Local Supermarket in the Hotel Zone and other Cancún, Mexico Shopping Tips

Name of Shop: Super Express

If you're looking for a supermarket stop by the Super Express across from the Hotel Presidente. They have a wide selection and good prices. I recommend stopping in here to buy provisions if you're looking to save some money while you're in Cancun. Their prices definitely beat any hotel gift shop.

What To Buy: Stop in here to buy bottled water, film, batteries, fresh produce, cereal, breakfast bars, postcards, phone cards, etc. Much cheaper than buying them in the hotels!

What To Pay: I bought a 2 gallon bottle of water we kept in our room and used to fill our smaller bottles throughout the day for a whopping $1.40 US and 6 AA batteries for my camera for $3 US.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Av. Kukulkan Km 7.5
Directions: Across the street from the Hotel Presidente Intercontinential.

Name of Shop: Mexican Outlet

The Mexican Outlet is a one-stop shop for all your Mexican handicraft needs. Here you can find anything from postcards to onyx, silver to beach towels, sombreros to hand blown margarita sets. The store is easily divided into sections for each specialty. If you're running low on time and looking for the common, run-of-the mill souvenirs stop in here. The prices are clearly labeled. Don't expect to bargain here - except possibly at the jewelry counters. Help yourself to a welcome shot of tequila and browse to your hearts content.

What To Buy: Don't expect to find anything "special" here. By that I mean you won't find anything here that you can't find everywhere else in the markets. It's all here - nicely laid out and organized aisle by aisle. You won't have to worry about walking from stall to stall or bargaining with vendors. It's Mexican tchotchke heaven. You won't find original local art - but that's nearly impossible to find in Cancun.

What To Pay: Prices are reasonable, but probably a little more expensive than in the markets because they don't bargain in here except at the jewelry counters.

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Theme: Local Craft
Address: Blvd. Kukulcan km. 8.5 (aprox)
Directions: Just south of Plaza Caracol across from Casa Tequila.

Name of Shop: Markets

There are several open air flea markets peppered throughout the Hotel Zone. If you're not willing to venture downtown but are looking to purchase Mexican pottery, silver, art, souvenirs, etc these are your best bet for deals. The advantage to shopping in the markets are the deals - you can bargain with the vendors, which is something you can't do in the department stores and malls. Be prepared for vendors to "hawk" their wares. If you're not interested a simple "No Gracias" will do.

What To Buy: Hand painted pottery, silver jewelry, Mayan art and hand blown glass are among tourist favorites.

What To Pay: Shop around and bargain with the vendors to get the best deal.

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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Market 28

Market 28 is the huge open air flea market located in downtown Cancun. It's a maze of stalls and vendors selling everything from silver jewelry to sombreros, postcards to leather. Any Mexican tchotchke you're looking for you'll find here. Each stall features something different, although the more time you spend here you'll find that doesn't necessarily mean unique. Take the time to shop around. Chances are if you find what you're looking for in one stall you'll find something similar 5 shops down. Market 28 also houses several restaurants and cantinas if you're in the mood for something to eat or a cold cervesa. It's by far the largest of the marketplaces in Cancun so if you can't find that souvenir here, you probably won't find it elsewhere. It's the one stop tourist shopping mecca in Cancun. The advantage to shopping at Market 28 is that you get into the heart of downtown Cancun and get to experience a little more of the culture than you would shopping in the Hotel Zone markets.

What To Buy: Leather, silver, pottery, postcards, hair braids, frames, magnets, glassware, art work, handicrafts, etc. Don't expect to find anything "out of the ordinary" or terribly unique though, all the marketplaces in Cancun sell all the same types of things.

What To Pay: Shop around and bargaining is the key to getting good prices here. We talked a vendor down from 900 pesos to 300 pesos. Talk about a markup!

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Theme: Other
Address: Avenida Yaxchilán and Sunyaxchen
Directions: From the Hotel Zone take the R2 bus downtown. Exit the bus right before the WalMart make a right at the corner and follow the signs to Market 28 (aprox 3 block walk from the bus stop).
Website: http://www.cancun.bz/shopping_tips.htm

Name of Shop: Av. Tulum Shopping

There are lots of individual shops featuring all sorts of souvenirs and handicrafts along Av. Tulum in downtown Cancun. Tourists also find women and children pedaling their wares along this major thoroughfare. Although you can't bargain with many of the shopkeepers it is another alternative to shopping at the overcrowded markets.

What To Buy: You'll find the same things here you find elsewhere in Cancun... without the haggling.

What To Pay: No bargaining here. Expect to pay the posted prices.

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Theme: Other
Address: Av. Tulum, Downtown Cancun
Directions: Take the R1 bus from the hotel zone and get off on Av. Tulum (any stop after the first roundabout downtown).