Best buys are products made on the island including amber jewelry and decorative pieces. These are a national specialty; some pieces encase insects, leaves or dew drops within the ancient petrified pine resin. Larimar or Dominican turquoise is another popular stone. Milky blue and polished pink pieces of conch shell are also made into jewelry. Rocking chairs, woodcarvings, macramé, pottery, Taino artifacts, Creole dolls, baskets, limestone carvings and CDs of salsa and merengue also make good buys. Bargaining is recommended.
Shopping hoursMon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1430-1830.
Currency Information:CurrencyDominican Republic
Peso (DOP; symbol RD$) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of RD$2,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of RD$1 and 5 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 centavos. All the coins are legal tender but only the RD$1 and 5 are actually used due to the impracticality of the smaller denominations.
Currency ExchangeThe peso is not available outside the Dominican Republic. Currencies of Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA may be converted into local currency. On departure, up to 30% of the exchanged currency can be reconverted into US Dollars at any bank, provided original receipts are shown. All exchange must be done through official dealers such as banks and hotels approved by the Central Bank. Some street vendors in tourist areas accept US Dollars although these are not legal tender in the country.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMsAmerican Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all accepted.
Traveller's ChequesTraveller’s cheques are accepted by some banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars.
Banking HoursMon-Fri 0800-1500, Sat 0900-1300. In malls: Mon-Fri 0900-1900, Sat 0900-1300.
Exchange Rate Indicators| Date | Apr 07 |
| £1.00= | RD$64.07 |
| $1.00= | RD$32.40 |
| €1.00= | RD$43.29 |
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