What to buy in Costa Rica
 

What is something I have to buy while there. Is there somewhere that has cheap souvoniers?

Coffee, coffee and more coffee, that is if you are a coffee drinker. We also liked things made out of tropical woods: bowls, coasters etc.

Sarchi is the souvenir capital of Costa Rica. Coffee is is least expensive (but excellent) in supermarkets.

Cafe Brit is the local coffee grower and you can buy the coffee over the internet fairly reasonably. We went about 5 years ago. I'm not a coffee drinker buy my parents are and love it. They have it shipped on a regular basis monthly.

Costa Rica also has some neat pottery at roadside shops. We brought that back as inexpensive gifts, just be sure to pack it well or it could end up broken.

In the super mercados, Cafe Britt is about $3.50 per bag, as opposed to $5 or $6 at the airport or online. Another good brand is Volio. I can't tell the difference, and it is a little less expensive. When we run out, we order online as well. Another good brand to order online is Tres Generaciones--look on the Doka website.

In the old days, Costa Ricans dripped their coffee by the cup by pouring hot water over beans in a sock type thing that hangs from a wooden stand. These are called choreadors or something like that. . .I know it isn't spelled correctly! They make interesting gifts.

Other popular items are hammocks, which you can buy almost anywhere; painted oxcarts and those wonderful leather and wood rockers can be found in Sarchi at a good price and they will ship them to the states for you for about $30 extra.

Many people like to buy wooden or shell jewelry.

If you can visit Sarchi, you can tend to all your shopping needs! They have it all and plenty of shops to look through. The large store where they make and paint the oxcarts is lots of fun. Fabrica Chaveri, or something like that--I'd have to look it up. You'll definitely see it when you arrive!

Some of the most beautiful pottery is found in the little town of Guaitil, just a few km from Santa Cruz in Guanacaste. If you are in the area and have an afternoon or morning free, you would enjoy driving there and looking around. EVERYONE is is the pottery business, and you will find some nicer pieces than at the roadside stands. They will wrap and box it for you. Enjoy!

If you are going to be in the Manuel Antonio area I strongly recommend purchasing the coffee at Cafe Milagro. They do their own roasting of the coffee beans daily. They have regular and decaf, ground and whole beans. They also serve a wonderful breakfast and have a nice little gift shop on the premises. You can find out more at http://www.cafemilagro.com/.

Note to shillmac: Next trip to Quepos/Manuel Antonio, stop at Rancho Leon. Fernando STILL makes coffee the Costa Rican way (!!!) and his menu offers Costarican traditional foods such as patacones, yucca wraps, green papaya picadillo, pescado entero and chicharon. The restaurant is located just north of the cerveseria, large red rancho style roof on the left side of the road heading south. It's newly opened in the last six months.

Sorry to get off subject!

Karyloo, have fun shopping! Everyone's suggestions are excellent. We always seem to be bringing Lizano Salsa from CR to friends in the states. Try it on your gallo pinto! Other favorites are the coffee flavored liquors avail. in the supermas. Pura Vida!

Lisa in M.A.

Thanks for the info Lisa! Sounds like a great place. I still make my coffee the old fashioned CR way. I bought one several years ago and just periodically change the muslin. Nothing like a fresh dripped taza de cafe.

Thanks, Lisa. We'll look it up next time we are there. Good idea on the coffee liqueurs--the golden cream is my favorite. Very similar to Bailey's Irish Cream. And a milkshake (batido de leche) made with Cafe Rica is not soon to be forgotten! The duty free liquor shop at the airport is good for last minute gifts.

We also brought back coffee, and I picked up some wooden bracelets and earrings etc very cheap in Samara. I've worn some (had planned for them all to be gifts, oh well!) and I get so many compliments! I think the bracelets were about $4!. Also, the Don Braulio coffee liquor ($8) comes in a great bottle and you can get it at the airport by the gate.
Shillmac...now just bought vanilla ice cream and I think I'll have to try your milkshake idea! Joyce

For a friend who collects such things, I purchased a mask carved from balsa wood that was then cured to prevent further dehydration and cracking. It is hand painted in fine detail by the Boruca Indians and it is an exquisite gift!! (...am tempted to begin our own collection)

Coffee of every variety also makes easy-to-pack/carry gifts for friends and family.

I'm crediting karyloo for (nearly) asking a great question : When a person thinks of exports from CR, outside of the wonderful varieties of fruit and coffee, what truly comes to mind?

The leather and wood rocking chairs. Have mine on my patio and I just love them!

I've sat in a friend's Costa Rican leather rocking chairs and they are sooo comfy. We want to buy 2 on our trip down there in January. What price range are we looking at? Suggestions on shipping / getting them home?

Jenny

One of the least expensive places to buy them is in Sarchi. They can be $20-30 less there since that is where they are made. We paid about $100 for a chair and $30 for shipping last year. They take care of all the arrangements. You just give them your information. Very simple.

When my chair had not arrived within the time frame they gave me, and I had given it a few extra days, I called them. They remembered, tracked it down, and it was at my door within 36 hours.

Just back from CR and we lost a bag of souvoniers which contained three balsa masks. They were small and only cost $60-$75. Has anyone found a website where I can replace these? Thanks- Steve

some of the things I buy regularly:
I buy twenty or so of the wooden inlaid puzzle boxes from a vendor in the little flea market stall area at the eastern end of Paseo Colon, down near the museum. I pay $4-$5 each (negotiate hard)
I buy the tall leather and wood rocking chairs from a place in western Sarchi for $80 each, two at a time. they fold up OK and I tape them folded and check them back as luggage (again, negotiate hard for that price)
I buy several wooden carvings of birds (toucans and parrots) in 12-18" tall natural wood from a place on the south side of the Pan-Am hiway about 5 miles west of San Ramon. Again i buy ten or so at a time and negotiate it out to about $5 each
I like to travel to Gautil every once in a while and buy their pottery. Generally I buy the bigger pieces and box them up and ship them back with my luggage. I always buy from the same lady and pay about $25 for a large lovely vase or two.
I also buy the butterflies mounted in a wooden display from a place about two thirds the way down the mountains towards Puntarenas, about 5 miles east of Esparza -look for a very small sign that says butterfly farm on the south side of Pan-Am.
There is some wonderful wood furniture made out of natural shapes, beds, table, etc, for sale across from Playa Hermosa about five miles past Jaco across the street from the Back Yard Resteraunt and hotel (I think that is the name, the last hotel leaving the Playa Hermosa area)
Good Luck! now you just need to take a few friends to help bring back all the goodies.

if you like booze, Cacique Guaro and for rum, Centenario Anejo Especial.

I wish I had bought more coffee :( I also became addicted to those chocolate covered coffee beans, oh my they were good :)

flyer3479 : Yes, but not at those prices. If you Google for it, you will find it. I don't feel comfortable listing the URL as I have never been a customer. I know you understand. If you truly cannot locate the mask website, let me know here.