Shopping guide / Dominican Republic

The typical shopping visitors do during their visit is to buy souvenirs, either to keep for yourself, or to bring back to loved ones. Souvenir-wise, the Dominican Republic offers locally made handicrafts of all types, which are available in some variety at every tourism destination in the country. Souvenirs range from colorful Dominican and Haitian paintings; to wood and soapstone carvings; to ceramics and mahogany furniture; to fine Amber and Larimar jewelry; to beachwear and sarongs. The most popular though, are the Dominican-made cigars, rum and coffee.
Never forget to haggle (have a look at the money section). If you don't, the seller will be upset, and you'll pay up to 10 times more expensive

Alcohol - Liquor/Beer/Wine

You can find both local and imported brands of a variety of liquors, beer and wine, at most corner stores and supermarkets in tourism destinations.
The most popular and inexpensive liquor to purchase as a souvenir, or to enjoy while you are here, is Dominican-made rum produced by one of the three B's - Brugal (0,7ltr. bottle around 4US$), Barceló, or Bermudez. Each of these offer at least five different types of rum - 151, Blanco, dorado, anejo, extra Viejo, etc. - with the fancier labeled bottles generally containing the highest quality product (aged), at an accordingly higher price.
It is possible to briefly visit the Brugal rum distillery in Puerto Plata (at 500 meters east of the city). 1 300 000 liters of rum brown or white are manufactured in this roasting plant.
You can buy rum there a little cheaper.
The most popular brand of beer is the locally produced Presidente . It is beloved by Dominicans and visitors alike and is more economical to purchase than imported brands like Heineken or Budweiser, which can also be found in most of the larger tourism areas. Other popular Dominican beers are Quisqueya, Soberana and Bohemia .

Cigarettes and Cigars

Different brands of cigarettes are available by the package, or in cartons, almost everywhere. Supermarkets generally have the largest brand selection at the least expensive cost. They are a popular item to purchase because they are far less expensive than in most other parts of the world. Marlboro , produced in the Dominican Republic on behalf of the American company ( 200 Marboro cicarettes only 25US$ ), Philip Morris , is the most popular and widely available brand. Imported cigarettes can be difficult to find due to the price they command compared to Dominican Republic-produced cigarettes. If you are particular about the brand of cigarettes you smoke, you may want to bring a sufficient supply of your brand from home.
The Dominican Republic is the biggest cigar-producing country in the world and most of that is done in the Cibao Valley region of the country (near Moca/Santiago). Cigar aficionados believe many of the Dominican Republic-made cigars are superior in quality to the much more famous Cuban cigars. You will find a variety of cigar types, in different brands and price ranges, in almost all of the supermarkets and tourist gift/souvenir shops in most tourism destinations. Cigar specialty shops tend to offer higher-end, brand name cigars.

Jewelry

Jewelry is found in abundance in the Dominican Republic, with the most prevalent jewelry items being inexpensive and casual, beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings and anklets. These are usually sold on the beach or in jewelry/gift shops in larger hotels/resort gift shops, or in stores in the shopping areas of most tourism destinations. The higher-end jewelry/gift shops also carry gemstone/semiprecious jewelry made with either sterling silver or gold.

The most popular pieces are the ones that incorporate either Larimar or Amber , both of which are mined in the Dominican Republic. Larimar, unique to the Dominican Republic, is mined in a volcanic mountain range in the south of the country and is polished to bring out its varied shades of turquoise blue and green, beautifully matching the colours of the sea. Amber is the bronzy, orange-hued resin that has hardened after millions of years. Amber is quite prevalent in the Dominican Republic. The most prized, and therefore costly pieces, incorporate fossils of small plants or insects that collected in the resin before it hardened, called 'inclusions'. Pricing of jewelry items incorporating Larimar or Amber varies depending on the type/quality/size of the piece, the type of metal used, and the design. Items sold on the beach tend to be lower in terms of quality and price and can sometimes be fakes (not real larimar, amber, sterling silver or gold). The specialty jewelry and gift shops offer more high quality products, incorporating the real gems/stones, silver or gold, at accordingly higher prices.

Craft

You will find almost everywhere articles from the Dominican craft industry. It's most of the time cheap, mass manufactured objects, like caps, baskets, ceramics, and jewels. Only the specialized shops and the art galleries propose articles of quality.
On the southern region, will find representations of Taïnos gods, as well as bags and belts leather.
The headstock of "Limé" was created in 1981 by the Dominican sculptor Liliana Mera; it is a figurine without face, painted in tone creole. This is now a symbol of the country. Some are very original.

Haitian Art

You will find this naive paintings everywhere, even on the beaches. This art comes from Haiti, but the Dominican ones renewed this style by adding new symbols. Please note that this painting are mass produced.
To get paintings of quality, you'll have to go to reputed art galleries.

Coffee

Coffee is grown in the Bani and Cibao Altura area of the Dominican Republic, and is known for its full body, low acidity and rich flavor. The economical price of coffee makes it an ideal gift/souvenir to bring home. The most popular brand is the white bagged Santo Domingo brand (1 pound only around 3U$$.)

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...priceless