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Best Authentic Costa Rican Souvenirs to Bring Home for Family & Friends (and yourself)

April 12, 2023 By Sammi 61 Comments

Looking to buy an authentic Costa Rican souvenir to remind you of your amazing trip to Costa Rica? Here are our ideas for the best authentic and special Costa Rican souvenirs! These are my favorite souvenirs to bring back for family and friends. And sometimes myself even though I live here.

Our Favorite Costa Rican Souvenirs

The best Costa Rican souvenirs are coffee, Salsa Lizano, magnets, hot sauce, printed towels, wood painted items, handmade jewelry, soap, bath products, paintings by local artists, bikinis, sarongs and bamboo clothing.

Costa Rican Coffee

Costa Rica grows some of the highest quality coffee in the world so you HAVE to bring some home for any coffee lover friends and family.

Here is our tip for buying coffee from Costa Rica: take a coffee tour and buy from the plantation to get the best quality coffee. If you really love coffee and want to try unique processes and flavors, many coffee plantains sell specialty coffee exclusive to their store.

coffee
Tarrazu coffee
One of our favorites you can find at the supermarket

We did a coffee tour at Doka Estate and bought a ton of their coffee since it’s one of our favorites. Other good ones we like are Sunburst (in the Do-It Center by Liberia), Golden Bean (Turrialba), Coopedota (Santa Maria Zona de los Santos), Espíritu Santo Coffee Tour (Naranjo), Cafe Britt in Heredia, El Cafetal Coffee (Monteverde) and El Trapiche (Monteverde). You can even take a tour of Hacienda Alsacia which is the coffee plantation owned by Starbucks.

If you are only able to buy coffee from the supermarket, 1820 and Cafe Rey (Cafe gourmet line) are good cheaper options. You can find 1820 for around $4-5 USD a bag. There are quite a handful of small coffee brands that are popping up in the market so you have many options. You can even find Coopedota in many supermarkets now. Britt is an excellent organic Costa Rican coffee which you can find in all supermarkets.

Chorreador de Café (Costa Rican Coffee Maker)

In addition to Costa RIcan coffee, another great Costa Rican souvenir is a chorreador, the Costa Rican coffee maker. The chorreador consists of a “sock” for the filter, a wooden stand and the blue tin pitcher to make coffee.

chorreador de cafe
Costa Rican chorreador

This is a great Costa Rican souvenir for several reasons: it is 100% usable, they are very common and it’s as Costa Rican as you can get! You can find painted and plain ones at any souvenir store or supermarket. The painted ones are very beautiful since they have paintings of toucans, macaws and other iconic Costa Rican symbols.

Depending on which one you get, they are usually around $20 and they usually come in a package so you get a small bag of coffee, a small mug or the sock. They are much cheaper if you get the non-painted ones at the supermarket though.

If you’re planning on using it to make coffee, you should buy extra socks. You can also get some painted wooden coffee mugs to go with your new Costa Rican coffee maker to complete the package. Perfect Costa Rican souvenir for any coffee lover!

Salsa Lizano

Salsa Lizano is the hallmark sauce of Costa Rica that they use in many of the Costa Rican traditional dishes. It tastes kind of like English sauce but you can use it as a condiment for meat and rice.

Costa Rican food
Salsa Lizano

It’s a cheap Costa Rican souvenir and you can find it at any supermarket in Costa Rica.

Hot Sauce

Costa Rica has really upped their hot sauce game and there are some awesome Costa Rican hot sauces! Our favorite is Shade Time. We found it at Auto Mercado and also saw it at Cafe Milagro in Manuel Antonio. In addition to being absolutely delicious, they also donate a little bit of their profit to orphanages in Costa Rica.

Souvenirs from Costa Rica - hot sauce
Shade Time hot sauce

We also love the Iguana hot sauce, that one is really good too!

Cacique

For those who enjoy alcohol, bring back some Cacique which is the Costa Rican hard alcohol. Cacique is made out of sugar cane and is like vodka with an alcohol volume of ~30%. You can buy it at the supermarket or at the duty free stores at the airports. Cacique is a cheap Costa Rican souvenir and alcohol, you can buy those small sample bottles for like $2 USD.

Great to make chiliguaro shots at home! 😉

Cajetas de Leche

This is one of Yeison’s favorite treats as a kid. Sugar cane is an important product of Costa Rica and the locals make these sugar candies with milk after processing the sugar cane.

Costa Rica souvenirs - cajetas de leche
Cajetas de leche

These are super common in the small towns in the Central Valley such as Zarcero, Poasito and Vara Blanca. You can find them at any pulperia (small convenience store) and the souvenir stores. Yum!

Printed Towels

I personally love the printed towels in Costa Rica. I’ve bought a few of the currency towels as gifts and for myself actually! Since Costa Rican currency is very colorful, they make beautiful prints on towels.

Costa Rican souvenirs - towels
Printed towels for sale at the beach

You can also find towels with toucans, macaws, turtles and other exotic Costa Rican wildlife. They are usually pretty cheap, around $10 USD a towel or so.

Chonete Hat

The chonete is an iconic symbol of the people that built Costa Rica. This is the “hat of the farmers” and one of the most representative items in Costa Rica history.

Costa Rica souvenirs chonete
Costa Rican chonete hat seen in the Britt store

You can find the hat in pretty much all the souvenir stores but if you want the real one, go to a “Agropecuaria” where they sell products such as farming tools, machetes and seeds. They sell the real ones that farmers wear.

A Futbol Jersey

Costa Ricans sure love their futbol and if you’re also a fan, then a team jersey is a must on your list of souvenirs from Costa Rica to buy.

Best souvenirs from Costa Rica - futbol jersey

The one we are wearing are the la sele (team selection) jerseys but they also have the league jerseys like Saprissa, Heredia and Alajuela. You can find them in all the souvenir shops and on game day, you’ll see vendors hanging selling them on the street.

Bamboo Clothing

There is a store in Costa Rica that sells organic bamboo, hemp and banana clothing which I absolutely love. It’s a bit expensive (~$40 USD a shirt) but it lasts SO long, is super comfortable and doesn’t stretch. Plus it’s all organic and have cute Costa Rican designs.

The store is called Bam Bam Boo and you can find them in Manuel Antonio, Marina Pez Vela marina, Tamarindo, La Fortuna and Jaco.

Soap

I absolutely love buying soap when I travel and Costa Rica is no exception. You can find them in organic shops and the local farmers markets. Some spas sell their own soaps and products, usually artisanal, local and organic.

Pretty painted wooden trinkets from Costa Rica

There is also one organic Costa Rica beauty product line called Raw Botanicals that supplies shampoo, soap and conditioner to some hotels in Costa Rica. I love their products! They smell delicious and are all organic which is amazing. They also have sunscreen and mosquito repellent.

The hotels we’ve stayed at that uses Raw Botanicals are Hotel Bahia del Sol, Borinquen Thermal resort, Hotel Poco a Poco, Monteverde Country Lodge and Rio Perdido but they supply many more. The hotels sometimes sell their products in their gift shop and you can also purchase products on their website.

Ox Cart/Wheel Figurine

The ox cart, or carreta, is one of the most important tools in Costa Rican history. Back in the 1800’s, ox carts were used to carry coffee and other products and also as a means of transportation. Painting the ox cart started in the 20th century as a way to signify the driver’s home.

Since ox carts aren’t needed as they once were, artisans make little figurines of the carts and wheels as decoration and souvenirs.

 ox cart figurine

You can find carts of all sizes and they’re quite beautiful painted red with animals and scenes of nature. It’s a trinket of Costa Rica that you can put on a shelf to remind you of the good times you had!

The best place to buy the oxcarts are in Sarchi, the birthplace.

Sarongs and Bikinis

I LOVE sarongs and have a collection from countries around the world. Costa Rica makes some beautiful ones. They are so useful and cute for a beach vacation. Wear it as a cover up, a skirt or even lay it down as a towel!

For the ladies, I also recommend to do some bikini shopping, especially if you’re a surfer. In the surf towns of Tamarindo, Jaco, Playa Grande, Puerto Viejo and Samara, you can find some cute local bikini shops. Some of them are locally handmade and you can also find custom made bikini stores.

Stuffed Animals

One of the best Costa Rican souvenirs for little kids! You can find sloths, monkeys, toucans, turtles and other cute animal stuffed animals.

stuffed animals
Cute stuffed animals

I always love buying one for my friend’s kids when I go back to the US.

Costa Rican Wood Souvenirs

You can find a handful of nice wood souvenirs. Here are some examples.

best souvenirs from Costa Rica - souvenirs from Heredia market
Costa RIcan souvenirs - painted wooden items

I’ve brought some napkin holders and coasters back for friends and they really liked them as they’re colorful with animals painted on them.

Jewelry

You can also find many unique handmade jewelry made in Costa Rica. I found some at a store in Sarchi I really liked that was made by a local lady. All the pieces were organic, made from coffee wood.

costa rican jewelry
costa rican earrings
costa rican jewelry

Books

If you have space/weight in your luggage, books are a great souvenir. I’m a huge bookworm so I like to collect photo books. There are a couple very nice ones which you will see at the Britt souvenir stores at the airport. One is Costa Rica from Above which showcases breathtaking aerial photos of the country.

books
Books

Along with books, you can also find cute notebooks, journals and playing cards.

Magnets

We love getting magnets from countries we’ve visited and you can find some cute magnets from Costa Rica.

Costa Rican souvenirs magnets
Magnets

When you visit big cities, you’ll find magnets of the biggest or main building of the city. Here in Costa Rica, we don’t really have huge buildings or landmarks, so we use our wildlife as the symbol!

Paintings

If you or someone you know loves art and nature, then you have to purchase a local painting. It’s a wonderful way to hang a piece of Costa Rica in your home! You can find paintings of animals or of beautiful Costa Rican landscapes.

Costa Rican souvenirs - local paintings
Animal paintings by a local artist

At La Paz Waterfall Gardens, there is sometimes a local painter at the end of the waterfall trail who has a display of his artwork which you can purchase. He is usually there, painting and happy to share his talent. The La Paz Waterfalls is a gorgeous area and he does an amazing job capturing all that natural beauty onto a canvas.

Other Costa Rican Souvenirs

Some other great souvenirs from Costa Rica are shot glasses, sarongs and painted Boruca masks and feathers. You’ll also find lots of animal figurines and statues, shopping bags, chocolate, lotions, bowls, pots, purses and other knick knacks.

best souvenirs from Costa Rica - souvenirs from Heredia market
In San Jose, you can find excellent leather items
best souvenirs from Costa Rica - souvenirs from Heredia market
Little wallets
best souvenirs from Costa Rica - souvenirs from Heredia market
Painted wooden items and other trinkets
best souvenirs from Costa Rica - souvenirs from Jaco
Towels and license plates

Best Places to Buy Costa Rican Souvenirs

Below are our favorite stores and places to buy Costa Rican souvenirs.

San Jose

For the best souvenir shopping in San Jose, Costa Rica, check out the Artesenal Market in downtown San Jose which has over 90 local vendors, Sr y Sra Ese in San Jose which has a wood factory, Souvenir Museum in Alajuela and Heredia Central Market.

Sarchi/Poasito

Sarchi is known for their woodwork and Poasito is known for their local candies. In Sarchi, Mercado de Artesanía and Fabrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro are excellent for wooden crafts.

In Poastio, as you drive up to Poas Volcano National Park, you will see lots of little stalls and stands by the side of the road. The locals will usually have lots of strawberries, candies and cheese. Those stalls usually also have local sweets, coffee, wine, and other yummy snacks.

If you’re in San Jose, our partner, Expediciones Tropicales runs day tours to Doka Coffee Estate and Grecia/Sarchi. Sarchi is a small town famous for their woodwork and is home to the largest ox cart in Costa Rica. This is an excellent day trip from San Jose to buy souvenirs. You can get Doka coffee, coffee jewelry and original wooden trinkets from Sarchi. Book the tour and get our San Jose discount here!

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Wanderlust is a cute store with trinkets, clothing and arts and crafts.

Manuel Antonio

In Manuel Antonio, we really like Cafe Milagro, they have a nice selection of souvenirs. The store Altair in Marina Pez Vela is also very nice and we found many things we liked there.

Around 80% of their items are all local handcrafted products and then the rest are products from other places (they have things like Ecuadorian and Panaman hats, etc.) Hotel La Mariposa also has their own souvenir store which is cute.

La Fortuna and Monteverde

In La Fortuna, Hecho a Mano (Hand made art shop) has some beautiful local arts and trinkets. You’ll find the normal pieces like Boruca masks, jewelry and paintings. The Sky Adventures zipline park also has a small store with some cute souvenirs.

The CASEM in Monteverde (Cooperative of Artisans Santa Elena) has all local trinkets. Around Lake Arenal, we like to stop at Cafe Y Macademia and they have a small souvenir store.

Jaco

If you like knick knacks and statues to display around your house, Dantica Gallery has some beautiful pieces. Dantica is in Jaco downtown, San Jose (Lincoln plaza), San Gerardo de Dota and Plaza Herradura. In Jaco, I like Ticopod for paintings and art and Fruity Monkey Poop for tshirts, coffee and other fun things.

Guanacaste

In Guanacaste near Liberia Airport, you can stop by La Gran Nicoya, El Jardin (they are also in Sarchi, San Ramon and Orotina) or Souvenir Ocarina.

Tamarindo

The Tamarindo Night Market and Tamarindo Saturday morning market are fun places to shop. There are a TON of stores in Tamarindo selling everything from cigars, bikinis, jewelry, etc.

Sarapiqui

In Sarapiqui, the CATUSA info center in Puerto Viejo has a very nice souvenir store with all local handmade items.

If you forgot to buy souvenirs or didn’t have time…

… don’t worry! There are large souvenir stores inside San Jose and Liberia International Airport. Britt has the largest stores with clothes, chocolates, books, keychains, hats, coffee and more.

Another nice store is Luni, which has luxury travel trinkets all about Costa Rica. Their oxcart beach towel is beautiful. These places are more expensive and commercial but it’s a good choice for last minute shopping.

Tips for Buying Costa Rican Souvenirs at the Store or Local Market

Use Costa Rican colones

Although USD are readily accepted in Costa Rica, the rule of thumb is that when it’s listed in colones, pay in colones. When it’s listed in USD, pay in USD. Since supermarkets and souvenir stores (souvenir stores majority of the time) list prices in colones, it is best to use colones.

This is due to the exchange rate which is not 500 to 1 anymore, it is approximately 540 to 1 but it has been changing every day lately. If you do use USD, make sure to calculate the correct exchange rate as some vendors will try to use the 500 to 1 ratio and you will lose out quite a bit! Learn more about handling money in Costa Rica here.

Some souvenir stores will take credit card and if they do, we recommend to use credit card instead so you don’t need to calculate the exchange rate. Make sure when you use your credit card that you check exactly what they type in, check the currency they charge you in and do not let your credit card out of your sight while you don’t have it.

Pay in cash

Many souvenir stores will give you a small discount if you pay in cash instead of credit card.

Double check the price

Make sure when you check out to double check the price and ask to reconfirm whether it’s in Costa Rican colones or USD. If they tell you it’s 50, ask if that’s 50,000 colones or $50 USD. Remember, if the price tag is in colones, pay in colones. If it’s in USD, pay in USD. Pay with credit card if you can but make sure it’s a card that doesn’t have international transaction or exchange fees.

Read more travel tips below!

Cost of traveling in Costa Rica

Prepaid sim cards in Costa Rica

What to know about grocery shopping in Costa Rica

Filed Under: Costa Rica Travel Tips

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leo says

    October 28, 2024

    I’m actually having trouble finding a replacement for a specific souvenir we got there. Are there any local shops that ship to the US through an online store?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      October 29, 2024

      Off the top of my head, Cafe Britt does but if you know the name of the store or brand, you can google it and see if they have their own online store but majority of the souvenir stores here don’t unless it’s a big company (like Britt).

      Reply
  2. Etienne says

    March 17, 2024

    Thank you for these great inputs. We are struggling accross all the options and google is not our friend here: your advices are super useful, thanks a lot.
    We lot Costa Rica, and all its traditional uses, its ecological view and people. No need for more.
    Let’s keep the country and its nature.original!!!

    Reply
  3. Arlene Susan Roth says

    November 2, 2023

    Thank you very much for this helpful information.
    With appreciation,
    Arlene

    Reply
  4. Courtney says

    April 28, 2023

    Thank you for the info! I’ve read multiple of your articles while researching Costa Rica and they have been super helpful!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      April 29, 2023

      Glad to hear it!!

      Reply
  5. Parag says

    April 9, 2023

    I’m surprised El Jardin is not on this list.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      April 29, 2023

      I just updated this post today

      Reply
  6. Jade says

    April 1, 2023

    Bring me all the Lizano Chilero you can get your hands on

    Reply
  7. Julia Humphrey says

    January 28, 2023

    Look for family owned B&Bs that sell local crafts. One of our favorites is Casitas Tenorio and they have a little gift shop. We bought amazing paintings there. We didn’t see exactly what we wanted so the owner called the artist and we ended up buying two because we couldn’t decide which one we loved the most!

    Reply
  8. liz says

    January 27, 2023

    do you know if is there a online store that I could purchase those wooden coffee spoons with a tucan on it and a wooden coaster? I purchased them at the coffee tour you all suggested. I was visting last year and it broke and want to replace them.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 31, 2023

      Hi Liz, for online shopping, check the Cafe Britt and the DOka Coffee store, I see Doka has a measuring spoon and they both have various other items besides coffee

      Reply
  9. Stacy Severson says

    January 25, 2023

    Hello,
    Is there an area in tamarindo that isn’t stores for souvenirs? We are looking for more authentic outdoor shopping for towels and tshirt type things?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 25, 2023

      There are tons of stores with towels and tshirts, even the supermarket has them

      Reply
  10. Anne Martin says

    January 14, 2023

    I am looking everywhere near Tamarindo Guanacaste to purchase a souvenir ox cart big enough for a small plant to fit in ( c:a 30 cm or so ) but people tell me I have to go to Sarchi or San Jose which is 4 hr. Drive. I would like to know if I can get a recommendation on a store where I can have it shipped to the US.
    Please let me know

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 14, 2023

      You might check the souvenir store near the Liberia AIrport called El Jardin, they have a huge souvenir store with a ton of different stuff.

      Reply
  11. Mary Pelikan says

    January 11, 2023

    Do you know much about San Isidro. Shops, eating places, things to do

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      February 2, 2023

      Hi Mary, which San Isidro are you referring to? San Isidro is a very common name of several cities in Costa Rica but San Isidro del General (Perez Zeledon) is the most popular among foreigners/tourists, is that the one you’re ferring to?

      Reply
  12. Dan B says

    November 30, 2022

    The Yara Art Gallery along route 618 south of Quepos on your way to Manuel Antonio National Park has a lot of beautiful modern art pieces from local artists.

    Google Maps location:
    CR9R+VM8, Puntarenas Province, Quepos, Costa Rica

    Reply
  13. Sydney Larsen says

    June 30, 2022

    I love these options, there are things that I wish I would’ve bought at La Gran Nicoya or Souvenir Ocarina when we were there but didn’t and now regret. Is there a way that I can purchase online and have them shipped to the United States?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      July 16, 2022

      I recommend to contact them and see, it looks like their phone number is (+506) 2667-0062 for the Gran Nicoya. I checked their website but it didn’t look like you could buy online but I could have missed it, you can also check their site out to see

      Reply
  14. Leslie Schueller says

    January 23, 2022

    Where do you recommend buying a Costa Rica Christmas ornament? Going to Liberia/guanacaste soon

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 24, 2022

      Well Christmas is over…so it might be very difficult to find decorations now so honestly not sure where to buy ornaments after the holiday season, maybe the big souvenir stores like La Gran Nicoya may still have some

      Reply
  15. Jackie says

    May 31, 2021

    The second photo under the wood souvenirs – do you remember where this was from?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      June 1, 2021

      Unfortunately no…maybe Monteverde? Sorry I can’t remember, that photo was a few years ago

      Reply
  16. Hay says

    January 3, 2021

    Hi!
    My husband and I will be going to San José and Manuel Antonio. Are there any shops you like in Manuel Antonio for bikinis or sarongs? I would really like to get one in Costa Rica but we aren’t going to any of the places you suggested for them.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 3, 2021

      In Manuel Antonio I really like Besos Locos and Jungle ATV Artesenal for clothes shopping!

      Reply
  17. Bill Dean says

    June 6, 2020

    We fell in love with the beautiful wood bowls sold by beach vendors. They can also be found at souvenier shops and at the airport but significantly more expensive. We like to support the beach vendors and since we spent two weeks in Ocotal became friendly with the one vendor there, Marlon.

    Reply
  18. Greg says

    March 16, 2020

    Also the beautiful indigenous pottery is wonderful. We have been to “The Oven Store”. A few times

    Reply
  19. Karen Moore says

    January 30, 2020

    Hello, I am wondering what the cost is for shipping coffee home to the US? We will be in La Fortuna for a few days and may go on the coffee plantation tour. It seems like an easier solution to hauling 30-50 lbs of beans around.
    Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
    Karen

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 30, 2020

      Hi Karen, I have no idea to be honest. I would ask the plantation to see what their thoughts are.

      Reply
  20. Diana Werner says

    October 3, 2019

    U.S. grocery stores sell an item like the chorreador. They are plastic, cone-shaped, with a hole at the point, and have a collar that lets it sit on top of a coffee cup. They come with little paper cone-shaped filters. You just put a filter in the cone, put a spoonful of coffee grounds inside, pour in a cup of hot water, and in a few seconds you have an individually-brewed cup of coffee. The thing is, I bet the little paper filter could fold to fit the chorreador, they you just throw the paper filter away like any other filter. They are cheap like any other coffee filter and you wouldn’t have to be sending off for more all the time.

    Reply
    • Robin says

      August 16, 2022

      Love mine! And way simpler! A mMe,it takes cone for a one cup pour! Great if you are only am coffee drinker in the house! They are hard to find now! You can sometimes find the gold mesh one that use to fit inside the drip pot! With a collar! Or use it inside the plastic collared one!

      Reply
  21. V Juett says

    April 18, 2019

    Look at the Costa Rica shop on Etsy.

    Reply
  22. Cheryl says

    March 11, 2019

    I am surprised there was no mention of boruca masks in this article I know they are more expensive but are a very beautiful souvenir.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      March 11, 2019

      You’re right, they are!

      Reply
  23. Nafeeza Bobby says

    December 25, 2018

    Hi…can you please recommend some local places in monteverde and Manuel Antonio?
    I am looking forward to buy the ox cart, wooden mask, futbol jersey and cacique.
    ThAnk you,
    Bobby

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      December 27, 2018

      Monteverde has a souvenir store connected to the supermarket in downtown Santa Elena where you can find wooden trinkets. Futbol jerseys are mostly found in San Jose, they don’t sell them at all souvenir stores but you can find them all over San Jose. You can buy cacique at any supermarket.

      Reply
  24. karen says

    July 20, 2018

    hello we are going for the first time to costa rica and was wondering what stores are there around the occidental papaguyo. or will we have to go into Liberia?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      July 21, 2018

      Hi Karen, there are no stores around the Occidental, there is a small supermarket in Hermosa but the big supermarkets are in Playas del Coco, about a 15 minute drive.

      Reply
  25. Sammi says

    January 21, 2018

    Hi Alana! Haha yes you do need to change the sock out every couple months. I do know you can buy them online on Amazonn. Ticoland is a company that sells Costa Rican things on AMazon and they even have the chorreador stand and some other stuff.

    Reply
  26. Alana says

    January 21, 2018

    Hi! I am heading back to Costa Rica in April- I bought a chorreador the last time I was there and it came with one sock… where do I buy extra socks? The grocery store? I didn’t realize the importance of having extra socks ( the coffee tastes awful if the sock isn’t dry) – live and learn. Thanks and I love your blog! Pura vida

    Reply
  27. Terri says

    January 15, 2018

    What about chocolate? Also do the Costa Ricans do textiles like the Guatemalans?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 15, 2018

      Hi Terri! To be honest I am not a huge fan of Costa Rican chocolate but you can find them local chocolate in places like La Fortuna, Monteverde and Puerto Viejo where the cacao farms are. They don’t really do textiles like Guatemalans, but funnily enough, if you go to the souvenir stores in La Fortuna, they are actually all owned by Guatemalans and you can see Guatemalan textiles there. But Costa Ricans don’t really do any.

      Reply
  28. Vicki says

    August 11, 2017

    I was in Jaco a few years back. I purchased a mama bird and her babies in a house made all of coconut. It has since weathered pretty bad and would like to replace it if possible. Any ideas?

    Thanks,
    Vicki

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      August 11, 2017

      Hi Vicki, unfortunately I don’t have any. You can’t really buy Costa Rican souvenirs online, if you know anyone visiting you can ask them to bring you one back.

      Reply
  29. Carmen Sosa says

    August 9, 2017

    Hi
    I went to CostaRica a week ago. I bought some souvenirs including a crystal ball. Unfortunately,in my flight back to NY break. If there any possibility that I can buy trough the internet? Please let me know where. I collect crystal ball from differents countries and cities this is vey important to me. Thank you in advance for your help.

    Pura Vida, Carmen

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      August 10, 2017

      Hi Carmen, unfortunately I am not familiar with any online gift shops in Costa Rica. I just checked Britt, the most popular one and they just have coffee to sell. I recommend asking in the Expats in Costa Rica Facebook groups, maybe someone in there knows something. Sorry!

      Reply
  30. Lindsay says

    July 20, 2017

    We will be going to Costa Rica in August and are trying to figure out when, and where, our best opportunities to souvenir shop will be. We have a pretty busy itinerary starting in San Jose and traveling to the Arenal area, Rincon de la Vieja, Tamarindo, and then finally ending up in San Jose again to fly out. I would like authentic, maybe a Chorreador de Café, coffee, and/or some authentic pottery or something to display. Any input on which places would be best to shop?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      July 20, 2017

      San Jose would be the best for Costa Rican made items. Tamarindo is very touristic and actually many of the souvenir stores are owned by foreigners or Argentinians, Arenal has a lot of souvenir stores owned by Guatemalans (for some reason) and in downtown San Jose like the central market, you will find more authentic souvenirs made by locals and you can find everything – the chorreador, handpainted items, pottery, etc. But for coffee, I actually recommend going to the normal supermarkets as its cheaper there than in the souvenir stores and in Arenal, there is a nice coffee shop called Rainforest Cafe that sells good coffee. In the Rincon de la Vieja NP, if you go to Buena Vista, there is a Costa Rican who set up his own coffee place there and you can buy his special blends.

      Reply
    • Kadast says

      July 23, 2017

      It’s a small town named Sarchi, they have the best and autentic pieces in Costa Rica mostly wooden spoon, wooden jewelry, etcall you can imagine made it with beautiful and autentic wood from CR.

      Reply
  31. Susi Haikes says

    February 19, 2017

    my daughter visited Costa Rica this past summer and brought home nearly every thing you’ve listed. They are great souviners! However, my husband put the hand painted wood mug and glass shot glass in the dishwasher and the paintings have come off. Any where I can purchase these items online to replace?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      February 19, 2017

      Oh no! Hmm I don’t unfortunately :/

      Reply
  32. Julie says

    February 11, 2017

    What are the best souvenirs to buy young children….besides a t-shirt. If I purchase a jersey, what’s the most popular team?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      February 12, 2017

      You can get the national team jersey (Yeison and i both have one of those) or the most popular team is Saprissa.

      Reply
  33. Regina says

    December 26, 2016

    I saw those coffee makers in CR but didn’t realize they were so authentic. Nor did I know about the chonete. I have to go back!

    I bought a lovely pareo in La Fortuna but I don’t know how if it was made locally. My best souvenirs are really the great photos we took of the wildlife. Such a beautiful place!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      December 26, 2016

      Yeah the coffee makers are probably the most authentic Costa Rican souvenir you can get as that’s the traditional way to make coffee here, same with the chonetes. You’ll see all the farmers wearing one!

      I agree, photos are my favorite souvenir too. So much fun to look back to reminisce!

      Reply
  34. Helena Bower says

    December 6, 2016

    Hi! I need your help. I live in America and I need some help finding 4 souvenirs that add up to $100 in US dollars for a Spanish project. I’ve done some research and have written some things down, but can’t quite find 4 items that add up to $100. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      December 6, 2016

      Hi Helena! Hmm let me see. You can get a large painted chorreador (the coffee maker) with some extra socks for $20, a large painted bowl for $40, a a large painted feather for $20 and a big toucan figurine for $20. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Helena Bower says

        December 8, 2016

        Awesome! Thank you so much!

        Reply
        • Sammi says

          December 8, 2016

          You’re welcome!

          Reply

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