368 Best Places to Shop in Mexico

When locals want to spend money they head to Galerías Tabasco, the best known of Villahermosa's shopping malls.

This is the main shopping mall in the whole Puerto Vallarta–Riviera Nayarit area, offering 73,000 square feet of shopping on two floors and a magnificent view of the arriving cruise ships. This mall and the surrounding shops are mainly visited by cruise-ship passengers and Mexican out-of-towners looking for everything from sporting goods to clothing and housewares. Galerías Vallarta has restaurants, parking, a 12-theater cinema, and a fast-food court with the ubiquitous McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Chili's, and Starbucks.

Local painter Galo Ramírez and a consortium of island artists display their works at this gallery. Their vibrant water colors and acrylics portray local scenes and people.

Gladys Galdamez’s eponymous shop carries Isla-designed and manufactured beachwear for both men and women. Select something off the rack, or bring a photograph of your dream bikini and she'll sew a bespoke version for you.

This mall carries designer brands with price tags to match. There's a food court and some restaurants, too.

Mérida has several shopping malls, but the largest and nicest, Gran Plaza, has more than 200 shops and a multiplex theater. It's just outside town, on the highway to Progreso (called Carretera a Progreso beyond the Mérida city limits).

Guajuye, on the road to the railroad station, is the local glass factory, where you can pick up all sorts of handblown glassware.

There's a "seconds" outlet directly across the street, behind the Immigration Office.

It also has a shop in town at Correo 11.

The family-run Guayaberas Fina Cab has high-quality hand-stitched shirts and dresses with embroidery that ranges from basic interlocking cables to elaborate floral designs.

More than 600 different types of tequila, plus an assortment of kitschy Mexican crafts and souvenirs, are sold at Hacienda Tequila. Free tastings are available, and the staff would love to share their deep knowledge of tequila making with you.

This family-run outfit specializes in hammocks and has many sizes and designs.

This buzzy boutique on a quiet side street carries a lot of interesting locally made clothing, shoes, and accessories as well as lotions, soaps, and whimsical household goods. The colorful ceramics and glassware make wonderful gifts or keepsakes. 

If you are looking for a guayabera, there's no shortage of shops in Mérida's historic center that will provide you with a lovely version of this tropical garment. If, on the other hand, you want edgier T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other attire—sold alongside beautiful Michoacan water pitchers in dazzling pastels, Mexican-themed notebooks and journals, and organic beauty products—then you'll want to drop by this shop on Paseo de Montejo.

One of the nicest malls in Mérida wraps around an artificial lake—you can even zip-line over it. Its main anchor is Gran Chapur, a department store, sitting amid a number of smaller boutiques. The Harbor also has a movie theater as well as a number of restaurants: Maya de Asia has delicious Maya-Asian fusion dishes; Porfirio's is a lively Mexican bar and restaurant; and there are smaller venues including a Starbucks, Mr. Sushi, and Hamburgesia for, yes, burgers.

The only place in town to buy folk art from all over Mexico is just off the main square at the San Miguel Hotel. You'll find something to suit any budget, including a collection of textiles.

This well-respected shop just off Plaza Borda carries an extensive selection of top-quality silver and other jewelry. Prices tend to be a little higher here, but you can trust what you're buying, and even if you're not looking to purchase anything, it's a beautiful shop to browse through

At this friendly boutique, artisans hand-craft gorgeous, stylish leather products, including backpacks, computer bags, wallets, purses, journals, and aprons. The level of quality is superb, and the goods have a timeless look.

Íconos Mayas carries beautiful weavings, especially shawls, produced by the renowned El Camino, a nonprofit group that supports women weavers and their families. You can make an appointment to see a wider selection of El Camino's weavings by email ([email protected]).

The government-run Instituto de la Artesanía Jalisciense, on the northeast side of Parque Agua Azul, has exquisite blown glass and hand-glazed pottery typical of Jalisco artisans. Prices are fixed.

Held every Thursday from November through April, this community event showcases the work of resident artists, designers, and authors. It’s a great place to buy jewelry, clothing, and artwork or even have your palm read—all to the benefit of local nonprofits. Food vendors and musicians also take part in the fair, which runs from 4 pm to 8 pm.

In addition to sportswear and sarongs, the offerings here include Mexican crafts, home decor, and beach towels.

This nonprofit organization generates income for Maya women and their families. From December through April, a Sunday market features traditional dances, regional foods, and handmade crafts sold by Maya women wearing embroidered dresses. Year-round, the spa offers traditional Maya treatments such as deep-tissue massage and body wraps with aloe vera or chocolate fresh from the cacao; it's open by appointment only, with bookings at 10, noon, 2, and, when full, 4.

The gift items here include small housewares and tin frames sporting Botero-style paintings. The classy selection of Talavera pottery is both decorative and utilitarian. An extension half a block down the street has an even larger inventory including leather settees, lamps, desks, and other furnishings as well as pieces from various parts of Mexico. Neither shop is for bargain hunters, but prices are reasonable given the high quality.

In business since 1961, this shop has a small but good assortment of stamped-tin products, whimsical earrings, as well as animals and skeletons carved of featherlight wood. Prices are totally reasonable.

This house-turned-gallery features the work of four artists, including its namesake Jill Logan, a Southern Californian who has been in Todos Santos since 1998. Expect to find bold oil-on-canvas paintings and complexly layered multimedia pieces.

Shop for malachite, turquoise, and other semiprecious stones set in silver at Joyería Colonial.

Established in 1963, Joyería David has an extensive selection of silver jewelry, much of it made on the premises. Jewelers on-site can help customers design their own pieces containing Mexican opals, amethysts, topazes, malachite, turquoise, or other stones.

The simple figurative acrylic paintings of Juan Ezcurdia, who can often be found working in his gallery in Fábrica La Aurora, are playful yet powerful, and often feature humans and animals. Look for iguanas drinking beverages through a straw, stylized humans riding bikes, and other fun and cheerful images.