371 Best Places to Shop in Mexico

Artist Tomás Reyes owns Galeria Auténtica, the largest collection of original Mexican fine art in all of Los Cabos. A third-generation art dealer, Reyes represents and stocks the work on 18 different artists (including his own), each of whom he visits twice annually to select which pieces he wants to bring back to sell. One of the artists, David Moreno, is a Cabo native and oil paints local scenes onto pieces of marble.

This is the place in La Paz to buy goods and souvenirs handmade by local artisans. Some of the most culturally relevant items include pearl jewelry, bottles of damiana, and picture frames made from dried cholla cactus wood, but there are plenty of bookmarks, magnets, and coffee mugs, as well. The prices are very affordable, so be sure to leave room in your suitcase for some great finds!

Located just a few steps down a pedestrian alley from Plaza de Armas, this beautiful boutique run by the state's department of culture promotes Querétaro's rich heritage of arts and crafts. The traditional weavings, woodwork, ceramics, and other fine pieces here have been created by fairly compensated artisans young and old. It's one of the best places in the city to pick up a keepsake.

Located in one of the grand mansions from the early 20th century on Paseo de Montejo, this establishment caters to well-heeled visitors and locals. The 10 boutiques housed here include an outpost from top Mexican designer Carla Fernández, Xinú (a Mexican fragrance line), and Casa Lima, which has an excellent selection of charming gifts that will fit easily into your luggage. There's also a café serving pastries and small bites with tables overlooking Paseo Montejo.

It's hard to ignore the huge, chunky rings, bracelets, and necklaces here. In the back of the shop there are more delicate items of pure silver set with various stones in artful ways. All are unusual.

Named for the late novelist and screenwriter Elena Garro, this huge bookstore occupies an early-20th-century mansion that's been enclosed within a stunning contemporary glass-walled, two-story addition. You'll find a terrific selection of literary and artistic titles as well as concerts, lectures, children's events (from puppet shows to storytelling), and other cultural programming. There's also a café with an enchanting garden seating area.

Eclectic Array curates an exquisite collection of handmade, artisan goods---like accessories, crafts, and home decor---from across Mexico. Their mission is to provide fair trade and sustainable opportunities to the country's Indigenous communities, and the products they sell are authentic, gorgeous, and one-of-a-kind.

It's worth visiting San Ángel on a Saturday just to visit this upscale artisan market that's been going strong since 1960. Before you even make it into the grandiose colonial mansion, you'll encounter dozens of vendors selling crafts, wood carvings, embroidered clothing, leather goods, wooden masks, beads, amates (bark paintings), and trinkets at stalls just outside and around Plaza San Jacinto and adjacent Calle Benito Juárez. (Just be warned that more than a few businesses around Plaza San Jacinto, perhaps misleadingly, include the word "Bazaar" in their name.) Inside, on two levels that encircle a beautiful courtyard, are the generally top-quality—although higher priced—goods, including alebrijes (painted wooden animals from Oaxaca), miniature ofrendas, glassware, pottery, jewelry, fashion, furniture, kitchenware, and a smattering of gourmet goods and beauty products. There's also a decent traditional Mexican restaurant in the courtyard, which has a massive tree looming over it. The bazaar is open only on Saturday, but many shops sell their wares online and will ship abroad.

This upscale department store is mostly filled with high-end designer collections. While it is a local chain, this location of El Palacio de Hierro stands out from the rest of the stores, thanks to its floor after floor of designer goods for men and women. You'll likely find something here you won't be able to get anywhere else. After making your way up to the top floor, stop at the La Terraza Palacio for a quick bite or a cocktail in the extensive food court.

A 10-minute walk from the center of town, Fábrica La Aurora, which was established in 1902, was the principal source of fine-quality muslin in the region until competition forced its closing. It reopened in 1990 as exhibition spaces for dozens of art galleries and antique- and modern-furniture showrooms; also, many local artists have opened studios here.

The concentration of art galleries draws visitors in huge numbers, especially during the monthly art walk, Friday beginning at 5 pm. If you're shopped out and hungry, head for the Food Factory, with its old-world character and comfortable sofas under a covered patio. Or pick up a snack at the outdoor Café de la Aurora coffee shop.

Get your organic fix at the Mercado Orgánico every Saturday 9–3 between November and April. Jewelry, artwork, flowers, soaps, fruit, and vegetables are a few of the goodies you’ll find here. Food stalls serve everything from tacos to pizza, and entertainment is offered for kids. You will surely leave with a bag full of fresh veggies and local art.

Frank Arnold Gallery has two big draws: it's arguably the best gallery space in town, in a modern building by local architect Alfredo Gomez; and it holds Frank Arnold's dramatic, widely acclaimed contemporary paintings that have been compared to de Kooning, Gorky, and Hans Hofmann. The gallery also features bronze sculptures and fine-art prints.

Ceramicist Mayer Shacter and his wife Susan Page have an amazing collection of decorative and utilitarian folk-art pieces from all over Mexico in several showrooms. On the way to several hot springs, the pilgrimage center at Atotonilco, and the town of Dolores Hidalgo, the 5,000-square-foot gallery is a destination in itself, and not just a must for avid shoppers. In 2014 the editor of the art magazine series Artes en Mexico called the shop "without a doubt the finest exhibition and sale of Mexican popular art in the country." It's open by appointment only. If you are serious about high-quality folk-art pieces, make an appointment.

The 300 or so potters from the village of Mata Ortiz add their touches to the intensely—sometimes hypnotically—geometric designs of their ancestors from Paquimé. At this shop pieces range from about $60 to $10,000, with an average of about $400. Stop in during an afternoon walk through downtown.

When Michael Cope opened this gallery 30 years ago alongside his wife, Pat, it was the first in Todos Santos to represent a group of artists from different mediums: painters, sculptors, and photographers. The rule was (and remains) simple: you could be from anywhere, but you had to live in Mexico. Today, Michael and his partner-in-paint Erick Ochoa (Pat has retired) showcase the work of 12 different artists, the majority of whom are Mexican.

Sergio Bustamante's work is in galleries around the world, but you can purchase his sculptures of humans, animals, and fairy-tale creatures in bronze, ceramic, or resin for less here. You'll also find his designs in silver- and gold-plated jewelry. Don't expect a bargain, however; most pieces range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

The beauty of its glistening glass-bead Czech jewelry in iridescent and earth colors may leave you weak at the knees. Sometimes a Huichol artisan at the front of the store works on traditional yarn paintings, pressing the fine filaments into a base of beeswax and pine resin to create colorful and symbolic pictures. Sales support the owner's nonprofit organization to promote cultural sustainability for the Huichol people.

Classical, contemporary, and abstract works are displayed and sold in this 6,000-square-foot gallery—PV's largest—and sculpture garden. Check out the marvelous large-format paintings of Indigenous people in regional costumes by Juana Cortez Salazar, whimsical statues by Guillermo Gómez, and the work of nearly 60 other talented artists. 

Nearly every souvenir shop or boutique you visit in Los Cabos will have gorgeous glassware in stock ... and it is all made here, using 100% recycled glass. Come to see the process live (more than a dozen artisans are hard at work every weekday, crushing, liquefying, then sculpting glass into exquisite figures) and shop through an incredible selection of drinking glasses, vases, ornaments, and more, created with every color and in every design imaginable. Note: it's a little far from the center of town, so you may want to visit by car.

With volumes in multiple languages, Jorge Cuesta Librería de Paso is a great spot to find academic writing on any number of subjects in Mexico, as well as out-of-print copies of international and Mexican literature. The bookstore, named after a Mexican poet and scientist, is packed to the gills with antiques, too (some of which are for sale), on which nary an inch is spared for all the books within its walls.

Visit this shop to check out the extensive collection of Mexican-made clothing and textiles in stunning, colorful patterns, from folk-art-print T-shirts, caps, and boots to beautiful handbags and ceramics. There’s a nice mix of items for all ages, including young kids. There are a few additional locations around the city.

Conveniently located in the Corridor, the Koral Center houses stores, medical facilities, a day spa, and El Merkado—a gourmet food court that converges 20 culinary offerings and the latest in Mexican gastronomy. You’ll find everything from tacos and tapas to sushi and an organic market selling local products.

La Cava, affiliated with Los Danzantes restaurant, sells a variety of quality mezcals along with regional wines and hand-rolled cigars in a cozy shop just off the Conzzati Park.

This is arguably the best farmers' market in the whole Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit region. It offers a balanced combination of good quality Mexican handicrafts and jewelry, as well as clothes, lamps, hammocks, cigars, organic products, and lots of delicious food. Everything is in a delightful environment with stunning views of the Marina Riviera Nayarit and Banderas Bay, and there's live music. It makes for a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Set in fashionable building with a small cluster of art- and design-related spaces, this small, beautiful bookstore specializes in titles related to art, architecture, fashion, and photography. You'll also find a selection of handmade stationary and paper goods as well as interesting locally made gifts, including artisan chocolates. Casa Bosques often hosts signings and readings as well.