Market Watch: Fresh Finds at Tres Ríos Feria

Vendors at the Tres Ríos feria, or farmers market, line the streets as early as 5 a.m. every Saturday, eager to offer a fresh variety of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, eggs, flowers and herbs. Many of the merchants have worked at the feria for years, making the weekly trek to pick up their freshly picked produce from Costa Rica’s hot tropical regions, delivering their goods to

markets and supermarkets, too.

Local ferias are a fresh alternative and economical shopping option, offering everything from bananas to broccoli to basil at a fraction of the rising prices in the supermarket. Economic and meteorological oscillations have impacted agricultural production and consumer consumption around the world lately, and Costa Rica is no exception, as food prices have risen 26.7 percent in the last 12 months.

Some of these markets in and around San José include those in Plaza Víquez, Zapote, Guadalupe, Tibás, Escazú, and Santo Domingo de Heredia, among others. So get up early, grab your grocery list and shopping bags and stock up on affordable, healthy gastronomic goodness.

Photos and text by Lindy Drew