Gate-side souvenir stop in Terminal A
CASA TICA sits airside in Terminal A at SJO and runs long hours, from 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., so it usually catches both the early departures and the late-night returns. It’s a straightforward Costa Rica–themed souvenir shop: think coffee, keychains, magnets, and last-minute gifts that fit in a personal item.
Expect tourist-shop pricing rather than supermarket deals; small trinkets start a few dollars up, and coffee and packaged snacks quickly climb from there. If you want branded “Costa Rica” T‑shirts, mugs, and caps to hand out at home, CASA TICA covers most of the basics in one stop inside Terminal A.
The shelves lean heavily on Costa Rican coffee and chocolate, with ground and whole-bean bags aimed at carry-on travelers flying out of gates in Terminal A. If you care about beans more than logos, you’ll probably get better quality and price in town, but for a same-day grab before a 6:00 a.m. flight, this is functional.
The store stays open until 1:00 a.m., which helps if you land late into SJO and realize you forgot souvenirs in San José proper. Stock can feel repetitive, but that’s normal for an airport shop and still covers standard gifts like shot glasses, fridge magnets, and small bags of local snacks.
Tip: if you want coffee, check roast date on the bags and grab the freshest one you can find before heading to your A‑gates.