Galeria Namu
Galeria Namu
4.5
About
Galeria Namu is a fair trade art gallery for local and indigenous artists from Costa Rica and surrounding Central America countries. Established in 1998 at this same location, visitors to Costa Rica's capital city of San Jose can find us easily behind the Holiday Inn (across from Parque Morazan).Knowledge and passion for the artists and their work is what makes a visit to Galeria Namu special; the owner, Aisling, and her son Conall, along with their support staff love to share with visitors the background of the tribe or individual artisans and the remarkable collection of unique and very special pieces available for purchase. For the past 15 years, Galeria Namu has nurtured a relationship with the artists who create folk art, gold and jade replicas, handwoven baskets, originals paintings, tagua carvings and jewelry and much more. Visit the website for hours and a sampling of what you will encounter. Be prepared to catch their enthusiasm for fair trade with these local arts and crafts.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
211 reviews
Excellent
165
Very good
35
Average
6
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Kristin M
Walnut Creek35 contributions
Dec. 2022 • Couples
Seems that they are still closed the website makes it seem like they are in business but I took a taxi there and sadly they were very closed.
Written December 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Rhonda A
Phoenix, AZ13 contributions
May 2022 • Solo
Travelers to Costa Rica are aware that the choices of art work, crafts & unique items to take back are relatively limited when traveling the country.
Discerning friends had found this San Jose gallery to be absolutely top notch with a wide range of beautifully created art and craft pieces, all fair trade.
Consequently, Galleria Namu was at the very top of my list of places to visit in San Jose. As listed on their website, they are closed Sundays — but in calling ahead this morning (Monday), their phone number is no longer in service, & no forwarding number was provided.
Unfortunately, not a positive sign of a flourishing (or operating!) establishment.
Discerning friends had found this San Jose gallery to be absolutely top notch with a wide range of beautifully created art and craft pieces, all fair trade.
Consequently, Galleria Namu was at the very top of my list of places to visit in San Jose. As listed on their website, they are closed Sundays — but in calling ahead this morning (Monday), their phone number is no longer in service, & no forwarding number was provided.
Unfortunately, not a positive sign of a flourishing (or operating!) establishment.
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
DavidWMcCulloch
San Mateo, CA96 contributions
Dec. 2021 • Family
Closed. Not sure whether permanently but shutters were down when their Web site said they were open 9-6. we found it closed on a Wednesday early afternoon for no apparent reason. Was looking forward to a visit. Update the website or be open when you say you will!
Written December 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Companion60550
10 contributions
Nov. 2021
A cut above the usual tourist curios. Very helpful salesman (Irishman from Quebec living in San Jose) who went over the collection and took the time to explain the objects. Great range in prices from small gifts to major art work. Not far from all the museums in San Jose, worth the trip
Written November 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mary K
Greensboro, NC61 contributions
Jun. 2021 • Couples
What a wonderful place. Focus on indigenous art - very knowledgeable of where an who made the pieces. Fair trade. Highly recommend.
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jason R
Slocan Park, Canada3 contributions
Feb. 2020 • Couples
If you are looking for native art in San Jose this is THE place. Great selection, knowledgeable, friendly staff, fair trade. Highly recommended.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Extraordinary301440
Ithaca, NY12 contributions
Jan. 2020 • Couples
Unless you want a few stereotype simple souvenirs, this is where you want to go to find authentic CR art - fine folk art and indigenous people’s art of high quality on a fair trade basis. The people really know where their art comes from. We bought a small Boruca mask and they gave us a page about the artist and a picture of her. They have pieces of the seeds that intricate pieces are carved out of. If we’d had more time they were willing to guide us in arranging straightforward bus trips to visit indigenous artists. The pieces are not “cheap” in any sense, but are decently priced for the work that went into them. Just walking in is an artistic experience.
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you for your very kind comments, we so appreciate people caring to take the time to comments as you did.
Gracias!
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hel M
Arlington, VA13 contributions
Jan. 2020
The store provides a wide range of artistic and unique goods from all over Costa Rica and is clearly a place to go if you are interested in authentic pieces which are locally made and support local artists, It is therefore also not necessarily on the cheap side but you can find things in every price range, I really liked that we were given background information on the items we bought and the artists and communities which produced them. It is clearly worse a visit and highly recommended.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lovely comments - thank you so much for taking the time to respond!
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andrea K
Sacramento, CA6 contributions
Jan. 2020 • Couples
After a lot of looking around at San Jose's central market, artisanal market, and other shops, we couldn't find the right art pieces to take home. This shop was exactly what we were looking for. Really beautiful pieces and none of that cheap knockoff stuff that's not from Costa Rica. The prices were reasonable and the shop owner is very knowledgeable. If you visit the Jade museum and National museum, you'll see a lot of similar art and jewelry at this shop. I highly recommend stopping by.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
We're glad you referenced the replicas we offer and so glad that you enjoyed your experience!
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alexandra H
Denver, CO14 contributions
Jan. 2020
We made a visit to Galeria Namu a priority during our short visit to San Jose, and we were glad we did. The gallery has a beautiful and diverse selection of arts and crafts of Costa Rica. We enjoyed an informative discussion with the friendly proprietor. AND we found just the piece of artwork to place on our wall In Denver and remember our visit!
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Many thanks Alexandra for you comments. We really appreciate the feedback!
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
gerardo d
Merida, Mexico20 contributions
cuales son los precios? los articulos son caros?
celticachica
San Jose, Costa Rica1 contribution
Hola Gerardo. Para tener una idea de los precios es posible que desee ir a nuestro sitio web. En respuesta a su pregunta acerca de si 'nuestros precios son caros', dado que la galería opera bajo un concepto de Comercio Justo, generalmente se cree que los precios son muy razonables
How long does it take to walk through?
celticachica
San Jose, Costa Rica1 contribution
It depends - some people spend 20 minutes browsing while others take an hour of more
Yamileth O
Houston, TX2 contributions
Howe much are the ticket for the Namu Gallery?
CobaltConnection
Dublin, GA4,542 contributions
There is no ticket needed to enter the gallery/shop. If you drive, there is a parking lot across the street which charges very little to park.
GALERIA NAMU (San Jose) - 2023 What to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Galeria Namu
- Hotels near Galeria Namu:
- (0.06 km) Santo Tomas Hotel & Wellness Center
- (0.17 km) Hotel Dunn Inn
- (0.09 km) Holiday Inn San Jose-Aurola
- (0.11 km) Hotel Kekoldi Garden
- (0.10 km) Hostel Van Gogh
- Restaurants near Galeria Namu:
- (0.01 km) Delicias Del Peru
- (0.05 km) Restaurant Al Masri
- (0.15 km) Cafe Rojo
- (0.13 km) La Criollita
- (0.20 km) Restaurante Silvestre