Gate A-side shop with mugs and caps on repeat
On the Terminal A concourse at SJO, CAPS & MUGS runs 24/7, so it’s one of the few souvenir options open for a 02:00 departure or a 05:30 arrival. It sits airside, past security, so this is a last‑minute grab spot before boarding, not a landside meet‑up point.
Stock skews simple: Costa Rica‑branded baseball caps, coffee mugs, shot glasses, keychains, and magnets, all in the usual red, white, and blue or pura vida themes tied to SJO and San José. Prices on basic keychains tend to sit in the low single digits in USD equivalent, with caps and ceramic mugs climbing into the mid‑teens once you see the price in colones.
Quality sits a notch above the generic stands near some B‑gates, with mugs that feel heavier and embroidery on the caps instead of just printed logos. You still pay airport markup, so figure on paying a few dollars more than gift stalls in downtown San José or Escazú for almost the same designs.
If you forgot office gifts or need something small that packs flat, grab keychains, magnets, or one logo cap and skip the bulkier boxed mug sets. Lines rarely form here, even in the 06:00–08:00 departure wave in Terminal A, so you can duck in and out in under five minutes. One tip: check price tags in colones and do a quick mental conversion before heading to the cashier so the total doesn’t surprise you.