10 Best Places to Shop in Mexico

Here the Huichol are treated as a people, not a product. At their downtown Vallarta shop, the owners— a Mexican-Canadian couple—are happy to share with customers their wealth of info about Huichol art and culture. They work with just a few farming families, providing all the materials and then paying for the finished products, amazing and colorful handicrafts that represent the most sacred elements of their culture. Huichol imagery is so colorful because they actually see these images when they eat peyote, an hallucinogenic cactus, as part of their religious rituals.

A shop, restaurant, and gallery, Artículo 123 first opened in this area otherwise dominated by electricians and hardware stores back in 2012. The food leans toward southeast Asian while the shop up front sells pretty keepsakes and gifts sourced from around Mexico, from carved stone mezcal glasses to cotton napkins and woven hats.

Excellent art pieces made by Indigenous craftspeople are for sale here, including sculptures, paintings, and more. The art pieces are purchased by the store owners in small villages in the mountains and brought here for sale.

A good place to shop for local products and produce is the Mercado Municipal.

Pick up an actual piece of Mexico at this colorful gem shop that specializes in both rough and polished minerals and stones from all around the country, including obsidian, jasper, lapis lazuli, rose quartz, amethyst, and more. Fossils and sculptures are also sold here, and prices are quite reasonable. 

This is a smaller grocery store with several branches throughout downtown Cancún.

Tierra Madre ("Mother Earth") is one part store, one part outlet for unique experiences—both of which are focused exclusively on Mexico's traditions. Whether you're purchasing handwoven apparel or attending a cacao ceremony, you'll walk away enriched from having experienced and supported a special part of the country's ancient culture.

Near the north end of Banderas Bay, Hikuri is run by a British couple who pay asking prices to their Huichol suppliers and employ indigenous workers in the adjoining carpentry and screen-printing shops. The workers initially have little or no experience, and the training and jobs here give them a leg up to move on to more profitable work. The excellent inventory includes large and small fine yarn paintings, beaded bowls and jewelry, and feathered prayer wands. An on-site patio restaurant called Abalón (closed Wednesday and 2–6 pm) is another good reason to visit, for its international dishes and sometimes live music.