SHOPPING

Mexico City has been an entrepôt of trade for many centuries—even before the legendary markets of Tlatelolco that so dazzled the Spanish conquistadors, with produce from across the Aztec empire sold in orderly stalls under vigilant imperial guards. Markets still thrive today all over this huge city, selling anything you can imagine, and they are joined by the luxury shops of Polanco with the latest imported fashions, specialized block-long strips of stores in the Centro (like the booksellers of Donceles or the electronics shops on República de Uruguay), and street vendors handing a bouquet of divine-smelling gardenias for $0.75 cents through your car window as you’re waiting at a red light. If you want it in D.F., you can buy it.

Shoppers will find plenty of places to buy arts and handicrafts from across Mexico. Mercado Ciudadela, near the Centro, and the crafts market in the Zona Rosa are good places to start, but better quality can be had at the weekend markets in Coyoacán and San Ángel, or at a number of upscale shops throughout the city.

Apart from the places discussed in this chapter, consider taking a shopping trip to one of the cities and towns around Central Mexico, where you’ll often find a better selection and lower prices. Puebla is a great destination for handicrafts, particularly for the renowned Talavera dishware, and Taxco is justly famed for its silver jewelry.

Best Bookstore: With a large selection of Spanish-language literature, Librería Gandhi, with branches in the Centro and Coyoacán, is one of the best bookstores in the city. (read more)

Best Quality Handicrafts: If you’re looking for top-quality handicrafts, never mind the price, head to one of the government-run FONART stores. They carry some of the finest, well-made traditional artwork you can find anywhere in Mexico, including ceramics, jewelry, and weavings. (read more)

Best Ceramics: In Polanco, a branch of the famed Puebla ceramic makers Uriarte Talavera is where you’ll find beautiful (but pricey) dishware with the shop’s distinctive designs. (read more)

Best Place to Buy Tequila: There’s any number of stores with extensive tequila selections in Mexico City, but one particularly good one is La Naval. (read more)

Best High-End Shopping: You’ll find all the top international fashion shops, including Luis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Hermès on the upscale Avenida Presidente Mazaryk. (read more)

Best Budget Handicrafts: A maze of little walkways, La Ciudadela market has more than a hundred little shops selling all kinds of handicrafts. These aren’t necessarily the most finely crafted goods available, but prices are low (bargaining is expected) and the huge selection makes it an easy place to buy some last-minute gifts. (read more)

Best Art Market: Housed in a colonial-era building off San Ángel’s main square, Bazar Sábado might be the best place in the country to buy artwork. This Saturday market gathers several dozen of the finest artisans in the city. Prices are not cheap, but the paintings and crafts available are well worth it. (read more)

Best Herbal Remedies: Looking for a love potion to charm someone or a talisman to ward off bad luck? Then head directly to the bustling Mercado Sonora. This isn’t a tourist destination, but it is an amazing spectacle, with squawking birds (many of them endangered species) and all sorts of mysterious powders and liquids. (read more)