Mercado de Artesanias

Mercado de Artesanias (The Artisan Market) is open daily from 9 am until 7 pm. Each stall is overloaded with hand-crafted items. Jewelry stalls sell pendants and rings, some of which are made from local stones such as Mexican jade or shaped like skulls. Hand-painted, traditional Mexican ceramics are piled high alongside hanging lamps and Oaxacan rugs and clothing. Even the souvenirs at touristy stalls are hand-painted. A cascade of hats falls from one man’s stall and live birds in cages are the feature of another. Mercado de Artesanias stretches from a large undercover area, in which there is a mix of craft stalls and food stalls selling local honey, handmade sweets and medicinal herbs. Sellers hand out small pieces of grilled sweetcorn to passers-by to taste. These can be bought covered in lemon, salt and chili to taste. The market continues down some steps through a passageway with stalls on either side and out into the open, winding through the narrow streets until you come out at the main road on the other side. San Miguel is a city full of artists, painters and craftsmen, and this is reflected in this beautiful market.