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.
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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.
The best place to buy coffee from Costa Rica is at the plantation since it’ll be the freshest. Furthermore, many coffee plantains sell specialty coffee exclusive to their store.
Some coffee plantations we have visited and bought coffee are Doka Coffee (buy online at haciendadoka.com), El Trapiche in Monteverde, Golden Bean Coffee Tour in Turrialba and El Cafetal in Monteverde.
Cafe Monteverde in Monteverde is another of my all time favorites, which you can buy online (cafedemonteverde.com).
Starbucks even has their own coffee plantation, called Hacienda Alsacia that is very good.
However, if you don’t do a coffee tour, you can buy coffee from the supermarket or specialty coffee shops. More gourmet coffee brands and artisanal coffee brands are being sold at the local supermarkets.
Cafe Britt is the most popular one and has the biggest selection. They are more commercial, though their coffee is good. You can also find them at the airports. They offer a Cafe Britt coffee tour in Heredia.
One we like in Guanacaste is Sunburst (in the Do-It Center by Liberia). They are a coffee roaster and you can buy their coffee only in that store. It’s near Guanacaste Airport.
If you’re in La Fortuna, Perro Barista Cafe sells Bocanegra which is gourmet coffee. You can also purchase their coffee online (cafebocanegra.com).
Chorreador de CafĂ© – Costa Rican Traditional Coffee Maker
In addition to Costa RIcan coffee, another great Costa Rican souvenir is a chorreador, the traditional Costa Rican coffee maker.
The chorreador consists of a “sock” for the filter, a wooden stand and the blue tin pitcher to make coffee.
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 with toucans, parrots, sloths, waterfalls and other iconic nature symbols of Costa Rica. These can cost around $40 USD.
For the gourmet coffee drinker, Perro Barista sells vandolas with Costa Rican paintings. Very thoughtful gift for the coffee and Costa Rica lover.
Coffee Mugs
To go along with your traditional coffee maker, buy some painted wooden coffee mugs.
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.
It’s a cheap Costa Rican souvenir and you can find it at any supermarket in Costa Rica.
Hot Sauce
Costa Rica has upped their hot sauce game tremendously and there are some awesome Costa Rican hot sauces! One of our favorites is Shade Time.
Some hot sauces are only sold in the town where it’s made, so if you love hot sauce, make sure to check the local supermarkets.
You can’t always find all of them at the supermarkets, but sometimes restaurants will sell them.
Some other ones we like are AjiTico, Blue Zones Nicoya, La Selva and Caribbean Sabooor. Chile Monoloco is a Costa Rican hot sauce that was featured on the Hot Ones Youtube channel!
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 $3 USD.
Great to make chiliguaro shots at home! đ
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.
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.
Printed Towels
I personally love the printed towels in Costa Rica.
I’ve bought a few of the currency towels as gifts since Costa Rican currency is very colorful. They make beautiful prints on towels.
You can also find towels with toucans, macaws, turtles and other exotic Costa Rican wildlife. They are usually pretty cheap, around $15 USD a towel or so.
Chonete Hat
The chonete is an iconic symbol of the people that built Costa Rica. This is the âhat of the farmersâ and one of the most representative items in Costa Rica history.
You can find the hat in pretty much all the souvenir stores but if you want the real one, go to a âAgropecuariaâ 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.
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 clothing brand 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 in Quepos, 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.
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 (use our promo code mytanfeet to save 5%) 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.
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. They are so useful and cute for a beach vacation. Wear it as a cover up, a skirt or lay it down as a towel.
For the ladies, you can find some super cute bikinis in the surf towns of Tamarindo, Jaco, Playa Grande, Puerto Viejo and Samara. Many are locally handmade using sustainable materials.
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.
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.
I’ve brought some napkin holders and coasters back for friends. They’re cute and colorful and brighten up the kitchen and room.
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.
Books
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.
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.
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.
You can find art galleries and studios in most tourist destinations in Costa Rica.
Some hotels also have their own souvenir stores, don’t skip checking those out. I’ve found unique pieces from local artisans only sold there and not just art, but also jewelry, beauty products and clothing.
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 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 ArtesanĂa 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. Those stalls usually also have local sweets, coffee, wine, and other yummy snacks.
If you’re in San Jose, our tour partner runs a day trip 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.
ou 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.
La Fortuna and Monteverde
In La Fortuna, Hecho a Mano 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.
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
Near Guanacaste Airport, you can stop by La Gran Nicoya, El Jardin (they are also in Sarchi, San Ramon and Orotina) or Souvenir Ocarina.
The Sunburst coffee roaster is near the airport, in the Do-It Center.
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.
However, these items may not be made by Costa Rican artists, as Tamarindo has a lot of immigrants. So if you want Costa Rican made things, make sure to ask who the artisan is.
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 Interntational Airport and Guanacaste Airport.
You can find everything from clothes, chocolate, coffee, stuffed animals, jewelry, and much more.
What to Know About Costa Rican Souvenir Shopping
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 list prices in colones, it is best to use colones.
Some souvenir stores may list their prices in USD but even so, you can perfectly pay in CRC (Costa Rican colones), but you will have to ask the cashier.
Just make sure to check the exchange rate, as the Costa Rican exchange rate changes daily (sometimes even hourly).
Learn more about handling money in Costa Rica here.
Cash or Credit Card?
Most stores take both, but some might give a 10% if you pay in cash instead of credit card, since the vendor won’t have to pay the credit card fee.
If you pay in cash, we recommend to pay in local currency to avoid dealing with the exchange rate and getting change back.
Make sure you have a credit card without any international fees. Most places don’t accept AMEX and Discover is almost never accepted. Have a physical Visa or Mastercard. Digital cards are not widely accepted.
Double Check the Price!
When you check out, double check the price and 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. There is a huge difference!
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
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Get our Costa Rica Packing List and check our Mytanfeet Amazon storefront for our personal recommendations, so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map.
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica!
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals and get our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Sammi says
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.
Alana says
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 didnât realize the importance of having extra socks ( the coffee tastes awful if the sock isnât dry) – live and learn. Thanks and I love your blog! Pura vida
Terri says
What about chocolate? Also do the Costa Ricans do textiles like the Guatemalans?
Sammi says
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.
Vicki says
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
Sammi says
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.
Carmen Sosa says
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
Sammi says
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!
Lindsay says
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?
Sammi says
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.
Kadast says
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.
Susi Haikes says
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?
Sammi says
Oh no! Hmm I don’t unfortunately :/
Julie says
What are the best souvenirs to buy young children….besides a t-shirt. If I purchase a jersey, what’s the most popular team?
Sammi says
You can get the national team jersey (Yeison and i both have one of those) or the most popular team is Saprissa.
Regina says
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!
Sammi says
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!
Helena Bower says
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!
Sammi says
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!
Helena Bower says
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Sammi says
You’re welcome!