Folkloric Art and Other Unique Souvenirs

The streets around Parque Morazan are lined with souvenir shops stacked to their ceilings with virtually the same items. Many of which are actually made in Nicaragua, where labor is far cheaper than here.


But just around the corner from the Holiday Inn, you can find folkloric art and jewelry and other unique treasures fashioned by local artisans. They are a bit more costly but well worth the price and walking an extra block

Galeria Namu

Galeria Namu specializes in indigenous arts made by the Bri Bri and other tribes. Ceremonial masks, paintings, ceramics, stone and wood carvings, jewelry and other one-of-a-kind creations line the walls and overflow the shelves. If you have even the slightest interest in this sort of thing, put Namu at the top of your San Jose shopping list.


This shop is open Monday-Saturday until 6:30 PM. For more about their offerings, see Galeria Namu

Totem Joyeria

Next door, a new shop called Totem Joyeria opened in September, 2005. This is the only place in the country where you can find exacting reproductions of the pre-Columbian jewelry and religious artifacts on display in San Jose museums such as the Gold Museum and Jade Museum.


These range in price from a few dollars to several hundred. Some are made of genuine gold and jade, others of less expensie materials. Metates (the table and tool used to grind corn), monkeys, birds and other creatures are some of the things made of stone. A large wall map illustrates the regions represented by the reproductions.


Both Namu and Totem reflect quality and authenticity, rare qualities that set them apart from the typical souvenir shop. It will be challenging to visit either and not depart with a gift for a friend or to enhance the ambience of your home.


For a rich array of work by local artisans at excellent prices, visit the artisan's mercado beside the National Museum on Avenida Central, a few blocks from Hotel Presidente.)