Fodor's Expert Review Mercado Nuevo

Three blocks southeast of the Parque Central is Heredia's covered New Market—that's how everybody refers to it here—officially the Mercado Central, which holds dozens of sodas (simple restaurants) along with the usual food stands and vendors supplying the day-to-day needs of the average Costa Rican. While generally safe, the crowded conditions here do invite the occasional pickpocket. Watch your possessions.