Puntarenas Shopping and Districts

(Puntarenas, Costa Rica)

The most visited shopping area of Puntarenas, as far as tourists are concerned, is the beachside Paseo de los Turistas walkway. This promenade is crowded with souvenir and craft shops, and stalls are scattered in between the restaurants and sodas (local eateries).

There is also a good selection of craft stores at the port of Puntarenas, catering to the passengers from the cruise ships, which dock for a day and move on. Sarchi, Costa Rica's main artisan centre (located around an hour to the east), is home to a tradition of woodcarving and boasts some of the best carvers in the region, being famous for the quality of its craftsmanship.

When to Shop and Where

Puntarenas city centre is given over to local shoppers and there are several small interesting fresh markets here, as well as the large Central Market. Costa Rican music CDs are a good buy, especially if you are planning a party when you get home. The Central Market in Puntarenas is a great place to browse, although the selection of traditional crafts is not extensive - this market is mainly for the locals.

One essential buy in Puntarenas is the locally grown coffee - delicious, rich, inexpensive and available everywhere. A side suggestion would be the local rum, again delicious and rich-tasting, while a fun souvenir would be a miniature painted ox cart, based on the traditional carts that carried the coffee to market in olden days.

For serious shopping, a day trip to San Jose - a comfortable drive from Puntarenas, is the best chance, as this capital has a good selection of small and larger stores and malls. San Jose's pedestrianised Avenida Central is as good as it gets. However, if you are shopping at markets here, be very careful of your belongings, since pickpockets abound.

It should be noted that many craft items and clothes are imported from other South American countries and sold as local.