Nomadic Narrative

San José’s Mercado Central is a microcosm of the entire capital. Built up over the years without any urban planning, in the market like in the capital, one minute you’re plugging your nose as you walk past a fish stall and the next minute you’re stopping to suck in the fragrance of fresh laurel leaves.

Smack in the middle of downtown stretching between the pedestrian walkway known as Avenida Central and the car-congested Avenida 1, the indoor/outdoor market is always a lively place.

Me queda dos de cuarenta y siete! I’ve got two, forty-sevens left!, screams a portly, grey-haired man sitting behind a table of lotto tickets at the entrance of the Mercado Central. Diez y siete! Seventeen!, shouts a woman in her fifties wearing a necklace of lotto tickets standing nearby.

Passing through one of the many entrances, the calls ensue: Que se le ofrece? Que busca? What can I get you? What are you looking for? More than aggressive sales, it feels more like just good customer service. Once inside, you can find everything from chicken feet to fresh roasted coffee to miniature carretas, hand-painted oxcarts (see carreta picture here), and so much more…

Just outside, El Trébol sells roasted nuts. You can’t help but linger
by the door in the warm, buttery air.

The market is full of food and drink stalls. My favorite is Café Central.
This is an “Ice Coffe Central” (as it appears on the menu) made with
café crema de coco, licor de café and ice cream – all for 1700 colones, sprinkles included!

Location: The Mercado Central is located on Avenida Central and Avenida 1 between Calles 6 and 8.
Hours: The market is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Read about my first trip to the Mercado Central here.