Partial List of
NOTABLE MEXICAN MERCADOS
{Archival information from around 1987, sometimes out of date}
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
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