From souvenir shops to designer boutiques, Puerto del Carmen has enough retail outlets to occupy the most ardent shopaholic.
Shops line the main Avenida de las Playas – many of them offering the usual sort of beach wear, flip flops and inflatables that you’d associate with any tourist resort. But in amongst these outlets you can still find fashion chains such as Lacoste and Diesel. And more esoteric souvenir shops such as Chevere.
What are the best buys? Alcohol and tobacco are excellent value buys (view your duty free allowance here), along with perfume and jewellery. But all that glistens is not always gold – as many of the ‘bargains’ available in local electrical shops are anything but.
Supermarkets in Puerto Del Carmen
There are numerous supermarkets located in the resort. But it is worth noting that these are not as large – and therefore do not stock as many items – as the large scale supermarkets we are used to in both the UK and Ireland.
Most noticeably, you will be very hard pressed to find fresh fish in these outlets and many do not have a meat counter. The Marcial Supermarket at the Hotel San Antonio end of the strip offers the best range of choice in the New Town. Whilst in the Old Town the Sol store in Calle Reina Sofia (the steep hill which runs up from the Old Town towards Los Mojones) is the best bet.
Supermarkets in all resorts are usually open 365 days of the year from around 8am through to 10pm.
Shopping Centres in Puerto Del Carmen
The Biosfera Shopping Centre opened in the heart of the resort in 2002 and has proved extrenmely popular with both tourists and residents ever since.
Clothing shops predominate – with uinternational brand names such as Zara, Mango, Levis and Footlocker leading the way. But Spanish chains such as Pull and Bear also offer great ranges of cheap and stylish clothing.
The Biosfera is also home to a few bars and restaurants and is located right on the border of the New and Old Towns. Open daily from 10am.
Electrical Goods
A word of warning for the unwary. If a deal offered in an electrical shop seems too good to be true – that´s usually because it is.
One of the most common complaints from tourists in recent years has been over the sharp – and sometimes downright illegal – business practices prevalent in most electrical shops in the resort. The tricks are many and varied. But all tend to end with tourists losing money.
Our advice is to forget about buying electrical goods in Puerto del Carmen altogether – and head for either the Deiland Shopping Centre in Playa Honda or Arrecife instead.