DK Travel : Dominican Republic : Shopping

Page
1
2

Amber

The golden resin makes beautiful jewelry, but before buying make sure that the piece is authentic.
Beach Markets

Big tourist resorts such as Bávaro and Bayahibe often allow small traders to set up informal markets. These are places to find genuine bargains away from the overpriced malls. Look out for rum, music, cheap Haitian art and fabrics.
Calle del Sol

The long, straight street of this commercial center cuts through downtown, lined with old-fashioned department stores, banks, and street stalls. You’ll find almost everything including “designer” sunglasses from Haiti.
Calle El Conde

Santo Domingo’s traffic-free central shopping street is the place for merengue or bachata CDs, cigars or cheap T-shirts, and other bargains. The surrounding side streets are also worth exploring for the many gift and souvenir shops.
Carnival Masks

The best known are the multicolored papier-mâché devil masks from La Vega, available in Santo Domingo.
CDs

The choice of merengue and bachata albums is bewildering. Ask the shop assistant to play a few.
Cigars

Some aficionados rate hand-rolled Dominican cigars even higher than Cuban and they are certainly better value.
Coffee

Some of the best mountain-grown aromatic beans in the Caribbean are sold in vacuum-sealed tins at fairly reasonable prices.
Colmados

The friendly little corner stores doubling as bars are the place to go for day-to-day items such as drinks, snacks or soap. You might not find much to buy, but you’ll find the rum cheaper than in tourist stores.
Flea Markets

Sunday mornings see the hustle-bustle of several mercados de pulgas in the capital. The outdoor gatherings at the Centro de los Héroes, the bottom of Avenida Luperón, and Avenida 30 de Mayo offer unlikely household implements, occasional antiques, day-to-day clothing, and cheap food.