368 Best Places to Shop in Mexico

Since 2005, El Gato Gordo has been providing locals and visitors alike with the finest selection of Habanos and Cuban cigars in town. Be ready to spend, as these top-quality cigars sell at over $300 individually and up to $16,000 by the box.

El Mayab has a selection of machine-produced guayaberas, which go for less than the hand-embroidered variety.

Upscale department store El Palacio de Hierro is noted for items by well-known designers and its seductive advertising campaigns. There are freestanding branches throughout the city, as well as anchor stores in malls such as Centro Santa Fe, Mexico's largest mall. If you're in need of any practical purchases, there's a good chance you'll find them here, but otherwise, it's not much different from any other department store.

El Tecolote Bookstore is a top bookstore in the region for English-language reads. Stop here for Latin American literature, poetry, children's books, current fiction and nonfiction, and books on Baja.

Mexican artist Elina Chauvet sells unique beaded necklaces and bracelets, casual beachwear, Guerrero masks, and embroidered cotton clothing. She's also a renowned painter who sells works by other artists alongside her own.

Emili Ambar makes up for its diminutive size with a helpful staff. Here you'll find a small selection of amber often with an insect suspended inside.

The quintessential accessory to rock in Los Cabos is a handmade sombrero---both to keep the sun off your face and as a fashion statement. Local artisan Víctor Orduña uses royal palm grown in his home state of Puebla to weave custom hats in three colors (tan, natural, and white), then sews in colorful designs with yarn. Visit his workshop to see a variety of premade options, or with a minimum order of four, he'll come to you and will create custom designs.

Cotton and linen clothing and wool and leather accessories are among the goods you can find here. Everything is crafted by Mexican artisans.

Some visitors have a moment of disappointment when they learn that the Yucatán is not especially known for regional handicrafts unlike, say, Chiapas, Michoacan, or Oaxaca. Fortunately, Expendio Doméstico has opened its third location (after two in Mexico City) just to the east of Parque Mejorada. The wonderfully curated collection of typically Mexican objects includes black barro pottery, blown-glass pitchers, and embroidered tablecloths.

Ezra Katz is considered by many to be one of the most important and original artists ever to emerge from Baja California Sur. Born in the United States but raised in La Paz, Katz's evocative and inspired paintings depicting the local landscape have been on display in his latest Todos Santos gallery since 2015.

The Flores family has been making jewelry in Cabo San Lucas for a quarter-century and is one of the most reliable establishments in town. Locals will say they got their pieces via "Botas from Valente"; Valente Flores being the shop's owner, and his cousin, Botas (a nickname), the lead jeweler. A slew of other relatives work the counter, happy to offer you complimentary tequila if you spend long enough browsing. Ask about their pieces made with fire opal, the national gemstone of Mexico.

Located on the ground floor of the Secretariat of Welfare building on Paseo de la Reforma, the main retail outlet FONART (the National Fund for the Promotion of Handicrafts) is one of the country's best sources for authentic Mexican crafts: colorful embroidered textiles, ornate glassware, folk dolls, terra-cotta cookery, carved wood boxes, Day of the Dead figures, and more. You'll pay a bit more here than in many other markets and shops around the city, but FONART products are carefully selected directly from the best artisans in the country, who are in turn guaranteed a fair wage. There are a few other FONART locations around the city, including a very large branch in Benito Juárez on Avenida Patriotismo.

This three-level entertainment and shopping plaza features brand-name restaurants, upscale clothing boutiques, a food court, and chain stores, all in a circus-like atmosphere. For spring breakers the main draws are the nightclubs, Coco Bongo and Señor Frog's. The bungee trampolines set up here during high season are especially popular with children. You will also find several ATMs.

Fruity Keiko has a colorful yet tasteful selection of crafts from local artists, including jewelry and great handbags and beach bags. It's usually open daily from 10 am (noon on Sunday).

Located in a narrow courtyard along lovely Avenida Francisco Sosa, this lively market is devoted to locally made crafts, gifts, clothing, body-care products, and artisanal foods. Edible treats include homemade fudge, hand pies, chocolates, and mezcals. 

Painter Daniel Rueffert paints landscapes and Mexican scenes with bold brushstrokes and bright colors that capture the essence of Pozos, where he lives, and the surrounding countryside.

At one of Cozumel's best galleries, Greg Dietrich creates and shows his engraved blown-glass lamps and vases along with paintings, jewelry, photography, and other works by local artists. It's open Monday through Friday from 11 to 7 (other times by appointment). The gallery is three blocks off the waterfront.

Galería Corsica is in a spectacularly dramatic space. The gallery, which has two sister galleries in Puerto Vallarta and one in Mexico City, shows museum-quality fine art with an emphasis on paintings and large, impressive sculpture pieces.

Home to the works of Julio Martinez, the gallery also hosts visiting shows by artists from Oaxaca and across Mexico. Its central location—and the variety of art available—makes it a good place to visit if you are interested in making a purchase.

Bypass the street vendors and come directly to this lovely shop for the best quality silver in town. It also sells Talavera and custom-made jewelry at amazing prices. Don't be afraid to haggle.

Galería de Ida Victoria has been designed with skylights and domes to show off the international art contained within its three floors, which includes paintings, sculpture, photography, and prints.

This small shop near the Basílica is crammed a small smattering of gifts and home-decor pieces. In addition to the heart-shaped flower vases of different colors of glass—designed by the owner and produced in Guadalajara—you'll also find paintings, embroidered items, stamped leather purses, and burnished, unglazed ceramics. The shop offers a nice selection and a friendly, English-speaking owner who's often on the premises.

For authentic made-in-Isla gifts—including wooden boxes, hand-carved sculptures, and ceramics—head to Galeria Elemento Arte. Jewelry is another top draw: pick your stone, setting, and clasp, then watch the masters make a custom piece before your eyes.

The assortment of handicrafts here is huge: Huichol yarn paintings and beaded bowls and statuettes, real Talavera ceramics from Puebla, decorative pieces in painted wood, and many other items. 

This gallery has wonderful exhibits that really are worth a visit. It's only open on weekends.

A laid-back spot under a palapa roof, Galería Lamanai carries a mix of folk and fine art from more than 200 Mexican artists.

Rooms surrounding the central, plant-filled patio of this old colonial house are filled with handicrafts from the region and beyond. Browse for rough-hewn wooden bowls; table runners made on back-strap looms, from cotton dyed with colors of animal and vegetable origin; pottery and shawls from various Michoacán towns; and scary wooden masks, among other quality items. Look for it in a row of shops just to the right side of La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud. It's open daily.

Open since 1987, Pacífico features the sculpture of Ramiz Barquet, who created the bronze Nostalgia piece on the malecón. Brewster Brockmann paints contemporary abstracts; Marco Alvarez, Alejandro Mondria, and Alfredo Langarica are other featured artists. During the summer months the gallery can be visited only by appointment.

Here you can see the latest from Oaxaca's most famous artist, Francisco Toledo, as well as many other well-respected contemporary artists. Of course, these are some of the most expensive works in town, but the browsing is free.

Galería Vives carries lacy garments and monogrammed handkerchiefs.