Puerto Rico Shopping and nightlife

Shopping in Puerto Rico

Special purchases are cigars, coffee, hammocks, rum, straw weavings, sculpture, santos (carved religious figures), festival masks (called vejigantes) and stringed musical instruments. Note that cigars labelled as Cuban are not actually Cuban; because Puerto Rico is a US commonwealth, it is bound by the terms of the US embargo against importation and sale of Cuban goods. Lace is also a popular take-home item; made in the small town of Moca, mundillo (literally ‘little world’) is a special, traditional form of lace-making typical of Puerto Rico that can be traced back to Spain. It remains a vibrant craft today, and is even celebrated with an annual festival.

Watch out for cheap souvenirs in Old San Juan's trinket shops; many of the items are not authentic and are imported. A safe bet is to shop at Puerto Rican Arts and Crafts, which certifies that all of its products (typical island arts and crafts) are made by local artists. You can also buy directly from artists at street fairs, which are held on Paseo de la Princesa in Old San Juan on weekend nights.

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