Mercado Municipal de Artesania (Municipal Market of Handcrafts), San Jose (must see)

Mercado Municipal de Artesania, or the Municipal Craft Market, is an outdoor market where tourists can buy souvenirs, try local food or sit down and relax. Visitors may even get to watch some of the artisans work on their crafts.

Shoppers will find brightly colored accessories, wood carvings, handcrafted jewelry and art, t-shirts, baskets, pottery and more. The already low prices are easily haggled for even more affordable findings.

There are many open-air markets in San Jose. What makes Mercado Municipal de Artesania unique is the strong focus on handcrafts. While mass-produced trinkets are also available at the Municipal Craft Market, shoppers will find more decorative items than in some of the other outdoor markets in the city.

The market has room for 88 stalls and ample space to walk while browsing. It is located south of the Parque de las Garantías Sociales. The market is open from 8 AM through 7 PM each day.

Image Courtesy of Flickr and Puroticorico.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Jose. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Mercado Municipal de Artesania (Municipal Market of Handcrafts)
Sight Location: San Jose, Costa Rica (See walking tours in San Jose)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in San Jose, Costa Rica

Create Your Own Walk in San Jose

Creating your own self-guided walk in San Jose is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

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What's known today as San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, came into being as a small settlement during the Spanish invasion, circa the mid-16th century. From a town of little importance, San Jose eventually evolved into a densely-populated cosmopolitan city, built mostly with proceeds from coffee trade.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles

Shopping and Food Walking Tour

Walking the pedestrian-friendly promenades of Costa Rica's capital – San Jose – is a great way to experience the local culture. Despite an occasional rainstorm, the country's tropical weather makes outdoor shopping an undeniably fun experience. The downtown part of San Jose has no shortage of department stores, traditional marketplaces and souvenir shops selling handcrafts.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles

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