dominican Republic's second largest city, Santiago de los Trenta Caballeros, with a population of about 1,000,000. Santiago came to life when Columbus had a fort built on the banks of the Yaque del Norte River to protect gold mining being done in the area. In 1504 Spanish farmers settled in this fertile center of the Cibao Valley and began farming tobacco. Today the area is still the most important to the Dominican Republic agriculturally - particularly for livestock, tobacco, coffee, and fruit farming. Santiago and its surrounding region are known for their elaborate celebration of the carnival taking place in February. The city also offers good restaurants and an active nightlife. During the day visitors can enjoy the busy street life of downtown, visit the Parque Duarte, the Cathedral of Santiago, or some of the many monuments and museums. The Tomás Morel Museum of Folkloric Art is popular for its very colorful collection of carnival masks. There is also the Santiago Museum and Tobacco Museum. A monument very difficult to miss is the 67 meter Monument a los Heroes de la Restauracion (Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration). Trujillo had the monument constructed to honor him, but after his death it was renamed to honor those who lost their lives in the War of Restoration. You can climb the stairs of the monument and get amazing views of Santiago and the surrounding area. Santiago's rum and tobacco factories - Bermudez Rum Factory and E Leon Jimenez Tobacco Company - offer tours that are quite popular with visitors. The Leon Jimenez Cultural Center offers cultural exhibits and performances rivaling those of the other museums in Santiago.