Tight squeeze in Oaxaca


PARTIAL LIST OF

NOTABLE MEXICAN MERCADOS

AGUASCALIENTES

  • Aguascalientes: located at 5 de Mayo and Unión

BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

  • San José del Cabo: modest Mercado Municipal behind the bus station, off Calle Doblado

CAMPECHE

  • Campeche: Mercado Municipal at east end of Calle 53

CHIAPAS

  • Chalchihuitlán: large Indian market about 20 miles north of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, on unnumbered road; Thursday and Sunday
  • Chenalhó Indian market about 17 miles north of San Cristóbal de las Casas, on unnumbered road; Sunday
  • Palenque: market at Manuel Velasco Suárez and 1 Poniente, in northwestern corner of town
  • San Cristóbal de las Casas: large Indian market at northern end of Avenida General Utrilla, which runs along the eastern side of the Zócalo; especially active on Saturday; interesting because of diversity of Indian groups doing business
  • Tenejapa: Indian market about 10 miles northeast of San Cristóbal de las Casas, on unnumbered road; Sunday

GUANAJUATO

  • Dolores Hidalgo: market near Chiapas and Jalisco, about two blocks south of the Jardín
  • Guanajuato: Mercado Hidalgo on Avd. Juárez one block northwest of Jardín Reforma; look for ceramics with pale green and blue designs
  • San Miguel de Allende: Mercado Ignacio Ramírez at Calle Juárez and Calle Mesones; tinwork, colonial furniture; most active on Sunday

GUERRERO

  • Acapulco: Mercado Municipal just north of Pro. D.H. de Mendoza and Avenida Constituyentes
  • Chilapa: Our friend Francisco Jaimes reports "an important market where you can still find an ancienct trading system and ancient spices and a lot more form two mayor Indian cultures there; Mixtecos and Nahuas"
  • Taxco: on Luis Montes de Oca, uphill from the first-class bus terminal; busiest on Sunday
  • Tequisquiapan: Sunday market in this opal and dairy center

GUANAJUATO

  • Guanajuato: Mercado Hidalgo just west of Juárez and Mendizabal; ceramics, especially those with pale green and blue designs

HIDALGO

  • Ixmiquilpan: Monday market day
  • Zimapán: Sunday market day

JALISCO

  • Guadalajara:
    • Mercado Libertad, Latin America's largest enclosed market, with over 1,000 privately owned stalls; across Parque Libertad at intersection of Calz. Independencia Norte and Javier Mina
    • Mercado de Abastos (Website at http://www.mercadodeabastos.com.mx)
  • Jocotepec: Thursday market day; specialty handwoven white serapes
  • Juchitlán: Indian market on Sunday
  • Puerto Vallarta: Mercado Municipal, downtown at Miramar and Rodrígues; native handicraft and clothing
  • Tonalá: open-air market on Thursday and Sunday in this pottery center
  • Zacoalco: Indian market on Sunday

MÉXICO

  • Amecameca: Indian market on Saturday
  • El Oro de Hidalgo: Indian market on weekends
  • Metepec: Monday market
  • San Mateo Atenco: market on Sunday in this shoe-making city
  • Santiago Tianguistengo: Indian market on Wednesday
  • Tenancingo: large Indian market; Thursday and Sunday
  • Texcoco: Sunday and Monday market days in town famous for dairy products and ceramics
  • Toluca: Mercado Juárez; large market across the peripheral highway from the bus station, most active on Friday

MEXICO CITY (DISTRITO FEDERAL)

  • Mexico City: Mercado Lagunilla, at Libertad and Comonfort, like Merced but smaller, neater, more organized, less colorful
  • Mexico City: Mercado Merced -- a huge one near downtown; our One Day in the Life of a Mercado describes what it's like
  • Mexico City: Mercado Sonora; herbs and animals (also covered in the above "One Day" essay

MICHOACÁN

  • Cotija: about 55 miles southwest of Zamora, famous for its cheese
  • Morelia: Mercado Hidalgo near Antonio Alzate and Abasolo; busiest on Thursday and Sunday
  • Pátzcuaro: on Calle Libertad just west of the library; famous for its pescado blanco (white fish) and Tarascan Indian handicrafts; especially busy on Friday
  • Uruapan: Mercado de Antojitos, along Calle Constitución; renown for its avocados
  • Zitácuaro: covered market downtown

MORELOS

  • Cuautla (San José section in south): large pottery selection
  • Cuernavaca: furniture, silver, leather
  • Tepoztlán: Indian market on Sunday

NUEVO LEÓN

  • Monterrey: Mercado Colón one and a half blocks east of M. Ocampo and Cuauhtémoc; large but a bit too modern
  • Monterrey: Mercado Juárez, two or three blocks east of Cuauhtémoc and Martinez; besides fruits and vegetables, has leather articles, blown glass, pottery; like hybrid between a U.S. mall and a "real mercado"

OAXACA

  • Atzompa: (about 5 miles west of Oaxaca on unnumbered road); Indian market on Tuesday
  • Ayoquezco: (about 33 miles south of Oaxaca, on the Zimatlán) road; Indian market on Tuesday
  • Ejutla: (38 miles south of Oaxaca on Mex. 175); Indian market on Thursday
  • Etla: (just past Soledad Etla, 9 miles northwest of Oaxaca on Mex. 190); Indian market on Wednesday
  • Ixtlán de Juárez: (about 39 miles northeast of Oaxaca on Mex. 175): Indian market on Monday
  • Juchitán: Zapotec women run this market, where native costumes, gold jewelry, and unusual foods such as iguana and armadillo can be found
  • Miahuatlán: (60 miles south of Oaxaca on Mex. 175); market most active on Monday
  • Oaxaca: Mercado de Abastos, overflowing a ten-block area across from the second-class bus station in the city's southwest corner; most active on Saturday
  • Oaxaca: Mercado Juárez, 1 block south of the Zócalo, on Cabrera
  • Ocotlán: (20 miles south of Oaxaca on Mex. 175); Indian market on Friday
  • Ojitlán: (about 17 miles west of Tuxtepec); Sunday market
  • San Pedro y San Pablo Etla: (10 miles northwest of Oaxaca on Mex. 190, just past Soledad Etla); Indian market on Wednesday
  • Soledad Etla: (9 miles northwest of Oaxaca on Mex. 190); Indian market on Tuesday
  • Tehuantepec: Zapotec women run this big market across from the plaza
  • Tlacolula: (20 miles east on Mex. 190; huge Indian market on Sunday
  • Zaachila: (9 miles south of Oaxaca on unnumbered road); Indian market on Thursday
  • Zimatlán: (19 miles south of Oaxaca on unnumbered road); Indian market on Wednesday

PUEBLA

  • Acatzingo: huge mercado on Tuesdays in the Zócalo
  • Atlixco: huge Indian market on Saturday
  • Huauchinango (on Mex. 130 in extreme northern Puebla): Indian market on Saturday
  • Puebla: Tianguis Popular at corner of Blvd. Hereos del 5 de Mayo Norte and Heroe de Nacozar
  • Tehuacán: onyx items and leather; Saturday
  • Tepeaca: said to be largest market in Mexico outside Mexico City; from Wednesday to Friday

QUERÉTARO

  • Querétaro: look for gemstones, especially amethysts, opals and topaz

SAN LUIS POTOSÍ

  • San Luis Potosí: Mercado Hidalgo, on Hidalgo just south of Reforma
  • Tamazunchale: Mercado Municipal, especially busy on Sunday

SINALOA

  • Mazatlán: Mercado Municipal, downtown between Calle Juárez and Serdán

TAMAULIPAS

  • Matamoros: Mercado Juárez, enclosed market covering several blocks; almost too modern, but at least close to the border

mercado scene in Veracruz, photo by Maria of Veracruz
Photo by Maria Pagola, of Ask Maria, in Veracruz

VERACRUZ

  • Orizaba: market on northern side of the Zócalo
  • Veracruz: Mercado Hidalgo; near Avenida I. Allende and J. Soto

YUCATÁN

  • Mérida: Mercado Municipal; at corner of north-south running Calle 56 and east-west running Calle 65. Very large; typical food market on ground floor, but top floor occupied by a handicraft market, the Bazar de Artesanías Municipales, specializing in hammocks, embroidered clothes, straw bags, pottery, and filigree jewelry

ZACATECAS

  • Zacatecas: market near Hidalgo y Costilla, and Santero, near the cathedral

Return to the MERCADOS MENU