The capital of the Dominican Republic holds a special place for both history buffs and partygoers. A pioneering colony of America's way back when Christopher Columbus established it, Santo Domingo features a lot of historic milestones. The first church, fort, and street in the Americas have reportedly existed here since the Age of Exploration. Aside from that, the Malecon nightlife district features live music and drinks thanks to its casual bars and dance spots where you can see people get their "merengue" on.