San José
For a foodie-friendly cultural experience, don't miss this fabulous Saturday market, a meeting place for San José's artists and organic growers since 2010…
Must-see shopping in Costa Rica
Monteverde & Santa Elena
In a new home next to Pensión Santa Elena, this cute gallery and gift shop is packed to the gills with locally made jewelry, clothing, soaps, sculpture…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Near the entrance to Boruca village (coming from Curré), this excellent shop stocks a wide range of local crafts, including some superb examples of…
Puerto Jiménez
A terrific, well-stocked crafts shop, featuring local art and jewelry, a wonderful collection of colorful Boruca masks and black-and-ocher Guaitil pottery…
La Fortuna
There’s no shortage of souvenirs for sale in La Fortuna, but this shop is something special, carrying an excellent selection of arts and crafts by local…
San José
Located in the hills of Bello Horizonte in Escazú, the workshop of Biesanz Woodworks can be difficult to find, but the effort is be well worth it. This…
Central Valley & Highlands
Book-a-holics, rejoice! Alajuela has one of the best English-language bookstores in the country (if not Central America). Well-organized Goodlight offers…
The Road to Chirripó
This artisanal chocolatier transforms Costa Rican cocoa beans into rich, dark, creamy, spicy, nut and fruit-filled temptations. Its secret is organic…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
You’ll find several rooms stuffed with colorful Costa Rican artistry here. The goods include jewelry, ceramic work, Boruca textiles and traditional…
Playa Sámara
Carlos Caicedo travels around South America to procure gorgeous semiprecious stones, which he crafts into fine jewelry right here in the back of his shop,…
San José
In downtown Escazú, this art and design shop is ensconced in a 150-year-old house with adobe walls, near the southwest corner of Escazú's church. It's…
The Road to Chirripó
After a trip to Switzerland, Wilberth and Katia Mata turned their Canaán dairy farm into an artisanal cheese facility, specializing in the creamy, holy,…
La Fortuna
On the road to La Fortuna Waterfall, Rastaman Daniel been watching the tourist traffic come and go for more than a decade while he and Yesenia weave magic…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Don't miss the weekly organic market, where local vendors and growers sell snacks typical of the region, particularly tropical produce and chocolate…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
On a backstreet parallel to the main road, this gallery carries folk art, jewelry, ceramics, embroidered purses and mosaic mirrors, among many other one…
Ojochal
This upmarket deli is for self-caterers with cash to burn. It's packed with salivatingly good artisan creations from the area and abroad, from cheese and…
San José
The Bribrí word for jaguar, Namu fair-trade gallery brings together artwork and cultural objects from a diverse population of regional ethnicities,…
San José
With a focus on sustainable design by Costa Rican artisans, this sleek shop in Barrio Escalante stocks handmade jewelry, hand-tooled leather bags,…
San José
A long-standing, oversized ceramic store and pottery workshop on the curving country road from Santa Ana to Salitral. There are some great finds here,…
Central Pacific Coast
This strip mall had been abandoned after the housing slump of 2008, but was rescued in 2017 from disrepair and revamped by a local visionary. With a fresh…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Québécois partners Martin and Nelson have turned this tidy air-conditioned shop into a must-stop for local Talamanca chocolates (five different brands)…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
Coopeldós is a cooperative of 450 small- and medium-sized organic coffee growers from the area. You can visit this coop store and buy their coffee…
Caribbean Coast
For three decades and across several countries, expat master craftsman Brian Erikson has been fashioning wonderful things out of bamboo. You may have even…
Playa Tamarindo
If you're still into the non-downloadable beach tome, 'Jimmy Danger' is your man. He's got a treasure trove of used travel guides, fiction, CDs and DVDs…
Tortuguero Village
Colorful artworks made of recycled driftwood, jicaro fruit and the flower pods of coconut trees are housed in this sleek white gallery space on Tortuguero…
San José
Dog-eared paperbacks in mostly English but also Spanish, French and German teeter in precarious towers atop crammed shelves at this chaotic jumble of a…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
It's pricey and geared towards monied tourists, but the products are top quality. Stock up on local chocolate and all manner of local and imported organic…
San José
This hip little design shop across from Casa Amarilla sells all manner of pieces crafted by Costa Rican designers and artists, including clothing, jewelry…
San José
Quirky new store in Barrio Aranjuez that stocks art, jewelry, furnishings and clothing, along with little plants and other odds and ends. Each item is…
San José
Cool design store where you can pick up interesting art, clothing, jewelry and other odds and ends created by a couple of dozen local artists.
Monteverde & Santa Elena
Formerly the Monteverde Cheese Factory, this business was started in 1953 by Monteverde’s original Quaker settlers. It produced everything from a creamy…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
Begun in 1982 as a women’s cooperative representing eight female artists, today Casem has expanded to reportedly include almost 150 local artisans (some…
Fábrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro
Central Valley & Highlands
Just west of the town center, 100m north of the Palí supermarket, this workshop produced the massive oxcart in Sarchí's main plaza. It's the place to pick…
Playas del Coco
So, how are you going to transport delicious chocolate, roasted and refined on-site from cacao grown on an experimental finca in the Costa Rican mountains…
Central Valley & Highlands
In Sarchí Norte, 200m west of the soccer field, is this kitsch-filled paradise of carretas, woodwork and painted feathers. A butterfly farm (adult/child…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Colorful Boruca weavings and balsa masks decorated with jungle birds and animals are for sale here. Sometimes there are also cedarwood devil masks…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Large duty-free shopping area inside the Zona Americana that's now the lifeblood of Golfito. Here you can buy manufactured goods imported from Panama with…
Playa Sámara
Part cafe, part downtown surf shop, it rents gear, offers lessons, and has top-quality rash guards, board shorts and boards for the buying. Bonus: the…
Fábrica de Carretas Joaquín Chaverri
Central Valley & Highlands
Sarchí's oldest and best-known factory is 1.5km southeast of the plaza. Here you can buy souvenirs and watch artisans hand-building and painting the area…
San José
Costa Rica’s most stylish and massive shopping mall has everything you need (or don’t). If you’re coming from San José, the mall can be reached by taking…
