In this article, I won’t just list the fruits of the Dominican Republic — I’ll tell you where and when to buy them, how much they cost, and share tips, hacks, unique features, and everything a tourist needs to know about Dominican fruits.

Right away, let me say — I won’t go into detail describing what an avocado or banana is. But if there’s something unusual or noteworthy about a fruit, I’ll definitely mention it.

Table of Contents:

Dominican watermelons
Watermelons galore. But overall, the Dominican Republic isn’t a place where you’ll find an overwhelming abundance of exotic fruits and berries.

General Facts About Dominican Fruits

If you’ve made it to this article, you probably already know that the Dominican Republic is warm year-round. There’s no snow or winter here — not even on Pico Duarte, the country’s highest mountain. Harvests happen several times throughout the year, so no matter what month you arrive, fresh fruit will always be available. But there’s a catch. 🙂

Important to know:

Tourists often expect tropical fruit abundance similar to Southeast Asia — like in Thailand or Malaysia. Let me set the expectation: that’s not the case here. Sure, there are plenty of fruits, and harvests happen all year long. And yes, I’ll list more than two dozen varieties in this article. But in reality, there’s no overwhelming bounty.

So don’t expect to feast on a wide variety of fruits every day. Realistically, you’ll mostly be eating bananas, pineapples, and papayas — those are as common here as apples are back home. Coconuts too, of course.

Another important note:
All produce (not just fruits) in the Dominican Republic is sold by the pound (Lb), not by the kilogram. Prices are always listed per pound, so it’s easy to buy a couple of kilograms and end up paying twice what you expected. (1 pound = 0.45 kg).
More on local currency, why gasoline is sold in gallons, and other Dominican quirks — see my article on interesting facts about the Dominican Republic.

Some fruits are sold individually — I’ll mention that where relevant.

List of Fruits You Can Find in the Dominican Republic

Below is a list of fruits you might come across. That doesn’t mean you’ll find all of them at the fruit stand near your hotel. Some of these I’ve only seen two or three times in over two years of living here. Your average local fruit stand will likely look like the one in the photo below:

fruit stall in las galeras
This is your typical fruit stand lineup: coconuts, bananas, papayas, and sapote (those small round brown fruits in the basket on the left).

Fruits Available Year-Round

  • Bananas. Bananas come in three varieties in the Dominican Republic: yellow, red, and green. The yellow and red are the sweet dessert types we’re used to. The green ones are plantains — they’re not eaten raw and must be cooked. Plantains are widely used in Dominican cuisine.

Here’s a link to an article about Dominican national dishes, the difference between mango and mangú, and what to try while visiting.

Bananas are extremely cheap and available everywhere.
Plantains are even more abundant.

Bananas and plantains in the Caribbean
Classic banana shelf at any grocery store: sweet yellow bananas for dessert, green ones for boiling or frying.
Пальмы с кокосами в Доминикане
This is what the country looks like year-round. Countless coconuts everywhere.

Pro Tip:

The ultimate survival skill on a Dominican beach or in the jungle is learning to open a coconut without tools — no hammer, saw, corkscrew, knife, or bricks.
The theory is simple: take a fallen coconut and hit it sharply against a palm tree. Every coconut has a barely visible seam around the equator. If you strike that line accurately and hard enough, the coconut will split cleanly in half.
Sounds easy — in practice, not so much. Took me nearly a hundred tries to get it right.
  • Pineapples
    After bananas, this is the most common fruit. Found everywhere, pineapples are cheap and often used to serve cocktails — especially on the beach. One pineapple costs less than $2 — and for that price, they’ll peel and slice it for you too.

Popular Fruits (Seasonal)

  • Papaya (called lechosa in Spanish)
    When in season, papayas are sold everywhere at around 12 pesos per pound — that’s roughly $0.50 per kilo. Locals often use papaya as a meat tenderizer for BBQ marinades due to the enzyme papain, which softens the meat.
fruits of the Dominican Republic papaya
Papayas are eaten fresh and are also used in nearly every BBQ marinade.
  • Mango
    There’s not much to explain here — juicy, tender, and sweet. In season, mangoes cost around $1 per kilo and are sold everywhere. Out of season? You won’t find them at all. (See the seasonality section below for which fruits are available in which months.)
  • Passionfruit (Maracuyá)
    Grows in nearly every backyard garden. Most often used for juice. A close relative — granadilla — also grows here, but locals just call it passionfruit too.
Fruits of the Dominican Republic passion fruit yellow
Yellow granadilla — mostly used for juice. 65 pesos per pound (about $1 at 57 pesos per dollar).
  • Avocado
    Soft and buttery — a staple in the Dominican diet. A traditional Dominican breakfast always includes mangú (mashed boiled plantains), onions, boiled banana, avocado, and salami.
  • Melons and watermelons are also widely available when in season. You’ll also find apples, grapes, oranges, lemons, and many other familiar fruits.
fruits of the Dominican Republic avocado
Giant avocados — 39 pesos each

Exotic Fruits of the Dominican Republic

Earlier, we covered fruits that most people are familiar with — ones you’ve likely tasted before or even bought in your local supermarket. Now, let’s dive into the truly exotic. Some of these you may have tried, others you might be hearing about for the first time.

Even in the Dominican Republic, these fruits aren’t sold on every street corner — but they are grown here. And during harvest season, you can find them if you know where to look.

A Few Unusual Fruits

  • Pitaya Poio — also known as red cactus fruit, dragon fruit, or pitahaya. This fruit is typically cut in half, and the white flesh is scooped out with a spoon. Some varieties have red flesh instead.
Dragon fruit in the Dominican Republic
You might occasionally spot dragon fruit in stores back home — usually at sky-high prices. Here, it’s much more affordable.
  • Sapote — Visually, it looks like a cross between a large kiwi and a potato. Not particularly eye-catching. If you didn’t know what it was, you’d likely ignore it at the fruit stand. But once you slice it open, you’ll find a soft, vibrant orange flesh inside.
    • It’s hard to describe the taste: to me, sapote is reminiscent of persimmon (the real kind, not kaki), while my wife says it vaguely reminds her of boiled carrots.
Sapote Dominican fruit
Look for this unassuming fruit — Sapote. Dull on the outside, but fascinating inside.
  • Níspero — This fruit looks a bit like an apricot. The flesh is juicy and sweet, although large seeds take up about half the volume. Still, it’s definitely worth trying.
  • Carambola — Also known as star fruit, due to its distinctive shape. It’s very popular in places like Zanzibar. We weren’t particularly blown away — the taste is tangy-sweet and juicy, but nothing extraordinary.
Carambola in the Dominican Republic
This is what carambola looks like.
  • Morinda — An extremely healthy fruit said to treat many ailments… but extremely unpleasant to eat raw. It grows in abundance, but please, do not try it straight from the tree. It’s bitter and downright nasty. Locals harvest the fruit, extract the juice, process it carefully, and drink it in small quantities as a health tonic.
    • This isn’t mamajuana — though that, too, is made from all kinds of things :). Read more about mamajuana here.
    • When ripe, morinda is pale white. Unripe, it’s green. Also known as noni.
Morinda fruit in the Dominican Republic
Ripe morinda looks just like this. Unripe ones are green.
  • Cherimoya — A fruit I absolutely recommend everyone try. It ranges in size from an apple to a pomelo, with a green, scale-like skin. The texture can resemble a pine cone, though it’s rounder and softer. Keep an eye out for this one in stores — inside, it has an incredibly soft, creamy, custard-like flesh that tastes like vanilla cream. Absolutely delicious.
Cherimoya in the Dominican Republic
Cherimoya — my favorite fruit in the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Fruit Seasonality: Month-by-Month

As I mentioned earlier, despite the Dominican Republic being a tropical paradise with summer all year round, every fruit has its own growing season. You can count on bananas and pineapples being available year-round. Everything else depends on the time of year.

Below is an approximate chart showing when different fruits are harvested. If your trip overlaps with the right season, you’re likely to find these fruits fresh and in abundance.

fruits in the Dominican Republic by month
Approximate Harvest Calendar for Dominican Fruits

Tips for Travelers

  • The bigger the store, the better the fruit selection. Street stalls — like the one pictured earlier — generally offer limited options.
  • Remember, prices are per pound (libra), not per kilogram. One pound is approximately 450 grams.
  • Bring a folding knife! Unless you’re sticking to bananas and apples, most fruits will require peeling or cutting.
  • Bonus tip: Many tourists bring home snail cream from the Dominican Republic. Curious? Check out the full article via the link.
Dominicana fruits in the store
You’ll find the best fruit variety in large supermarkets — much better than what small fruit stands offer.

In Conclusion

The fruit list in the Dominican Republic is, on paper, quite long. But in reality, the selection you’ll find at your resort will likely fall short of expectations. Comparing Dominican fruit variety to the overflowing abundance of Southeast Asia just isn’t fair — Asia is simply on another level.

Still, I hope you make some juicy, vibrant discoveries of your own!

Wishing you a colorful and flavorful fruit adventure!

Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Dominican Republic

  • Cheap Flights and best deals
  • Car rental: DiscoverCars – a largest international resource
  • Hotels and apartments:
    • Tripadvisor – compares prices among a dozen other services and platforms and offers to choose the best one.
    • Trip.com – large online booking platform.
  • Vacation packages: CheapOair – cheap packages from all US cities.
  • Tours, excursions and extreme activities:
    • GetYourGuide – more than 800+ tours and water activities.
    • Viator – 3500+ tours and excursions in Dominican.
  • Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
  • Internet and Calls:
    • Airalo – eSIM with internet package.
    • Drimsim – universal SIM card (or eSIM) in any country in the world.
  • Taxis and airport transfers: Intui.Travel