Santo Domingo is considered the historic center of the Dominican Republic. Featuring cobbled stone streets and historic landmarks from the 1500s, this city is one of the Caribbean’s oldest ones. It’s known globally for its vibrant and diverse musical culture. Besides having loads to offer its visitors, this charming center makes the best place to go shopping, too.
Here, you can come across several places for shopping goods at reasonable pricing. From lavish shopping malls with bundles of designer shops to food markets, cigar shops, and more, you will find everything here. Dive into this article to explore more!
All About Shopping in Santo Domingo!
It won’t be wrong to say Santo Domingo features the most comprehensive shopping scene in the Dominican Republic. It’s not all about the souvenir shops, the capital city of the DR is lined with art and craft galleries boasting drool-worthy ranges of jewelry, textile, and more.
The city center is home to modernized shopping malls that compete in size and popularity with the malls of North America or Europe. Santo Domingo’s cigar shop game is also on another level! It’s where you can witness the cigar roller at work and lots more. Also, if you are thinking in shopping apropiate clothes for the weater, you can check our article about the dress code for Dominican Republic.
Other shopping highlights include gourmet and general supermarkets, discount stores, op stores, outdoor flea markets, and more. In short, whatever you are browsing, La Capital is there to offer you all!
Where to Go Shopping in Santo Domingo?
This section of the article features best-of-the-best stops for shopping. Are you thrilled? All shopping enthusiasts must be! Let’s dive in!
1. Mercado Modelo
Located on Avenida Mella, Mercado Modelo was built back in 1942. It’s considered the largest market in Santo Domingo and one of the top tourist attractions. It’s where loads of vendors find their livelihood by selling goods ranging from simple to simple and unique to unique.
On climbing up the vibrant yellow-painted stairs, you will come across a maze of small and organized shops leading to where everything is Dominican! After exploring the ranges of carnival masks, amber jewelry, and more, stroll to the back of the market, the heaven of seafood, fruits, and vegetables.
Source: @conoce_rd2. Merca Santo Domingo
Are you a traveler who prefers self-cooking? Merca Santo Domingo is your best bet! You will find everything from seasoning like anise, cloves, Jamaica Paper, etc., to fresh fruit and vegetable products, different colored bell papers, seafood, meat, pineapples, bananas, and more.
This market is way popular among locals looking for authentic and fresh ingredients. Want to get items at discounted rates? Hop inside this market on weekends.
Source: @mercasantodomingord3. Downtown Center
Located near the government embassy of Brazil, Downtown Center is a 3-level shopping hub featuring the largest ever Caribbean movie theater. Besides shopping here, you can immerse yourself in the joyful experience of streaming movies when sitting on chairs that pulsate and vibrate in synchronization with the audio signals. Isn’t it interesting?
It’s not only one of the best spots to hang out in the evening but also a great shopping hub. Summarizing your visit to Downtown Center in a sentence – hop inside, shop for the goods you want, feast on the scrumptious meals, and have fun watching a movie.
Source: @downtowncenter_rd4. Agora Mall
Covering an area of 120 thousand square meters, Agora Mall was opened to the public back in 2-12. Since then, this four-level building has remained a hotspot for tourists as it’s where one can find all the national and international brands, Zara, Guess, Levi’s, etc., in the array of 180 shops and over 20 restaurants.
Agora Mall holds the honor of being the first eco-friendly Dominican Mall. Its building is specifically designed to maintain thermal control when maximizing sunlight. This entire setup creates a natural indoor environment, which according to scientists, can enhance the shopper’s mood.
Source: @agoramall5. Sambil Santo Domingo
Sambil Santo Domingo is home to over 350 different shops, including the boutiques of the worldly known retailers, i.e., Aldol, Victoria’s Street, etc. Besides this, you can also find electronics stores of renowned brands like Sony and Samsung. When done shopping, don’t forget to dip your hands in the world drooling over meals at any of the 20+ restaurants featured in this shopping hub.
Some of the highlights of the Sambil include Lazer Runner, World on Heel, 14-screen Palacio del Cine movie theater, Super Video Mania, Magicland, FunGalaxy, and more. These are something you shouldn’t miss visiting.
Source: @tusambildo6. Avenida Duarte Chinatown Street Market
Sitting north of the Colonial City, Avenida Duarte Chinatown Street Market has both ends marked with Chinese gates. Stretching across the Mella, Benito Gonzalez, and Mexico avenues, this street market is where you will find loads of local Chinese and grocery stores. Here, you can find all sorts of goods, including houseware, clothes, and more.
Every Sunday, a huge crowd of shoppers hops inside the fresh produce market to benefit from the huge sale of sea creatures, dim sum, live chickens, fruits, and vegetables.
Source: @erazo.ges7. BlueMall
BlueMall is more than just a shopping mall; it’s where most of the country’s interesting events are held. It’s the hotspot for various celebrations and opening activities and is a perfect meeting place. It boasts the JW Marriott – a lavish hotel with 150 rooms where the well-heeled residents of Santo Domingo reside!
BlueMall is where most tourists go for window shopping because the steep price tags are enough to leave anyone astonished. Are you shopping with kids? Pay a visit to the Funny Factory; it’s where your kids will spend some worth-memorable time playing, playing, and playing!
Source: @bluemallsdWrapping Up
Looking for places to go shopping in Santo Domingo? This article has got you covered! It has listed seven renowned shopping hubs, street markets, and supermarkets where you can shop for whatever you want, clothes, electronics, fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, and more.
Besides shopping, most of these offer a plethora of entertainment options, too. Where kids can have fun in the designated play area, and others can watch movies in the advanced cinemas. Aren’t these a complete package of entertainment? These surely are!
