Mercado de Abastos

Mercado de Abastos

Mercado de Abastos
4
About
This large flea market on the outskirts of town features hundreds of local vendors selling foods and arts and crafts.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles59 reviews
Excellent
32
Very good
14
Average
8
Poor
1
Terrible
4

tricia g
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
We did a private tour of the Market through an airy bed and breakfast site and it was great! Just search for an experience hosted by Javier and/or Martha and you will find it. Please be mindful and do not wear jewelry or act carelessly and you will be fine - some reviews here simply show a non-understanding of other cultures and big city open air markets in general. We opted to do a private tour for 3 adults to the Mercado de Abastos and it was spectacular. Martha made sure to select food stalls and vendors who used only filtered water to ensure that our stomachs would be full and also healthy. We were able to sample so many things - from juices and tacos to grasshoppers and worms, and a touch of mezcal too. All with a healthy dose of story telling and history so that we had an understanding of all of the food and flavors that we were enjoying. Never once did we feel unsafe, and we even opted to stay in the market after our tour to do a little extra shopping. If you are a seasoned traveler you will love the market, it is quite big and somewhat disorienting so having a tour guide to show us around was just great!
Written August 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paula G
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Family
This is a must do experience in Oaxaca - the market is a traditional market and functions like a small city . Highly recommended that you go with a guide that knows there way around the market as you will get lost. The variety of food, spices, vegetables, meats is mind blowing. Highly recommended. It was safe we were two women and a guide I never felt unsafe.
Written November 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chinapjs
Washington DC, DC3,613 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We took a cooking class and first went to this gigantic market to buy all the ingredients. It was a great time as the chef maneuvered us thru the place explaining all the fruits, vegetables and spices. Before entering he warned about pickpocketing so I pass that warning to you. It was safe though. You need a good thirty minutes to see the whole place.
Written February 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elizabeth E
North Little Rock, AR4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
This mercado is enormous and has everything imaginable. I was advised by locals to avoid going after dark, so I will just pass that advice along. Here you can find Dona Vale, who was featured on the Netflix series "Street foods of Mexico", and try out one of her memelas.
Written November 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jake L
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Ah, what a great experience.... My friend and I were warned of pickpockets several times before going, and probably about 10 times by vendors in the market itself. No problems; just be cautious. We each carried a small bag/pack and an expensive camera and stayed sensible on this Saturday, a principle day here. Saw no other Americanos/foreigners, but were greeted consistently with friendliness and respect. Sampled a lot of breads, treats, and had so many lovely interactions with other shoppers and vendors. We and our cameras were welcomed (or politely told 'no'). Had a delicious lunch at one of the food stalls. BTW, my spanish is poor and my friend's is marginal, but people were eager and curious to talk, as were we!

As to shopping, BEWARE - this place goes on FOREVER! And you can find just about anything you want here, from live goats, sheep, rabbits, turkeys, chicks and chickens, and ducks (go to the back of the market), to amazing baked goods, household items, work and garden implements, decor, beds, hats, clothing, scales, knives, even ice cream! And on and on and on...

So far this is my favorite place in Oaxaca: Variety, amazing friendly people, and lots of good exercise getting around!
Written May 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jordansbulls
Houston, TX61,191 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Went to Central de Abasto (Mercado) and then to Mémelas Doña Vale (Memelas). Got the Memelas de Salsa Morita con Tasajo/Beef and Memela de Salsa Roja with Egg.
Afterwards walked the market some and then went to Mayordomo for some chocolates.
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike B
Fremantle, Australia43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Couples
All I can say is WOW! Abastos has everything you could ever want! From rare chiles to beautiful hand-made pottery, Abastos has got it all. I was very timid about going here at first based on other reviews saying it was dangerous or a likely place to get pick-pocketed. I have no idea what those people are talking about. Abastos felt way more chill then any of the other markets in centro. Yes, I saw some stupid tourists with the ironic t-shirts, those skin color money purses around their necks, and a general look of terror from not understanding what the world outside the U.S. look like, and those people deserve to be pick-pocked because they're acting stupid and look like big obese moving tagets. I keep my wallet in my front pocket (especially in the U.S. where the rich are the ones you have to worry about stealing your money) and I stay aware.

I say all this because I want you to go to Abastos. It's one of the top 5 places you will see in the city. PLUS.. everything here is significantly cheaper and better quality. There, i've said my peace.
Written May 23, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

agavebeat
Oaxaca, Mexico34 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Solo
I am a single woman 'of the third age' and have lived in Oaxaca for several years (I am also an experienced life-long traveler having left my hometown at 23 to travel half-way around the world alone for a full year) and occasionally go to this market ALONE to buy certain things (in fact I plan to go there in the next couple of days). I have NEVER had a single problem (people don't follow me, nor have I ever had to 'fend' anyone off). Nor have I ever gotten lost (it's a grid for heaven's sake; just keep track of where you came in the first time. It's very easy after that.) HOWEVER, even though I often wore small inexpensive silver loop earrings (bought right here in Oaxaca), I decided it was probably just luck that no one tried to rip them from my ears (a common experience, even for Oaxacans), so now I only wear palm or other even less valuable earrings when I go there. One reviewer mentioned feeling that there were 'eyes following them' everywhere in this market. I have to really laugh at that one; I expect that person is either a non-seasoned traveler, or just plain paranoid. I feel a whole lot safer here in Oaxaca, even in Abastos, than I did on the streets in the US. You can find pickpockets and thieves in New York, probably Paris, even in Berkeley, CA (I know; I lived in or near there for almost 35 years). Use the same common sense (if you have any) that you would anywhere else: don't carry unnecessary valuables or expensive jewelry (don't even bring it to Oaxaca), keep your wallet or coin purse in a safe place (you needn't 'clutch' your bag to your body, but neither should you put your money in an outside pocket on a backpack you are wearing!), and just keep alert to what is happening around you. I was going to say what my worst experience at Abastos has been, but I can't think of one: maybe when someone told me he would bring more baskets of a particular size and shape I wanted the following day, and still hadn't done it a week later. Welcome to Oaxaca.
Written May 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leonorew
Pittsford, NY242 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Be careful of pickpockets!!! My husband lost his wallet from his back pocket while taking photos on a Saturday market day....He was one of several reporting same to the local police. Be warned and be safe. We loved this market otherwise!
Written February 14, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Victor S
Portland, OR2,640 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2016 • Friends
I have been told that the Abastos market is the largest indigenous market in the Americas. In any case, this is a huge market. Even walking fast without stopping, I doubt that you could see it all in one day.
In this market, you will see everything from super fresh produce to traditional folk medicine, not to mention clothes of all description, household goods, and goats on the hoof.

I have visited this market many times over the past 25 years, and my impression is that there are fewer vendors now, and that the market is less crowded than it was a few decades ago. Mexico is changing, and these old fashioned public markets are likely to fade away. Having said that, visiting Abastos can still be an intense immersion in the local culture. When I was there for a few hours in February, 2016, I saw only one other group of obvious foreigners. Don't expect the vendors here to speak English or be able to make change for large bills.
As with any market, you should be prepared for pickpockets and other sneak thieves. Your best strategy is not to bring valuables to the market, and to keep your money in a place where it is awkward for you to get at it. I have not had any problems at Abastos in dozens of visits, but I dress down and carry my walking around cash in my sock. My faded jeans and $20 watch do not attract much attention. Note that although there are professional pickpockets in the market, violent crime is rare. Having said that, I would not recommend the neighborhood around the market after dark.
Written November 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Mercado de Abastos - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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