The market with handcrafted items and souvenirs in Mérida was the first market of its kind I had been to in Mexico. More by chance really. It is totally full of all kinds of things that Mexicans either make by hand or sell at the markets: T-shirts, trousers, jewellery, shoes, sculptures…. And it’s all beautiful. Accordingly, I didn’t know where to look first, I found everything beautiful and to be honest, the only thing that stopped me from buying anything apart from jewellery was the fact that I simply didn’t have any space in my backpack – because jewellry you can still stow away. But things like shoes, T-shirts, any other cool stuff – all left. Because there was no space. Looking back, that was my salvation, because the market in Mérida is not necessarily the cheapest. Not the most expensive either, but Mérida also is a tourist magnet and if you go to a market in the main square, things are therefore a bit more expensive than elsewhere. Of course, this is also reflected in the fact that if you look a little too interested or stop somewhere, you are immediately approached and people try to sell you something. I got the hang of it quite quickly, but it’s not always easy or pleasant. As a European, I’m not used to being dragged into a sales situation so quickly and so intensively, and sometimes it’s really hard to get out of it…. Nevertheless, of course I couldn’t avoid buying something. Anyone who knows me knows that I rarely leave without falling in love with something that obviously I later then buy. And so it was at this market that I bought my very first bracelet from Mexico, which I still wear every day – no joke. Of course, I added a few more, but that was the first one. And a necklace with a little wooden turtle on it, which I bought back then for 35 or 40 pesos. It’s also still intact and worn with a lot of love. Once you’ve got used to the slightly different sales strategy of the Mexicans, you can stroll through a market in a relaxed manner and really have fun 😉 😊
By the way, there are also clothes and everything for men at these markets too. So go there, get inspired, but compare the prices a little before you buy something. See if it´s perfect. If no, better wait. Everything you can find at the market in Mérida is available massively in Mexico. No matter what it’s about. I brought back a lot more from Mexico than just a bracelet and a necklace – a lot more 😀 So you can use the market in Mérida as a kind of inspiration for later and grab it when you see a real treasure. 😀
Go or not? Definitely! Whether you want to buy something or not, you’ll get a great impression of Mexico, the things that Mexicans make and simply the culture. I think it’s worth it. And a little souvenir at the end of the day doesn’t hurt either 😉