5 Best Shopping in Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca's largest and oldest market is held at the Central de Abastos (literally the "Center of Supplies") on the southern edge of downtown. Saturday is the traditional market day, but the enormous covered market swarms daily with thousands of buyers and sellers from Oaxaca and the surrounding villages. Along with mounds of multicolored chilies and herbs, piles of tropical fruit, electronics, and bootleg CDs, you'll find intricately woven straw baskets, fragile green-and-black pottery, and colorful rebozos (shawls) of cotton and silk. Don't burden yourself with lots of camera equipment or bags; and keep an eye out for pickpockets and purse-slashers. Polite bargaining is expected.

It's mostly locals that you'll find chowing down amid the lively stalls of the daily Mercado 20 de Noviembre, across the street from the Mercado Benito Juárez. No prices are listed, but rest assured that this will be your cheapest meal in Oaxaca.

Close to the zócalo, the daily Mercado Benito Juárez has stalls selling moles, chocolates, fruits and vegetables, and much more. The bulky brick building teems with clothing, arts, and crafts.

The city's sprawling market is a long walk (but short cab ride) from the beaches. It's divided into orderly sections of comedors (humble eateries), crafts and souvenirs, produce, and fish and meat vendors (a section that vegetarians should stay away from if they’re squeamish). For culinary adventurers, this is the place to sample Oaxacan specialties such as chapulines (toasted grasshoppers sprinkled with lime and chili), chocolate, and stringy cheese. The best time to visit is on the weekends, when indigenous Mixtec and Zapotec vendors bring their goods from the highlands. Watch for handwoven baskets, unique vegetables, and black pottery.

For textiles, don't miss Mercado de Artesanías, a great place to shop for handwoven and embroidered clothing from Oaxaca's seven regions. This is also the place to find the handmade huipiles (short, boxy blouses, often made of velveteen) worn in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.