371 Best Places to Shop in Mexico

This is the best one-stop shop in Cozumel for Mexican crafts and art. Numerous display rooms, covering almost a block, are filled with clothing, furnishings, home-decor items, quality tequilas, and jewelry. There are smaller branches at Puerta Maya, the international pier (SSA), the Cozumel airport, Punta Langosta, and the gift shops of some hotels.

Mercado 28 is Cancún's largest open-air market. In addition to a few small restaurants, it has about 100 stalls where you can buy many of the same items found in the Zona Hotelera at a fraction of the cost. Expect to be confronted by aggressive vendors trying to coax you into their shop. This is a great place to haggle, and usually you can end up paying half of the initial asking price.

This market is a one-stop shop for all the gifts, souvenirs, and keepsakes you might need. Loaded with stalls selling everything from hammocks to beaded Huichol jewelry to woven palm hats, Ciudadela is a mixed bag to say the least, both in terms of quality and prices. But with a little patience, you will almost certainly find something special to take home.

Although it's not as big as some of the city's other markets, this lively mercado just a couple of blocks from Frida Kahlo's house is one of the most popular with visitors, in large part because of the famous food stalls at its center doling out plates of delicious ceviche, octopus, shrimp, chicken tinga, picadillo, and other fillings for about MP40 to MP50 per portion. But you'll also find aisles of the usual fresh juices, produce, spices, candies, and other goodies typical of Mexican markets as well as a number of souvenir and homeware vendors (mostly near the northwest entrance) and many other food vendors. Arguably even better than the tostadas are the quesadillas sold from a tiny little stand at the west entrance, directly across from pretty Jardín Allende, a small landscaped park with benches and pathways; on weekends, artists sell their wares in the park and a DJ spins traditional Latin music, which locals of all ages dance to---it's great fun to watch. For a sweet treat, stop by Chocolate Mexicano Dulce Olivia, which serves sipping chocolates and carries a vast array of artisan chocolate bars produced by small, often family-run makers from throughout the country.

Over the years, this traditional neighborhood market has refashioned itself as the city's gourmet food market. Its stalls are crowded with edible flowers, wild mushrooms, fresh seafood flown in from the coast, and spots that specialize in insect snacks like chicatanas (a species of flying ants) and gusano de maguey (agave grubs). Notably pricey, this is not a place where most people come for their daily shopping, but it's atmospheric nonetheless, with its cheeses, cured meats, and a great espresso bar in the form of Triana Café Gourmet that serves good drinks with a smile over a bright orange counter.

This speakeasy-style bar gives you an adrenaline rush from the moment you ring the bell to gain access. Serving only mezcal from hundreds of glass bottles, the staff can offer you a three-variety tasting menu incorporating flavors and textures available only in individual mezcal-making villages, or you can feel free to choose your own and discuss your opinions with the regulars. More than a bar, this is an unforgettable experience in a mezcal museum.

This boutique has its own extensive line of bikinis, cover-ups, yoga pants, and some items for children (including sunglasses, bathing suits, flip-flops). There's a small line of jewelry, and Brazilian flip-flops for adults in a rainbow of colors.

In collaboration with artisans all over Mexico, Onora sells handmade homewares and textiles that you might recognize from the city's chicest boutique hotels. The store was founded in 2014, with a minimalist yet luxurious philosophy and a commitment to elevating fine Mexican design. If you're looking for Mexican handicrafts that are a step above what you might find in the local markets, Onora is the right place.

On the ground floor of a handsome Porfirian town house, this striking showroom displays the colorful furniture and housewares of celebrated designer Andrés Gutiérrez. These often chunky, curvy pieces, from lamps and bookends to end chairs and dining tables, are cast in eye-catching colors and make bold design statements. His pieces often look as though they'd fit perfectly in one of Luis Barragán's homes. 

Trusted, well-established Pama offers a wide array of imported jewelry, perfumes, watches, and watch repairs while you wait. Sales pitches are definitely low-pressure here, so take your time and enjoy looking around.

Upscale, open-air Paseo del Carmen has numerous boutiques—including Zara, Ultrafemme, and Old Navy. Seattle-coffee lovers can get their fix at the Starbucks that dominates the center of the mall. A cobblestone path makes this one of the area's most popular and pleasant shopping destinations.

The owners, Betty and Fernando, are wonderful hosts at their gallery and mezcal-tasting room. The attractive decoration, variety of mezcals available, and excellent food make Piedra Lumbre one of the best new mezcal bars in Oaxaca.

The largest and most modern shopping mall in Guadalajara, Andares carries all styles of clothing in more than 100 stores, including designer retail shops. Both an indoor and outdoor shopping area, it has ice-cream shops and other quick bites, as well as sit-down restaurants along the main entrance. Generally speaking, prices tend to be high here.

This arcade on the Zócalo has attracted merchants since 1524. It's lined with jewelry shops selling gold (often by the gram) and authentic Taxco silver at prices lower than those in Taxco, where the overhead is higher. The best shop is Sombreros Tardán, which specializes in fashionable hats of every shape and style; it's more or less in the middle of the arcade.

The mission of this beautiful little boutique is to promote and pay consistent and fair wages to artisans and clothing designers from throughout Mexico. The major draw here is women's fashion, including stylishly casual blouses, jackets, pants, and sweaters in earthy hues and constructed with natural fabrics. But there's also an extensive collection of goods for the kitchen and home, including pillows, candles, bowls, and planters. There's a second location in Condesa.

This three-story plaza on Playa's main drag houses Sanborn's department store, Harley Davidson, Forever 21, Oakley, Hurley, American Eagle Outfitters, and much more. There's even a Häagen-Dazs where you can cool off with an ice cream before more shopping.

Peruvian designer Sandra Weil opened this shop, her first boutique in Mexico City, in 2012. Combining traditional craftsmanship with high-quality fabrics, including pima cotton, alpaca wool, and silk, her bold designs have become a go-to for the capital's trendsetters. Weil's dresses and separates can be found at stores throughout Mexico, as well as in Miami and Houston, but this one has the most extensive collection.

Internationally known Sergio Bustamante—the creator of life-size brass, copper, and ceramic animals, mermaids, suns, and moons—has a team of artisans to execute his never-ending pantheon of creative and quirky objets d'art, such as pots shaped like human torsos (which sell for more than $1,000). Paintings, purses, shoes, and jewelry are sold here as well.

This gallery is remarkable in the Los Cabos region both for the assortment and the quality of art contained within its walls. Mexican folk art makes up most of the inventory here. Treasures include Carlos Albert's whimsical papier-mâché sculptures, Mata Ortiz pottery from the Quezada family, Huichol yarn "paintings," Alebrijes (colorful wooden animal sculptures) from Oaxaca, and fine jewelry. Owner Armando Sanchez Icaza is gracious and knowledgeable; he knows volumes about the artists whose work he carries. His silversmiths can also make custom jewelry for you within a day or two.

Silvia Suarez is undoubtedly the mother of ethno fashion in Oaxaca. Her handmade designs have been shown and worn around the world and provide a modern, fashion-conscious take on the traditional indigenous textiles and techniques from the state of Oaxaca. Alongside her current collections, customers can see and buy examples of the highest-quality local clothing and artisan textile products. No visit to Oaxaca would be complete without a piece of clothing from this Oaxacan institution.

At this tree-shaded compound founded in 1964 and situated midway between Museo Frida Kahlo and Jardín Centenario, exquisite Japanese-inspired bowls, plates, vases, tea sets, and other ceramics are produced and sold at quite reasonable prices. Ceramics workshops are offered as well, and as you're browsing the wares, you can say hello to the owners' friendly cadre of xoloitzcuintlis (the distinctive hairless dogs that have been a part of Mexican culture for more than 3,500 years).

This store is a mine of perhaps the best silverwork in Mexico—jewelry, flatware, candelabras, museum-quality reproductions of archaeological finds, and bold designs by young Mexican silversmiths. The Masaryk shop is one of several in the city, including locations in the Four Seasons and in the upscale Centro Santa Fe. Outside this Polanco branch, you'll find an Instagram-famous bright pink wall with a neon sign that sums up most visitors' sentiments: Mexico mi amor.

Enormous La Lagunilla has been the site of trade and bartering for more than five centuries. It's open every Sunday, when vendors set up along Confort Street and along the alley connecting to Paseo de la Reforma, selling everything from antique paintings and furniture to old magazines and plastic toys. Dress down, and watch out for pickpockets.  

Owner and chocolatier Luis Robledo, who trained with Daniel Boulud in New York and at the prestigious L'école de Grand Chocolat in Paris, was named best pastry chef in Latin America in a República del Cacao competition. In his light and cheerful boutique on Avendia Amsterdam, you can shop for exquisite bonbons in intriguing flavors (cardamom--chocolate ganache, calamansi, mezcal-sea salt, and pineapple-ginger), or have a seat and sip a lusciously rich hot chocolate or mocha. There's also a selection of cakes, cookies, and French macarons.

With a workshop in operation since 1824, Uriarte Talavera has been making the Talavera pottery emblematic of the town of Puebla for two centuries. If you can't make it to Puebla to see the workshop yourself, this store is a nice substitute, where you can still purchase original handmade Talavera.

This playfully named shop opened by a Cuban-American stylist who relocated to CDMX has been a beacon in the city's fashion community since 2007. Look to the unabashedly over-the-top boutique for carefully curated men's, women's, and unisex threads from top international design houses as well as shoes, bags, and home accessories. 

Exquisite truffles and molded chocolates are all stylishly arranged on immaculate glass shelves at this classic Canadian chocolatier. The chocolate itself is European; among the different mousse fillings are some New World ingredients, including lime, coconut, cinnamon, Kahlúa, espresso, and a few dozen more. Stop by after dinner for a fab dessert. During holidays, out come the molded Santas or Day of the Dead skulls, some packaged as pretty gifts.

You could easily miss this tiny artisanal chocolate shop if you walked by too quickly, but there's a pretty good chance the brightly colored handmade bonbons in the display cases might catch your eye. These beautiful little gems with speckles and swirls that look like abstract paintings have distinctive fillings like passionfruit, pistachio, chipotle, and tamarind---more than 50 varieties in all. The boxes of assorted flavors make lovely gifts. You can also order hot chocolate, lattes, and teas to enjoy on one of the handful of sidewalk seats.