Mercado 28 - The Market With a Number

Photo: Kirt Edblom from Albany, Oregon, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Cancun: Downtown and the Hotel Zone, a free self-guided tour.

The number in the name is an address, not a date. This market stands in Supermanzana 28, one of the numbered superblocks of the planned city, and locals simply called it by its block.

It began as an everyday market where downtown families bought fruit, meat, fish and Yucatecan food. After Mexico's economic crisis of the mid-1990s, the stalls turned more and more to crafts for visitors, and today you will find a maze of shops selling embroidered blouses, hammocks, silver, carved masks, pottery and souvenirs, with small eateries tucked inside.

Browsing is part of the fun. Prices are usually not posted, and friendly bargaining is expected at many stalls, so take your time, compare a few shops and decide what something is worth to you before you ask. Look for hammocks and embroidery from the Yucatan Peninsula, two crafts this region is known for.

Getting here: Walk west from Parque de las Palapas, about 10 minutes, crossing Avenida Yaxchilan toward Avenida Xel-Ha.

Did you know?: Around 3,000 to 3,500 people a day were visiting Mercado 28 in 2024, when the city made a push to bring more visitors back to the market.

Photo op: Frame a row of hanging hammocks or embroidered dresses down one of the inner aisles, with the colors stacked into the distance.

More on Wikipedia: Mercado 28 · Downtown Cancun · Yucatan Peninsula

Mercado 28 - The Market With a Number

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