What to Do – Buy Fish at Fishermen’s Village

Like most coastal communities in the Dominican Republic, Las Terrenas has plenty of fishermen and a long history of gathering the bounty of the sea for sustenance. Las Terrenas invokes that history today on the beach just west of the old fisherman’s shacks. Those shacks have been converted to gourmet restaurants and lounges with low lighting and jazzy melodies drifting from the decks overlooking the water. Further west, though, the tradition of the daily local catch continues as the boats pull up each day, just before lunch, with their assortment of fish and shellfish to sell to locals, tourists and restaurateurs.

Fishermen's Village - Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

Driving down the beachfront road west of Las Terrenas toward Playa Las Ballenas, you can’t miss the activity of the fishermen that starts each morning around 10:00am. The first boats return from the ocean between 10 and 11 a.m. to begin turning piles of fresh fish into dollars. 

Vendors at Fishermen's Village, Las Terrenas

They come loaded with lobster, crab, and a variety of fish. The most popular fish by far are the whole mahi-mahi or dorado, as they are known locally. You generally will need to buy a whole fish but it’s possible to find a seller who will dole out one side of the fish if you ask.

Carribean lobster, Red Snapper and Mahi-Mahi for sale

When I go, I usually buy a whole mahi-mahi for about $4/lb. I have it filleted by one of the men wielding sharp knives and heavy mallets. The mallet provides the power needed to deftly and precisely slice off fins, tails and the head of the large fish. A job well-done deserves an additional tip of a dollar or two and a sincere thanks for saving me the trouble of cleaning the fish.

Cleaning and filleting the fish in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic



I also buy lobster and shrimp at the fishermen’s market.  The lobster is Caribbean lobster and lacks the large, meaty front claws. I usually grill the lobster and eat only the tail – it’s easy to become complacent about picking all the little morsels from the shells when you only pay four to six dollars a pound for the sweet tasting delicacy. Most lobsters at the market are small so I usually get one and a half per person to be sure I have enough. If I have leftovers, I mix them with some local avocado for a lobster salad lunch the following day.



Shellfish at Fishermen's Village, Dominican Republic



You can also buy local clams and oysters along with calamari and squid. So far, my forays have been fish – dorado and capitan – and lobster and shrimp. You can often find piles of red snapper, called chillo, which are tasty baked, grilled or fried whole. On the weekends, the assortment grows and the crowds grow too. During the week, there may be only a few fishermen selling their wares. Once the crowds slow at the beach, the vendors pack up the remaining haul and head to the restaurants so don’t wait too long to get your shopping done.