www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Mercado Central, is it a nice place to spend some time during a daytime rest period between doing other things.

IMO, No.

Buy what you need, and leave.

LOL, You know how sometimes travel books can make places seem like a must do stop.

I disagree with T&V. I enjoy wandering around the mercado -some good sodas and great places to buy coffee. Just watch out for pickpockets and you will be fine.

Thanks for the info Koppite. I enjoy browsing in new places. I would hate to go to CR and just see MPs and the BM.

I'm with T&V on this one. The place does have some good deals and cheap eats, but it is crowded and dirty and, as often pointed out, a popular place for pickpockets. As far as being a place to get some local color, the place is really not that exceptional or at least I've been to central markets in other developing countries which were far more interesting.

If you're looking for something to do in CR or even just SJ other than just the MPs and the BM, that is certainly a good idea, but the Mercado Central would definitely not be at the top of my list. First of all, going to CR and never leaving SJ would be nearly as unforgivable as going to SJ and never leaving the BM. Other than the mongering opportunities, SJ is just not that interesting. What little is worth seeing in SJ can be visited in a day or two. If you are staying in CR longer than that it would be a crime if you did not get out of the city and see the natural beauty for which CR is famous. A whitewater rafting trip, 4 in one tour, coffee farm, volcano tour, just to name a few day trips would all go WAY ahead of a visit to Mercado Central. If you don't want to leave SJ, or only have a couple of hours here and there to spare, there are at least 3-4 very good museums that are much closer to the Gulch and 3 cool shady parks that I'd also put way ahead of the Mercado.

If shopping and browsing are your thing, The Mercado is certainly a valid option (particularly if plastic shoes and cheap watches are your thing) but there are many souvenir shops scattered throughout the Gulch Admittedly they are definitely more expensive than the mercado, but if you are only browsing far more comfortable and safe. El Pueblo, in addition to being a late night party spot, is a good place to wander earlier in the evening, grab a bite at one of the many restaurants and browse the many galleries. The San Pedro Mall is much more like something you would find in the states and so might not interest you as much for browsing and absorbing local color, but remember not everything you're going to be looking it is on the counters or in the windows. Do your shopping there and hit on some of the pretty sales girls or have a snack in the food court and just watch them parade by.

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to stroll to the National Museum by way of a couple of the city parks, check it out for a couple of hours, as I come out check out some of the secretaries from the nearby government ministries as they head to lunch and visit a very nice little crafts market right next door to the museum with numerous stalls. The selection there is very good, prices are competitive with the Central Market and it is a lot cleaner and safer and closer to the Gulch. I then walk the 2-3 blocks back to the gulch and grab a chicken lunch at Mariscar or a quick slice of pizza at Costa del Sol.

I've been to san jose 4 times & have hit mercado central each time. I like to stop in the middle of the afternoon after hitting the oasis area mp's. I stop in 1 of the bars on the north side of the mercado & have a beer or 2, most definitely tico bars. Cheap beers with free appetizers included-talk about happy hour. Then I wander into the middle of the mercado & hit 1 of the sodas for lunch-usually 2-3$ max. My 1st trip I bought a few souvenir trinkets also-shops galore. Good place for local color.

shemp

Thanks Prolijo, I think I will give the museum a try. I am also going to do a canopy tour and the oxcart tour. Both of these will give me a chance to escape the gulch and hopefully see some nice scenery. Who knows, might just be some good scenery on the bus. I am not 21 anymore and don't have aspirations of writing a trip report of how I scored 37 chicas in 7 days. My vacation will be a balanced one of my chosing. Still going to slip into Mercado Central for a few, if no more than to say I went.

Hey Shemp, Thanks man. I would imagine Mercado Central is a little better than shopping in the $1 stores in the states LOL. You hit it right on the nose, I was going to hit Oasis for an afternooner than to the market to chill for a few. Is it true there is a bar in the market that has a urinal in the back corner of the bar with no walls, no curtains, no privacy? I don't remember where I read that but it sounded like something out of the Wild West. I have a list of 101 non gultch things to do, so when the mood hits me I won't have to run to the tourist brochure rack looking for non-gultch adventure.

I enjoy wandering around Mercdao Central and expeiencing the local culture a bit.It is al least an intresesting place to visit.There is also a Mercado Central in almost all towns of any size and have been to several.It can be a nice place to wander around a bit and have an inexpensive lunch.rbc100

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I believe that anyone who goes to San Jose and does not visit the Mercado Central is missing some of the essence of Costa Rica.

Prolijo wrote:


That may be true but a lot of visitors to San Jose have never been to a third world country and have never experienced the atmosphere of a local market place. I have never seen one like the Mercado Central in the US.

I would certainly recommend any first time visitor to CR to get out of San Jose and see the country but I also think they should spend an afternoon in the market seeing a part of Tico life. Check out the spice shops, the fish stalls, and definitely grab a quick lunch in one of the sodas.

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Don't get me wrong guys, I didn't mean to suggest that a visit to the Mercado is completely without merit. Certainly, part of my outlook is colored by my experiences with markets in other countries and even more so by my own general lack of interest in shopping. If I go to those places at all it is almost entirely to absorb local color than to really buy anything (except perhaps for a cheap meal). If you've never seen a third world market, need some dollar items, want to try it out as a place for a cheap lunch, are passing by it anyway on your way back from Oasis or just have run out of other things to do, its certainly worth a look. I just think there are many other things to see and do that I personally would place ahead of it.

A couple of other misc. points to throw in. There is another nearby market that is smaller but very similar to the Mercado Central called the Mercado Borbon. If your idea is to pick-up some local crafts as souvenirs or gifts for the folks at home, you should keep in mind that CR is a country with an extremely small indigenous population and is not known for its crafts. The oxcarts are certainly very colorful but not everyone's cup of tea. Personally, I mostly stick to coffee for gifts. Saarchi and its oxcarts is also an interesting place to visit, but very touristy.

I love the Mercado Central, but I can't say I 'shop' there much. I get coffee from a place on the far side that nuckinfutz turned me on to, got 4 kilos this time. The sodas in the middle are fun. I'ts a place to soak up local flavor, not get souvenirs.

It's also good for very inexpensive jewelry, in case you need a cheap sparkly gift.

Worth a stop but it is what it is, a fairly grubby third world style market. They are pretty similar all over, like malls are malls are malls.

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Sounds like Mercado Central can be a lot of fun. Cheap beer, cheap plastic slippers, cheap watches, cheap sparkly gifts, cheap jewelery. What else can a man ask for. What about cheap ticas, does the market have them? I will definetly check this place out. Look around, a few beers and a nice meal. Sounds good to me.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

This is what A.M. Costa Rica has to say about Mercado Central.

http://www.amcostarica.com/030205.htm#7