Panama City
Sells quality huacas (replicas of pre-Columbian gold pendants) and necklaces made of black onyx and other gemstones.
Must-see shopping in Central America
Panama City
The biggest downtown mall, with designer shops, restaurants and a cinema. It's east of downtown, on the way to Panamá Viejo.
El Valle
El Valle is home to one of Panama’s largest handicrafts market. Indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé people, along with a sprinkling of Emberá and Wounaan, bring a…
Managua
Next to the southbound bus terminal, this sprawling beast of a market offers an authentic slice of Managuan life. There are labyrinthine rows of stalls…
Panamá Province
The nondescript town of Campana, located 65km from Panama City, is home to this famous cheese shop, an institution that few Panamanian drivers can pass by…
San José
The Bribrí word for jaguar, Namu fair-trade gallery brings together artwork and cultural objects from a diverse population of regional ethnicities,…
Darién Province
About 3km south of the Interamericana this thatched 'House of Culture' on stilts in Ipetí Choco shelters some two-dozen women artisans who will sell you…
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…
Guatemala City
Until the quake of 1976, Mercado Central, behind the cathedral, was where locals shopped for food and other necessities. Reconstructed after the…
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…
Ambergris Caye
This is one of the country's best shops for local art and handicrafts, selling ceramics, wood carvings, Garifuna drums and antiques alongside affordable…
Península de Azuero
Overlooking the central plaza in Ocú is this outlet of the internationally renowned women's co-op Artesanía Ocueña. The group sells intricate montunos …
Península de Azuero
Elena Montilla is a nationally known maker of Panama-style hats based in Ocú; she also makes polleras (traditional dresses from the Península de Azuero)…
Western El Salvador
This store sells a range of handicrafts made by local artists and artisans, including beautiful handwoven tablecloths, painted boxes and jewelry. Bike…
San Salvador
Since most of the country's cacao is exported, quality Salvadoran chocolate can be hard to find, but this chocolatier is the exception. The award-winning…
Península de Azuero
Visitors are welcome at the Ocú workshop of this nationally known maker of Panama-style hats. Drive or walk north about 1km on Av Central; if you come to…
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…
Cooperativa de Artesanos Guararé
Península de Azuero
This mini-shop in the center of Guararé and run by the local artists cooperative is an excellent place to pick up locally produced treasures – from…
Doña María Gordillo Dulces Típicos
Antigua
If you want to eat your way around some toothsome traditional Guatemalan sweets and pastries, this is the place for you. Try the coconut macaroons, dulces…
Portobelo
This artist-run studio is fascinating for art and culture buffs. Resident artist Gustavo can explain the historical and cultural significance of Congo art…
Belize City
This store carries the best stock of high-quality Belizean arts and crafts at fair prices. Attractive buys include shade-grown coffee and local chocolate,…
San Salvador
Galerías has three air-conditioned levels of upscale clothing and jewelry stores, electronics stores, cell-phone offices, banks and a cinema. The mall is…
Cobán
If what your Guatemalan journey lacks is a triple-player chessboard, a Rubix Cube in all sorts of sizes/flavors, or puzzles that will keep you entertained…
Western Honduras
An incredible find, this little store has shelves stacked floor-to-ceiling with hundreds (thousands?) of jars filled with pickled vegetables, chutneys and…
Utila
Locals from school children to expats sell their wares at this fun little shop. Highlights include mats, key chains and more made by local kids out of old…
Antigua
Masses of Guatemalan handicrafts fill the stalls of this building at the west end of town just below the main market. While not at the top end of the…
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…
Hopkins
This excellent gallery and craft display is a one-stop shop for arts, crafts and souvenirs from the local area and all over Belize. Fabulous displays of…
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…
Granada
Inside the Hostal Entre Amigos, this excellent gift shop sells crafts made by local artisans. What makes it special are the items made of recycled…
Tegucigalpa
Every Friday and Saturday, this cheap, colorful market sets up shop near the Estadio Nacional. There’s a dazzling array of produce and stalls, hawking…
Antigua
Started by a pair of North American archaeologists who were researching ancient jade quarries in the Motagua valley, this shop features a jade workshop…
Antigua
Inside the courtyard shopping arcade Casa Antigua El Jaulón, this shop/museum displays Tz'utujil oil paintings, cedar figurines, masks and other crafts…
