15 Best Tianguis & Traditional Markets in Guadalajara
Exploring the markets in Guadalajara is one of the most enjoyable things to do while visiting the capital of Jalisco. They are a place to go souvenir shopping, eat traditional foods, and learn about local culture.
Mexico is a country with great markets. When the Spanish conquistadores arrived at the great Tenochtitlan in 1519 they were astounded by the size and organization of the marketplace. Many of the soldiers had been to Constantinople and Rome, yet never seen anything like it.
To this day, Mexico is a country famous for its markets and Guadalajara is packed full of exciting places to go shopping.
Pablo Neruda once said, “Mexico is found in her markets”. There is no better place to start learning about popular Mexican culture than in the traditional markets in Guadalajara.
When I first moved to Guadalajara in 2009 I was very lucky to land in a house that was three blocks away from Mercado de Abastos. Back then you could get breakfast for 35 pesos. I was there five days a week because the food was delicious and the options were vast.
An Overview Of The Traditional Markets in Guadalajara
The traditional markets in Guadalajara have better produce than the supermarkets. The fresh fruits and vegetables in the traditional markets are selected and sold by business owners who take more pride than an hourly employee could.
There are lots of fun shopping stalls in one place. You can get my watch fixed while I was eating, shoes shined, and a guy with a dolly to roll my purchases back to the car.
What started as a cheap breakfast turned into a masterclass on the food and culture of Mexico.
Every neighborhood in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Region has a neighborhood market. Some of the markets have permanent structures while others are one set up once a week.
A tianguis is an open area swap meet market that is only set up on certain days of the week. Many neighborhoods have weekly a tianguis where you can buy a lot of nice things from fresh produce to delicious food and clothing.
Visiting the traditional Mexican markets of Guadalajara is by far, one of the best things to do in the metropolitan region.
The Best Tianguis & Markets in Guadalajara
These are the markets that I recommend visiting. They are worth traveling a little ways to visit. You may not need to go shopping but exploring the various restaurants is a great experience.
1. Mercado de Abastos (AKA El Central de Abastos)
This is the big leagues. El Central de Abastos is the regional wholesale market that is more of a neighborhood than just one market. There are about 3 or 4 blocks of retail stores but the vast majority of the market is dedicated to the wholesale trade.
Trucks are coming in from across the state of Jalisco 24 hours a day with produce that is straight off the farm. The quality of that produce is consistently superior to the produce you will find in the local grocery stores. A lot of the supermarkets buy their produce at Mercado de Abastos.
Inside the retail section of the market, there is an exceptional food court. You will find some of the best examples of regional cuisine along with some international options.
Many of the food stalls are family-run businesses that have been in the market since it opened in the 1960s. You can find some of the best examples of traditional foods from Jalisco in this market.
Mercado de Abastos is one of the best places to eat in Guadalajara because they have access to the best ingredients in town.
2. Mercado Libertad (AKA San Juan De Dios)
Mercado San Juan de Dios is one of the largest indoor markets in the world and the market every guidebook recommends visiting. I often see the shopping center called St. Johnny and Taiwan de Dios in reference to all the pirated and counterfeit goods peddled here.
Mercado San Juan de Dios has a produce section and food court but the largest section is dedicated to retail goods of all kinds. There is a large fashion section covering men, women, and children from head to toe. The syles are all in composing including formal, casual, alternative, and country western.
The hardware section is also a home goods section. The vendor selling pirated movies and tv shows has a collection of retro and classic shows that are hard to find elsewhere. There are some excellent examples of popular culture.
The area that I like the most is the leather goods section. There are still a lot of cowboys in Jalisco and the saddles, boots, and belts are authentic and mostly handmade.
Mercado San Juan de Dios sits on the edge of downtown where it starts to get rough. The guys selling phones in front of the market can be aggressive and I would recommend keeping your wallet in your front pocket. I have never had a problem here but I don’t want to push my luck. Try to avoid the area after dark when all the businesses are closed and there are few people on the street.
San Juan de Dios Market is located next door to the Hospico Cabañas UNESCO World Heritage Site which is the best museum in Guadalajara.
My self-guided walking tour of the Historic Center of Guadalajara will finish at San Juan de Dios. It is the perfect place to find some good food after a morning of walking.
The second-floor food court has some great options. I love the caldo michi and the tripe tacos but just look for any crowded food stall.
San Juan de Dios Address: Av. Javier Mina, San Juan de Dios, Guadalajara
3. Mercado Mezquitán (AKA Mercado de las Flores)
While you can buy a bunch of flowers at the stoplight on any number of main intersections, there is nothing like strolling the wholesale flower market.
Not only are going to to save some money (usually 50% cheaper than a small neighborhood florist) but you get to see what is available in Guadalajara at any given time. The flower market is located across the street from a 19th-century cemetery, the Panteón Mezquitán.
Mercado Mezquitán Address: Calle Mezquitán 900, Artesanos, Guadalajara
4. Tianguis Artesanal de Tonalá
The Tonalá craft market is without a doubt one of the most popular things to do in Guadalajara. It is a large outdoor market or tianguis that is set up and broken two days a week for most of the year.
There are a lot of similarities between Tlaquepaque and Tonalá but the craft market in Tonalá is outdoors and much bigger than the markets in Tlaquepaque. Tlaquepaque has more high-end galleries and historic mansions while Tonalá is a little more working class.
The main road where vendors set up Avenida Tonaltecas with its wide sidewalks. There are plenty of vendors setting up in Plaza Cihualpilli around the Presidencia Municipal and the indoor market.
Tianguis Tonalá Address: Avenida Tonaltecas, Tonalá, Jalisco
Tianguis Tonalá Hours: 8AM – 3PM Thursday & Sunday
5. Mercado del Mar Zapopan
There are a couple of seafood markets in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area but the one that I like the most is in Zapopan. The traffic has finally gotten back to normal after finishing Line 3 of the Metro. There is a metro stop named Mercado del Mar that is two blocks away from the market and incredibly convenient.
Guadalajara is close enough to the coast that the seafood can be on your plate the same day it was caught. In some cases, the cost of shrimp is lower than it is on the coast.
A friend from Boca de Pascuales was blown away to see shrimp from Sinaloa cheaper in Guadalajara than what he pays at the beach in Colima. Make sure to ask around.
Many of the best cuts may not be out in the open. In some cases, the vendors will have whole tunas in the back that they sell piece by piece. I was able to purchase a large section of tuna belly for a very good price.
As always, there are plenty of restaurants taking advantage of the supply of seafood and serving up regional fare. El Zarandeo is always a good option.
The Mercado del Mar in Zapopan, every seafood market really, is ridiculously busy during Lent. The 40-day Catholic season of prayer and fasting is when many families buy fish rather than meat.
Mercado del Mar Zapopan Address: Prolongación Pino Suárez 925, El Vigía, Zapopan
6. La Fería de Productores
The Fería de Productores is a smaller Sunday market with a cult following of consumers and producers interested in sustainability.
While many of the large markets in Guadalajara are dominated by agro-industrial products, the Fería de Productores is focused on connecting small farmers with people looking for quality products. This is a true farmer’s market where the farmers who grow the produce are the same people selling it.
The yearly corn festival is incredible. They bring heirloom corn farmers from across the country to sell unique corn-based regional foods. I never knew corn came in so many beautiful colors and flavors.
There is a busy recycling center set up in front of the market collecting several recyclable materials.
Address: Club de Leones Av. de los Leones 75, Tepeyac Casino, Zapopan
Feria de Productores Hours: Sunday Mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
7. Mercado Santa Tere (AKA Mercado General Manuel Avila Camacho)
The community market in Santa Teresita is one of the best examples of the neighborhood markets of Guadalajara. The neighborhood is known for having some of the best food in Guadalajara and the market is at the center of the neighborhood and the food culture.
Today it is considered a pueblo (little city or village) within the greater region. It is an excellent neighborhood to walk with all sorts of small businesses. You will find some of the best examples of regional cuisine and many have been there for decades.
I don’t do a lot of shopping in the Santa Tere market but I do eat here regularly. When Guillermo del Toro is in town this is where he comes to eat. Fonda Mariquita and Fonda Amadita are both incredible options.
The juices at Las Titas are famous. The matriarch of the Las Titas dynasty is a very well-put-together older lady who sips chardonnay while working the register, classic!
Birrieria La Victoria is located right in front of the market. They have been serving some of the best birria in Mexico since 1948. The tortillas, cakes, coffee, and so many other shops surround the markets during the day. At night, there are some of the best tacos in Guadalajara sold on the streets near the market.
I am going to get going on an article about a food tour of Santa Tere. There are some great options.
Mercado Santa Tera Address: Calle Andrés Terán 524, Santa Teresita, Guadalajara
8. El Barratillo
El Baratillo is the largest tianguis in Latin America and dates back to the year 1570. More than 10,000 vendors set up stands to sell anything and everything. It runs for miles along Calle 36 and Calle Juan Zavala in the neighborhoods of Santa María, Belisario Domínguez, and Mirador.
You can find just about anything you could ever need at this market. There was a funny meme that I saw a while back about a person complaining about spending money unnecessarily and then buys a baby cow at the Baratillo for no apparent reason. I heard there is an underground market for exotic animals at the Barratillo.
El Baratillo Hours: Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.
9. Mercado Alcalde
Mercado Alcalde is a downtown market that feels like it is a lot older than it is. The current building was built in the 1980’s but I saw a 19th century map that said this block was designated as a market going back at least a hundred years. Most of the customers are a little bit older because the neighborhood is a little bit older.
I started coming here a lot when I was working on visa stuff at the immigration office a couple of blocks away. There is a birrieria run by a father and son duo that is worth the trip alone. And if you are going to get a birria you might as well get a cold pressed pineapple juice while you are at it. If you are in the neighborhood it is worth checking out.
Mercado Alcalde Address: Calle Pino Suárez 391, Centro Barranquitas, Guadalajara
10. El Tianguis del Sol
The Tianguis del Sol is a semi-permanent market that operates three days a week. The market is known for having lots of imported clothing, some used and some new.
In addition to the clothing section, there is a small food court with some really great options. El Gran Taco sells green chorizo tacos and cecina which are from Toluca. There is a creamery that sells these over-the-top cakes with layers of sauces and cheese. They are so big they are hard to fit in your mouth.
The fried quesadillas from Roger are so famous they are featured on the local tv stations from time to time.
El Tianguis del Sol Address: Avenida Nicolás Copérnico 1200, Zapopan, Jalisco
El Tianguis del Sol Hours: 7AM – 3 PM Wednesday, Friday & Sunday
11. San Nicolás de Bari Night Market
San Nicolas de Bari is often abbreviated to just San Nico. The San Nico food market is a treasured institution. Both the mass and the street food market are packed week after week. It reminds me of fair food with things like salchipulpos, gorditas de nata, tostilocos, and elotes but the vendors are trying to make them Instagram-friendly.
The tostilocos, for example, are served on a round tray and include a maruchan cup of noodles in the middle and a ton of sauces.
I noticed that a lot of people come to the market in groups. There are significant lines for the most popular food stands but people just hand out and talk. It is a very social event.
San Nicolás de Bari Address: Calle Cáncer 4190, Juan Manuel Vallarta, Zapopan
San Nicolás de Bari Hours: Monday night from 4PM – 11PM
12. Mercado IV Centenario
The 4th-century market is located in Downtown Guadalajara near Santa Tere and the Colonia Americana. This was my local market for a year when I was in college. I lived just two blocks away. It was founded in 1942 on the 400th anniversary of the founding of Guadalajara. The market stands next to the Templo La Capilla de Jesús and there is a bunch of colonial architecture in the neighborhood.
Up until recently, there was no reason to travel across the city to eat here. However, in 2022, Chef Fabian Delgado opened a food stall in the market that attracted a lot of attention. He serves simple, country-style food made with ingredients from the small towns nearby. His business partner is from San Jose de Gracia, Michoacan which is home to the treasured Cotija cheese and other dairy products. The encotijadas are tacos drowned in a rich cotija cheese sauce that you will never forget.
This place is a treasure. I saw an episode of Pari Jinich’s TV show that visited Fabian in this market. If you go on the weekend it will be packed because of Los Yunaites.
Mercado IV Centenario Address: Calle Garibaldi 824, Jesús, Centro, Guadalajara
13. Mercado Corona
Mercado Corona is a smaller Downtown Guadalajara market that was rebuilt after a fire in 2014 destroyed the old market.
In addition to lots of local food stands, there is a large section of esoteric stalls selling all sorts of supernatural cures.
14. Tianguis Cultural de Paseo Chapultepec
Paseo Chapultepec is one of the favorite places for Guadalajara to come together and have fun. It is a linear park running down the middle of the busy Avenida Chapultepec bar district.
Several nights a week, the park is filled with vendors selling individual art and indigenous art from across Mexico. A lot of people refer to this type of market as a cultural flea market.
15. Chapalita Art Market
On Sunday afternoon many local families like to enjoy the park in the middle of the Glorieta Chapalita. An art market has meeting there for decades.
More than just art, there are some small food vendors, yoga classes, and book vendors. The demographic is a little bit older but there are some families as well.
The area around the Glorieta Chapalita is full of great restaurants. Many of the patrons enjoy walking the art market before leaving the area. It is a very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Make sure to get an ice cream or a cup of coffee and take a loop around the traffic circle.
Final Thought On The Traditional Markets in Guadalajara
After reading an article about the best cities for shopping in the world, I am thinking about this blog entry as a love letter to the traditional markets around Guadalajara. I want to show you what makes Guadalajara special and truly a world-class destination.
I think that everyone should eat in the traditional markets at least once while visiting the area. Mercado de Abastos has some of the best food in the entire city. San Juan de Dios has some specialties that are hard to find outside of the market.
There is a lot of culture to be found in the tianguis and traditional markets. I hope you find something good to eat.
