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7 Flea Markets and Thrift Stores in Guadalajara

Aguas frescas
Aguas frescas | Holkan Luna/Flickr

Mexico has a long tradition of markets, since the pre-Hispanic era, when the indigenous communities exchanged their products in the tianguis (flea markets). This tradition is maintained today in most of the cities of the country, including Guadalajara. Here are the best flea markets and thrift stores to discover in the city.

El Baratillo

This tianguis is the largest in Guadalajara. Here you can find secondhand books, antiques, toys, musical instruments, records, tools, and new and secondhand clothing. Pets and exotic animals used to be sold here, but this is now banned.

El Baratillo (“the Cheap”) is also famous for its food: tacos, quesadillas, tortas ahogadas (sandwiches stuffed with cuts of pork and tomato sauce) and the traditional birria (goat stew) are all on offer here, as is a great variety of drinks, such as water prepared with fruits of the season, or the typical tejuino, a drink made with corn. http://instagram.com/p/BRRTl3clKLE/?taken-at=289267617&hl=es

Tianguis del Sol

Market

You can find this market in the west of the city. It has hundreds of shops and tables where the merchants offer fruits, clothes, sunglasses, and sports shoes. It’s quite an experience for the senses, with a riot of colors, sounds, and smells and a whirlwind of people buying and selling goods.

This tianguis opens its doors on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings. It is very common for visitors to get breakfast here: try the famous quesadillas accompanied by a fresh orange juice. http://instagram.com/p/BUUgKdghl73/?taken-at=258102188&hl=es

Tianguis Cultural de Guadalajara

Market

CDs of independent music, philosophy books, T-shirts featuring original designs, and handicrafts from indigenous communities are just some of the things you can find in this market that takes place every Saturday in the Plaza Juárez, near the Agua Azul Park.

It’s been going for more than a decade, and is a meeting point for young urban tribes who come together to show off their hairstyles, clothes, and fashion accessories. On skateboards, bikes, cars, buses or on foot, hundreds of people arrive every weekend to enjoy this fun, tolerant space. http://instagram.com/p/BOIaaEzDaqB/?taken-at=258925527&hl=es

Tianguis Trocadero De Antiguedades

Market

What started out as a garage sale is now becoming one of the most crowded flea markets in the city. This antique market is set up very early every Sunday morning, and offers all kinds of used or collectible products such as furniture, kitchen utensils, books, toys, and jewelry. As in most Mexican markets and tianguis, it’s normal to haggle over prices. http://instagram.com/p/BSHwkJOgap4/?taken-at=6319683&hl=es

Paseo Chapultepec

At the Paseo Chapultepec every Saturday, painters, artisans, and merchants offer books, paintings, handmade jewelry, sculptures, handmade notebooks, and clothes made by local designers. Chapultepec is one of the most vibrant areas of the city of Guadalajara, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by cafes, bars, bookstores, and restaurants. http://instagram.com/p/BTe4xZjlZpO/?taken-at=237558110&hl=es

Eco-Tianguis Ex Convento del Carmen

Organic food producers who have their farms near the metropolitan area have for many years been coming to the city every Sunday to sell organic coffee, cocoa, handmade soaps and jams, fruit juices, and coconut and avocado oils. It’s also possible to take workshops and courses in ecology here. http://instagram.com/p/BS80uXcl2xw/?taken-at=963440438&hl=es

Tianguis Navideño

Market

If you are in Guadalajara during December, you can visit one of the many street markets selling Christmas decorations, from crystal spheres to Christmas trees to the famous “birthmarks” of clay figurines depicting the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The Christmas tianguis of San José in the Jardín de la Reforma was the most traditional; sadly, in 2015 a fire devoured the market and it was moved to the Parque del Refugio. http://instagram.com/p/S1sdXIEBps/?taken-at=6550499&hl=es
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