Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, so you can expect to find quite a few markets that offer different experiences while simultaneously making you feel like a local. Many of the local markets offer fresh produce and food, but you'll find a variety of different items overall.

When you shop around a local market, you'll find yourself amongst local vendors that represent the labour of farmers and crafters intimately connected with the community. Take a look at the 10 best markets in Mexico City that you'll want to visit.

  • 1

    Mercado San Juan

    Visit a market for home cooks

    Mercado San Juan
    • Families
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Mercado San Juan is a traditional market that offers an extensive array of foods and ingredients, including exotic items perfect for home cooks, foodies, and professional chefs. The exotic meats on offer here are particularly interesting, as you'll find items like boar, crocodile, and even lion in some cases.

    When you visit this market, you'll find plenty of fresh foods and ingredients, with most of them sourced from Mexico. Some of the more exotic foods, however, come from Central America and the United States. You'll find this market in Centro just a few steps southwest from the historic centre.

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    Location: 2ᵃ Calle de Ernesto Pugibet 21, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Daily from 9 am to 5 pm

    Map

    photo by ProtoplasmaKid (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 2

    El Bazaar Sábado

    Take home local artworks

    El Bazaar Sábado
    • Shoppers

    El Bazaar Sábado is an arts and crafts market where you can find items from local artisans and talk to them about their craft and what makes their work special. You'll find plenty of works that could spruce up your home, including paintings and sculptures.

    In addition to the visual artworks, you'll also find an array of custom-made clothing and accessories, including jewellery. Additionally, you'll find live musicians and food vendors around. This market is located in the San Angel area, which is a few miles south of city centre.

    Location: Pl. San Jacinto 11, San Ángel TNT, San Ángel, Álvaro Obregón, 01000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm (closed Sunday–Friday)

    Phone: +52 55 5616 0082

    Map

    photo by Inakiherrasti (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified

  • 3

    Mercado de Sonora

    Find odd items

    Mercado de Sonora
    • Shoppers
    • Unusual

    Mercado de Sonora is a popular traditional market that offers a wide selection of goods, including some odd items like herbal medicines and things related to occult magic. While only taking up 2 aisles of the massive marketplace, the medicinal plants and magic items section is quite popular, as it offers amulets, black salt, and mysterious powders.

    If you're looking for more typical items, you'll find plenty of candles, soaps, and lotions, though you may find it hard to resist the spell-casting services just for the interesting experience alone. Discover it all for yourself in Merced Balbuena southeast of city centre.

    Location: Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 419, Merced Balbuena, Venustiano Carranza, 15800 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Daily from 9 am to 7 pm

    Phone: +52 56 1187 0415

    Map

    photo by AlejandroLinaresGarcia (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 4

    La Ciudadela

    Shop for artisanal goods

    La Ciudadela
    • Shoppers

    La Ciudadela is a market best known for its artisanal goods and handicrafts where you can find items like plates, bowls, toys, rugs, and more. The vendors here tend to be locals, so you can gain valuable insight into the artistic practices of the city.

    When you visit this market, you'll notice that the vendors love to talk. You can learn all about their creations as well as their process if you're trying to get into pottery or crafting yourself. Plus, bargaining is acceptable here, so don't be afraid to haggle a bit. You can get to this market a short distance west from city centre just south of the Juárez subway station.

    Location: Balderas S/N, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Daily from 10 am to 7 pm

    Phone: +52 55 5510 1828

    Map

    photo by Carl Campbell (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

  • 5

    Mercado de Medellín

    Visit a small yet stunning market

    Mercado de Medellín
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Mercado de Medellín is a area market that's home to a massive variety of produce and food items despite taking up just a single square block. Amongst the offerings here, you'll find some exotic produce from places like Colombia and Honduras in addition to the normal fruit and vegetables you might expect.

    One of the most popular items here is the ice cream. This market features a Cuban heladería that offers delicious ice cream in flavours like chocolate, cinnamon, Nata, and coconut. You can try it all for yourself in Roma Sur southwest of city centre.

    Location: Mercado, Medellín #20, Cuauhtémoc, 06760 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Daily from 11 am to 6 pm

    Phone: +52 55 2631 5455

    Map

    photo by Katia Flores Torres (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 6

    Central de Abasto

    Stop by a wholesale market

    Central de Abasto
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Central de Abasto is a massive wholesale market that typically sells items like foodstuffs to other markets, but it also sells directly to customers. This market handles more than 30,000 tonnes of merchandise every day, so you're sure to find something that suits your tastes.

    This market has just about any kind of food item you can imagine, unless it's something particularly exotic. More than 2,000 vendors are available within, and they offer all sorts of fruit, meat, and vegetables with some processed foods, too. You can see it for yourself in eastern Iztapalapa southeast of city centre.

    Location: Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Map

    photo by ProtoplasmaKid (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 7

    Mercado de Jamaica

    Spend time at a flower market

    Mercado de Jamaica
    • Families
    • Shoppers

    Mercado de Jamaica is a flower market where you'll find a variety of different species sold individually, in arrangements, and alongside stylish flower pots. Most of the selection here consists of foreign flowers, but there are a few native species as well, including some that are gathered near the market.

    In total, you'll find about 5,000 different types of flowers to choose from, and despite the name, hibiscus (Jamaica in Spanish) doesn't dominate the selection. See the flowers for yourself in the Jamaica area south of city centre.

    Location: Guillermo Prieto 45, Jamaica, Venustiano Carranza, 15800 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: 24/7

    Phone: +52 55 5741 0002

    Map

    photo by Adam Jones (CC BY 2.0) modified

  • 8

    Dulces y Piñatas

    Enjoy sweet treats

    Dulces y Piñatas
    • Families
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Dulces y Piñatas is a market where you'll find a vast array of sweets that the whole family can enjoy with fascinating names and delicious tastes. Amongst the selection, you'll find plenty of locally made sweets along with lollipops, dried fruits, and peanut brittle.

    When you visit this market, don't be surprised if you see names of gelatins and sweets that you can't pronounce, even if you're completely fluent in Spanish. The weirder the name, the better the sweets tend to be. You can taste them for yourself in Zona Centro near city centre.

    Location: Mercado la Merced S/n, La Merced, El Parque, Venustiano Carranza, 15960 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Saturday–Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm, Friday from 9 am to 7 pm

    Phone: +52 55 5542 2076

    Map

    photo by MenMag (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 9

    Mercado Roma

    Explore a gourmet, upscale market

    Mercado Roma
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Mercado Roma is a gourmet food hall that extends across 3 floors where you'll find artisanal foods with upscale decor and a commitment to quality ingredients. The selection offers favourites like cheeses and macarons all made utilising local ingredients and traditional preparation with a modern twist.

    When you visit this food hall, you'll find quite a variety of options like tacos, cured meats, coffee, and even a beer garden on the roof. You can find this market in Roma Norte west of city centre.

    Location: C. Querétaro 225, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Daily from 10 am to midnight

    Phone: +52 55 5564 1396

    Map

    photo by Vania Nava (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 10

    La Lagunilla

    Visit a local flea market

    La Lagunilla
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    La Lagunilla is a popular flea market in town that offers a variety of different antiques with a bit of everything you can imagine available for purchase. Local traders come to show off their old antiques and retro items whether it's clothing, comics, furniture, or accessories.

    Local artists also attend this market quite often, so you can get a taste of the local culture as well, with several artworks for sale. You'll also find a few food vendors here, so you don't have to go somewhere else to find a bite to eat. It's all located in Lagunilla just a few steps north of the historic city centre.

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    Location: Granaditas 27, Tepito, Morelos, Álvaro Obregón, 01296 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

    Open: Daily from 9.30 am to 6 pm

    Map

    photo by AlejandroLinaresGarcia (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified