We came to the market on our very first day in San Jose, for non Spanish speaking visitors, it can be daunting in the beginning. It was interesting to order food and asking about items from street vendors was interesting to say the least, LOL. One important thing, you need to know about is money and how they say their prices. Bring a calculator and the street vendors type in the price... Central Market has a wide variety of shops and attractions from a small grocery store, fast food, clothes, museum, church, etc.
One important thing is that, me and my family felt safe during the day; not sure what I would feel during the night though... There are areas that can be sketchy when the sun goes down... During the day, there are tons of police officers on foot, so that was a good thing in my opinion.
Kind of odd though, there was no (real) souvenir shop? We saw maybe one or two, but that was it! For souvenir coffee, buy it at the small grocery store, don't buy the coffee from souvenir shops at the tours, the prices can double or triple!

One of my favorite things to do when I enter a city is find their central market...it gives you a taste of the culture like nothing else in my opinion. Definitely the highlight of San Jose (which for a big city doesn't have much to offer but is a necessary pit stop if you're flying into the country). The market has all the usuals: Fruit and vegetables, meats and fish, spices, flowers, clothing, souvenirs, etc. I would have to say the tastiest and most authentic food I found in the area is in the central market, so definitely stop for an early dinner (most stands and restaurants close around 6:30/7p.m.) and get some Casado.

Title says it all. Standard market but geared toward tourists. Lots of t shirt places. Can get cheap eats at various stands. Be sure to visit Moka --best coffee.

Bordered to one side by the Avenida Central, it's just your standard, run-of-the-mill, garden-variety Central Market in the city. It has your usual areas for dry goods, clothing, small restaurants, fruits and vegetables, souvenirs and knick-knacks. It hasn't actually done anything to make itself stand out among the other markets that I've seen. Grade B.

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