By the end of the year, people from the Abangares canton of Guanacaste will enjoy a new and spiffy marketplace where farmers and handcraft artisans will be able to showcase and sell their goods. This past Friday, President Laura Chinchilla inaugurated Costa Rica’s first roadside market, which is located right off the Pan American Highway near the Las Juntas ramp going to Limonal. In other words, this roadside market will welcome all travelers heading to Guanacaste from points south.

Entregamos esta hermosa del “mercado de carreteras” Abangares, adonde pequeños productores se instalarán. pic.twitter.com/1tMkAouTmp

— Laura Chinchilla M (@Laura_Ch) November 15, 2013

According to government estimates, more than 1,500 merchants will be able to display and negotiate their goods in this new market. As Costa Rica has become a car-crazy nation in the 21st century, merchants can expect hundreds of people stopping by every day to relax at the spacious and airy restaurant that will feature the delicious regional cuisine of Guanacaste, which is considered by many to be superior to that offered in the Central Valley.

Rural tourism is the fastest-growing segment in Costa Rica. The Abangares canton is home to 16,800 residents who, until now, have not enjoyed the benefits of tourism that other communities such as Playas del Coco have been privy to. In light of a deepening regional unemployment situation, many people in Abangares have become entrepreneurs, and for this reason the Union of Neighborhood Development Associations of Abangares (Spanish acronym: UNCADA) decided to enter the regional tourism industry with their own roadside market.

Travelers will find a slice of Guanacaste at this market: Organic honey, produce, salt, seafood, dairy products, and handcrafts are just some of the goods that will be offered here. UNCADA has reminded merchants that everything offered at this new marketplace must be of high quality and produced with sustainability in mind. Construction of the market follows bio-climactic guidelines such as the use of special materials to create cross ventilation and convection effects so that visitors can cool off without the need of air conditioning even during the hottest days.

Source: UNCADA