- More than a souvenir: located in the Monteverde Biological Reserve, the Tangara store sells products that tell the stories of Costa Rican life.
In the Monteverde Biological Reserve, we found a model souvenir shop called Tangara. Every shelf holds handicrafts that reflect the identity of artists and entrepreneurs from across Costa Rica.
The store is a showcase for products that represent every part of the country.
Lilliana Gonzalez, the store manager, tells us that the project began three years ago and aims to highlight Costa Rican life from various regions, the essence of Pura Vida, and the conservation of culture and the environment.
“Every time you offer a product with identity to a tourist, you are offering a piece of your heart,” she says. “We wanted to show other souvenir and handicraft shops that selling locally made products is possible.”
“Almost a decade ago, the Costa Rican Tourism Board planted the seed of the Crafts with Identity program, an effort which has grown and born a cornucopia of fruit in every region of the country,” noted Alberto López, ICT General Manager. “Well-established collectives have been able to show the essence of Costa Rican identity in their creations. Cultural manifestations add obvious value for local and international tourists.” López also congratulated the creators of Tangara for providing a space for national artisans.
A colorful walk through Costa Rica
The Cartago section offers miniature replicas of masquerades and characters from Costa Rican legends. There are also hand-woven dolls with costumes that represent each province. These chicas de lana are created by a local artisan, who took up weaving after becoming a widow.
The store also offers stuffed bats, spiders and sloths, animals from our country made by local people. The store offers jewelry featuring quetzals and orchids, crafts from the Puntarenas region including masks made by indigenous groups, textiles and paintings from other areas, and much, much more.
For more information, see www.cloudforestmonteverde.com or call 2645-5122. If you are interested, you can also download the Interactive Destination Guide at https://www.ict.go.cr/flipbook/guias/PDF/MONTEVERDE.pdf
