Our first seven years in Costa Rica were spent on the Caribbean coast. We often had a difficult time getting things we needed, as we built out hotel. We really did not know where to get anything in San Jose and relied on the offerings in Limon.

Slowly, but surely, we learned about places like AutoMercado, PriceSmart, Muñoz & Nanne, Yamuni and EPA. Visiting these stores was fairly thrilling, when we braved Highway 32 and ran errands in the big city.

For the last two years, we have lived in the mountains of Heredia. We have discovered many more places that make our lives easier.

My personal shopping favorites are as follows:

Quality Grocery Stores:

Auto Mercado (many locations), Fresh Market (many locations), Muñoz & Nanne in San Pedro, and Saretto’s in Escazu. (Different Auto Mercado locations do have some different offerings.) We don’t shop at Wal-Mart owned stores, but do buy at our local pulperia.

Farmer’s Markets for the Freshest Food:

We do buy much of our food at the local ferias. Our usual is the San Juaquin de Flores de Heredia Feria on Fridays. But we also love the Aranjuez Feria on Saturdays; Escazu Organic Feria on Wednesdays; San Rafael de Heredia on Sundays; Heredia Central on Saturdays; etc. Do explore your local ferias. You can find some amazing things.

Health Food Stores:

Pretty much the best one out there is Bio Salud, with two locations, one location is in the Multi-Plaza Escazu across from the food court and the other is in Plaza del Sol, Curridabat. Down in Jaco there is a new place called Pura Vida Pantry. It is just south of the Municipalidad. They have a small natural foods selection as well as a restaurant. You can also get some great stuff at various organic farmers markets.

Hardware:

EPA with numerous locations is a good one. ConstruPlaza has some really great choices at amazingly good prices. When we were remodeling our current house, we priced bathroom fixtures at several different stores and would up buying them all here with free delivery. Muñoz & Nanne in San Pedro has some things we have found nowhere else. Neighborhood hardware stores have some good basic items, but prices on specialty items may be high.

Linens:

Finding good-quality sheets was a problem for us, at first. Now I typically buy sheets and towels at PriceSmart, Yamuni (San Pedro and San Jose), or Cemaco. I do find some wonderful comforters, etc. at the Ropa Americanas.

Housewares:

We have furnished 11 kitchens in our years here. There are some great places to find what you need for your kitchen. Being a chef, my favorite place is the Tips store. I love the Tips in Pavas, as it is the largest and has just about everything. Pequeño Mundo (Escazu, Alajuela, San Pedro, Curridabat, Moravia) has great dishes, glasses, etc. for excellent prices. Yamuni always has great kitchen supplies as does Cemaco.

Where To Buy Clothing?

Honestly, my favorite place to shop for clothing is Ropa Americana. I love the large one in the center of Heredia. I really find great items there. My friends and I go and help each other dig around in the “piscinas” upstairs. There are others that I have found great stuff at. Ropas are worth exploring. You have to go back as things change daily. Otherwise, I buy clothing at Zara in the Escazu Multi-Plaza, Yamuni and small boutiques.

Appliances (large and small):

Having furnished 11 kitchens, we have bought more than our fair share of household appliances from blenders to refrigerators. We have purchased items at Gallo and Casa Blanca; Play has a large selection of mid-range to higher end stuff; the GE store in Escazu has higher end stuff; PriceSmart has occasionally had the best prices for North American brands.

These are just my personal favorites…

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Wendy and her family like to spend time in Jaco on the Central pacific coast and also have a lovely weekly and monthly rental in Rohrmoser, San José. In her former life, Wendy worked in environmental issues, watershed restoration, grantwriting and mediation. Wendy has four adult kids and two grandkids.

If you are looking for a comfortable, fully furnished home for rent in an upscale suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica that is available for weekly and monthly rentals, perhaps for a vacation, medical tourism or business then take a look at Wendy’s Costa Rica rental home Casa Orleans here, it’s your perfect home away from home. You can also email Wendy here.

If you are serious about buying a home, apartment or land in Santa Ana or Escazu, then please contact us using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.