When navigating Costa Rica, landmarks are your main guide. Though street and house numbers definitely exist, the country has never fully developed a nationwide address system. Instead, you find places according to their proximity to other places: houses that belonged to famous historical figures, government buildings, statues, restaurants, and even trees are all possible reference points. If it’s a well-known spot, it’s bound to be used in an address. And the Mercado Central is the best-known of them all.

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