Vista Bendita is fully equipped for self-catering — kitchen, BBQ, everything you need. For guests who want to stock up, find specialty items, or do a full shopping run, here’s the complete guide to everything from the local produce market five minutes away to the Panama border duty-free shops two hours south.
Local Shopping — Within 15 Minutes of Vista Bendita
Super Jucaloa — Ojochal Village
📍 Google Maps ~5 min · Ojochal village center
A charming local convenience store in the heart of Ojochal. Basics, snacks, drinks, local produce, and Costa Rican staples. Good for top-ups between bigger shopping runs. Cash and cards accepted. The kind of store where the owner knows everyone who comes in — genuinely local.
Best for: Quick top-ups, local staples, Lizano sauce, cold drinks, basic provisions.
L’Épicerie — Ojochal’s Gourmet Deli
📍 Google Maps ~8 min · Ojochal · Plaza Tangara
Gourmet ingredients and deli treats — the specialty food destination in Ojochal. French-run, impeccably stocked with imported cheeses, charcuterie, wine, specialty pantry items, fresh bread, and things you don’t expect to find this close to the jungle. One of the most surprising and delightful stores in the region. If you’re planning a serious dinner at Vista Bendita or stocking the fridge for a week of elevated self-catering, L’Épicerie is where you start.
Also houses one of the better restaurant/café operations in Ojochal — worth a coffee and a pastry while you browse.
Best for: Specialty ingredients, imported cheeses, charcuterie, wine, gifts, gourmet provisions. Non-negotiable stop for food-focused guests.
Ojochal Wednesday Market
📍 Google Maps ~5 min · Ojochal · Behind the Asada · Wednesday mornings
Fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice, local honey, fruit wines, handmade preserves, and the best croissants outside France. The weekly farmers market is the best source for fresh local produce near Vista Bendita. Go early — the good stuff goes fast. Cash only. Bring a bag.
Best for: Fresh produce, local honey, specialty food items, artisan crafts, starting the week’s cooking with the freshest ingredients available.
Ferretería / Hardware — Ojochal
~3 min · Ojochal · On the Costanera heading south (on the left — marks the Ojochal village turnoff)
The local hardware store is worth knowing about for guests who need tools, pool supplies, propane, batteries, or basic home items during their stay. Located right on the Costanera at the main Ojochal village turnoff — easy to find heading south.
Uvita — 25 Minutes North
Supermercado del Pacífico — Uvita
📍 Google Maps ~25 min · On the Costanera, east side
One of two full supermarkets in Uvita, both located on the east side of Highway 34. The Supermercado del Pacífico is the second largest grocery store in the area — accepts colones, dollars, and credit cards. ATM conveniently located just inside the shop. Good selection of local and some imported products. Well stocked for a full weekly shop.
Best for: Full grocery run, liquor and wine (refrigerated section inside), weekly provisions.
BM Uvita
📍 Google Maps ~25 min · On the Costanera, east side
The largest supermarket in the area — and increasingly air-conditioned throughout. Both the BM and the Supermercado have a large variety of liquor and wine in refrigerated sections. Slightly better selection than the Supermercado for specialty items. The two stores are worth checking both as stock varies — what one doesn’t have the other often does.
Best for: Largest grocery selection in the area, wine and spirits, full weekly shop.
Maxi Palí — Uvita
📍 Google Maps ~25 min · Uvita
A newer addition to Uvita — a Maxi Palí bringing more locally priced grocery options to the area. The Costa Rican equivalent of a budget supermarket — good for bulk staples, rice, beans, local products, and significantly lower prices on basic items. Less specialty selection but excellent value for staples.
Best for: Budget grocery run, bulk staples, local products at the lowest prices in the area.
Uvita Saturday Feria — Farmers Market
📍 Google Maps ~25 min · Uvita · Saturday mornings · 7AM–noon
The weekly farmers market — fresh produce, local honey, artisan breads, homemade cheese, fresh juice, crafts, and food stalls. The best Saturday morning activity in Uvita and a great way to stock Vista Bendita’s kitchen for the week. Go early. Cash preferred.
Best for: Fresh produce, artisan goods, local atmosphere, Saturday morning ritual.
Mosaic Wine Bar & Shop — Uvita
📍 Google Maps ~25 min · Uvita
The best wine shop in the Costa Ballena — a curated selection of bottles well beyond what the supermarkets carry. The team knows their stock and can advise. Mosaic also reportedly delivers to Ojochal — ask when you call. A glass of wine on the terrace at Vista Bendita at sunset calls for something better than supermarket selection.
Best for: Quality wine selection, wine gifts, evening provisions, specialty bottles for cooking.
Dominical — 40 Minutes North
Super Dominical
📍 Google Maps ~40 min · Dominical village
The best local supermarket in the Dominical area — excellent prices, fresh local produce, and a family-owned operation where the owner Olger will do his best to source anything they don’t currently stock. A good mix of local and imported products including organic, gluten-free, and imported options, a large wine, beer, and liquor section, and local beverages like aloe water and coconut drinks.
Best for: Full shop while in Dominical, fresh produce, local prices, family-run atmosphere.
San Isidro de El General — 1 Hour Inland
San Isidro (also called Pérez Zeledón) is the regional capital of the Southern Zone — the largest city within easy reach of Vista Bendita. It’s not a tourist destination but it is a genuinely useful full-service city with everything the smaller coastal towns don’t have.
Drive: ~1 hour via Route 243 through the mountains toward Platanillo then up to San Isidro. The drive is spectacular — cloud forest, mountain vistas, and a completely different landscape from the coast. Budget 50–60 minutes each way.
Why Go to San Isidro
San Isidro is bursting with local culture — candy shops, clothing stores, stationary stores, farm supplies and hardware stores, thrift stores, mechanics, computer repair, dentists, and lawyers spread out all around town. For guests staying longer than a week or who need things not available in Uvita or Ojochal, San Isidro covers everything:
Banking and ATMs — Multiple banks including Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica, and cooperatives. The most reliable ATMs in the region for large withdrawals in colones.
Medical — Full hospital services and medical specialists. Pharmacies throughout the city.
Supermarkets — The grocery store next to the bus station is reportedly the largest in San Isidro with the best prices. Good overall selection with increasing US and imported products.
General retail — Cinco Menos is a great little general store with many hidden treasures — food, tools, kitchen items, fabric, and clothing at very reasonable prices.
Department stores — Dollar’s Mall and Ekono offer affordable clothing, footwear, household goods, and general merchandise.
Shopping mall — Centro Comercial Montegeneral is San Isidro’s premier shopping destination — retail, dining, and entertainment. A small mall and movie theater are also available.
Hardware and farm supply — For guests managing properties or needing tools, San Isidro has proper hardware stores with full inventory.
Thursday Farmers Market — The San Isidro farmers market happens most Thursdays — a large local market with outstanding produce, local food, and a genuine city market atmosphere.
San Isidro Practical Notes
San Isidro is a good place to have lunch, get cash at one of the many ATMs, or fill your tank — the main highway into town is lined with service stations, some operating 24 hours.
Park near the central park and walk — San Isidro is small enough and secure enough to explore on foot without complication.
Note that San Isidro has a McDonalds and Pizza Hut if your kids need a familiar meal mid-shopping-run.
Best for: Banking, medical services, full retail shopping, hardware, clothing, larger supermarkets, anything not available on the coast.
Paso Canoas — The Panama Border Run (~2–2.5 Hours South)
Paso Canoas is the main Pacific coast border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama — and it’s a shopping destination in its own right. Expats and long-term visitors make the trip specifically for the duty-free stores, where prices on liquor, electronics, cosmetics, and imported goods can be dramatically lower than Costa Rican retail prices.
What to Expect
The Paso Canoas border can be chaotic — tractor-trailer trucks lined up, vehicles parked haphazardly everywhere, extremely busy with lots of people waiting and vendors selling things. Noisy, with truck brakes, music, and the occasional firework. Signage is poor. It sounds worse than it is. Once you know where you’re going it’s manageable.
Border hours: Monday to Friday 6AM–10PM, Saturday to Sunday 6AM–8PM Costa Rica time. Panama is one hour ahead — adjust your watch when you cross.
The Duty-Free Shopping
The duty-free stores at Paso Canoas offer excellent pricing — sometimes nearly 50% less than Costa Rican retail. A popular shopping destination for Costa Ricans looking for a good deal.
Border stores permit you to buy imported products including cigarettes, tobacco, perfume, cosmetics, electrical goods, and gifts at duty-free prices.
Best buys at the border:
- Liquor and wine — significant savings vs. Costa Rican retail
- Beer — especially imported brands
- Perfume and cosmetics
- Electronics — better selection than coastal stores
- Clothing and shoes — particularly US and international brands
- Household goods
There is also a City Mall with a McDonald’s on the Panamanian side, and cheap gas stations 2–3 km from the crossing.
Crossing Practically
Documents needed: Valid passport, two photocopies. US dollars — $8 Costa Rica exit fee, $3 voluntary Panama entry fee.
Note: As of 2024, a taxi is required for the Costa Rican immigration building on the return crossing — a new, modernized building that is no longer at the old location. Have dollars ready for the taxi.
Arrive early — The atmosphere is calmer as vendors slowly prepare their stalls. Avoid holiday periods when wait times can stretch to 60–90 minutes.
You do not need to enter Panama to shop at the duty-free stores — they are located on the border zone and accessible without full immigration processing for shopping purposes. Ask locally for current procedures as these can change.
David, Panama — 45 Minutes Beyond the Border
If you’re going all the way to Paso Canoas, consider continuing 45 minutes into Panama to David. David has malls, restaurants, and a significant expat community. A proper shopping city with Panamanian retail prices that are generally lower than Costa Rica across the board. A full day trip — leave Vista Bendita by 7AM, cross the border, shop David, back by evening.
Quick Reference — Shopping by Distance
| Store / Market | Drive | Best For |
| Super Jucaloa | 5 min | Local basics, top-ups |
| Ojochal Wednesday Market | 5 min | Fresh produce, artisan goods |
| L’Épicerie | 8 min | Gourmet specialty, wine, cheese ⭐ |
| Ferretería (hardware) | 3 min | Tools, supplies, propane |
| BM Uvita | 25 min | Largest grocery, wine & spirits |
| Supermercado del Pacífico | 25 min | Full grocery, ATM inside |
| Maxi Palí | 25 min | Budget staples, local prices |
| Uvita Saturday Feria | 25 min | Fresh produce, crafts, local |
| Mosaic Wine Bar | 25 min | Quality wine selection ⭐ |
| Super Dominical | 40 min | Local prices, family-owned |
| San Isidro de El General | 1 hr | Full retail, banking, medical, hardware |
| Paso Canoas / Panama border | 2–2.5 hrs | Duty-free liquor, electronics, cosmetics |
| David, Panama | 3 hrs | Full Panamanian city shopping |
Vista Bendita Kitchen Essentials — What to Buy Where
Stock up on arrival:
- Fresh produce → Ojochal Wednesday market or Uvita Feria
- Fish → Pescadería El Coral (Ojochal) or El Pescado Fresco (Uvita)
- Specialty ingredients → L’Épicerie (Ojochal)
- Full grocery shop → BM Uvita or Supermercado del Pacífico
- Wine → Mosaic Wine Bar (Uvita) or supermarket liquor section
- Lizano sauce → Any supermarket (~$2, in the condiments aisle — buy two)
Mid-stay top-ups:
- Super Jucaloa for basics
- Wednesday Ojochal market for produce
- L’Épicerie when you need something special
Special purchases:
- Artisan crafts and local art → Ojochal Wednesday market or Galería 1084 (Uvita)
- Boruca masks → Boruca Village (~1 hr south), directly from artisans
- Hardware or tools → Ferretería Ojochal or San Isidro
- Duty-free spirits → Paso Canoas border
Have a local shop or market near Ojochal we haven’t listed? Leave a comment — we keep this guide current.
Stay at Vista Bendita
After a day exploring waterfalls, beaches, whale watching tours, restaurants, and rainforest adventures, relax in the peaceful mountain setting of Vista Bendita overlooking Costa Rica’s South Pacific coast.
Enjoy ocean views, tropical wildlife, a private pool, and easy access to some of the region’s best experiences near Ojochal and Uvita.
More Details & Local Travel Tips
We’ve created a growing collection of travel guides, local recommendations, and insider tips to help you make the most of your stay at Vista Bendita and your time exploring Costa Rica’s South Pacific coast.
Browse our blog for information on:
- Restaurants and cafes in Ojochal & Uvita
- Beaches, waterfalls, and national parks
- Whale watching, snorkeling, and outdoor adventures
- Shopping, grocery stores, and local markets
- Travel tips, driving advice, and packing recommendations
- Wellness, relaxation, and hidden local gems
Whether you’re planning your itinerary or simply looking for inspiration after you arrive, our guides are designed to help you experience the region like a local.
Explore the Vista Bendita Travel Blog
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