There are so many different places to shop here in Playa del Carmen. There’s the grocery stores that are more like department stores. There’s the high end shops on La Quinta. There’s the corner abarottes (convenience stores). There’s the mall. And of course there’s Wal Mart. But one of our new favorite places is the Mercado (Market) that’s held every Sunday. The Mercado is an open air market that ‘pops up’ if you will on Sunday morning and is dismantled by the evening. This is a tradition in many Latin American cities, some have a bit more fixed structure, the one here in Playa is a series of stalls and carts connected with tarps.
We’re lucky enough that the Playa del Carmen one sits just a few blocks from our house on Calle 54 between Avenida 10th and 30th and we’ve strolled it multiple times.
We’ve seen everything from dishes to kid’s toys to auto parts to furniture for sale. This was one of the few stalls where they had stained the wood of the furniture.
There were lots of tents set up offering music and movies, I have no idea if these are legit or bootleg copies, but I have a guess.
Lots of places had clothes and shoes for kids and adults for really cheap prices. Jason was eyeing one shirt that was 40 pesos (about $3.50) and I think there was room for negotiation. But with no place to try things on and I’m pretty sure no return policy it can be a gamble.
There were also loads of food options. You can buy fruits and vegetables, fresh squeezed juices, ice cream, chicharones, and a lot of other things that I couldn’t identify. This stall was grilling and selling corn or shrimp on a stick.
But neither of us were willing to go here.
The Mercado is primarily about shopping, but this guy was trying hard to bring the entertainment.
The Mercado is definitely a cheap, fun place to spend a Sunday afternoon. We’re anxious to visit some other cities in Mexico on a Sunday to see if they have something similar. Have any of you ever shopped one?