Samana shopping

[beddibi]

I will be visiting this port in May 2010 and have made a couple of notes on good things to purchase while here. Coffee - Cafe Tostado & Larimar gemstones. I have a couple of questions:

Where is the shopping at?

Do you need to take a taxi? How far away?

Where can I purchase this coffee & gem stone?

Are there any shops that sell local art work?

Theres very little info on this port of call on the thread. Any info on the town regarding shopping and food would be greatly appreciated.

[WiseSky]

beddibi, when we were there Jun2 2008 they were building a row of shops to the left as you get off the tenders. I'm sure it's done by now. Hopefully someone who's been there recently can tell you for sure. The Tour of Samana we took stopped a some roadside stands where they sold coffee and local art and it was a good tour.

[roothy123]

Just back from Samana. It's a real town, not one made for tourists, so shopping and food are a bit limited, and you'll find it a bit depressing. After all, the DR is a poor country...almost as poor as Haiti. But I digress....anyway, there's now a string of brightly colored shops in the area to the left as you get off the pier. I don't remember specifics, other than that it was to your left as you face Samana town. You'll find it if you walk around a bit near the main street along the shore. It sticks out, as it's very new and much nicer-looking than anything else in Samana! I found a picture of it somewhere. If I can find it again, or find specifics, I'll write more, but I'm sure you'll find it. There were also tons of vendors set up along the shore, selling brightly colored pictures and stuff like that.

 

I'm not a shopper, so I can't really comment on the shops or the vendors, but at least perhaps this helps a tiny bit...

 

Most people hated Samana but give it a chance! Just watch your step in the town - there's uneven paving, etc. and when we were there, it rained, making things slippery.

[george2000]

My daughter and I actually enjoyed Samana. It is very poor and there are kids trying to sell things everywhere, but a polite no thank you sent them on their way. There are locals selling items in tents and then as you get closer to town there are the brightly colored shops. There were plenty of police officers (even stopping traffic so you could cross the street)