8 Best Shopping in North Coast, Dominican Republic

The sister shop to Fred Joyas, Beach Box Boutique has new furnishings—hippie chic. With beach style it has a new collection of colorful and utilitarian beach bags, pareos, organdy sun hats, shell jewelry, and wide silver bracelets.

In Puerto Plata you can find enough interesting stores to both quell your shopping urge and pick up a few funky gifts, like mamajuana, the Dominican herbal liqueur. A popular shopping street for costume jewelry and souvenirs is Calle Beller.

This shop sells souvenirs, including many made of amber.

Joyas is Spanish for jewelry. Here it's silver jewelry coupled with the island's semiprecious stones—larimar, amber, and black onyx—as well as shells and beads. Fred is the proprietress, a savvy Frenchwoman with great taste.

This store is like many of the mano-name souvenir shops selling knickknacks, but there are a few better things here, and it's where locals buy their cigars. There's no sign, but if you find it, you'll discover that among the better gift items are handmade candles in the shape of a dugout boat, key rings, pink shell necklaces, colorfully painted wooden turtles, photo albums and picture frames made with sand and fiber, flip-flops, and inexpensive Panama hats, caps, and visors.

You won't find trinkets here but rather high-end jewelry (most likely at better prices than in your hometown). For quality larimar and amber with well-designed settings, many in platinum, this is it. A popular item and gift is a tiny gold or silver flip-flop pendant to dangle from a neck chain. Branches can be found in many touristy zones, including Cabarete and Sosúa.

If you need to know anything about anything in Sosúa, stop by and meet Patrick. Here for decades, he is kind about aiding gringos and has a sense of humor. He also makes tasteful silver jewelry if you are looking for a souvenir of your time here.

Stores at this shopping center (in the American tradition) sell everything from cigars, rum, coffee, snacks, and herbal remedies to ceramics, trinkets, flip-flops and suntan lotion, fine jewelry, American clothing brands, Oscar de la Renta tops, and Gottex bathing suits. There are banks and ATM machines.