Shopping · Antigua · Guatemala
Shopping in Antigua
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Walter Rodriguez, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Antigua is one of the best places in Guatemala to buy textiles, jade, coffee and handicrafts, with shops in the centre, a large handicraft market and cooperatives in nearby villages. Best souvenirs: Handwoven textiles, Guatemalan jade and Antigua coffee beans.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Handwoven textiles
Where to shop
Calle del Arco and 5a Avenida Norte
Galleries, textile boutiques and jade shops in colonial buildings along the town's best-known street.
4a Calle Oriente
A street of cafés, chocolate shops and boutiques running east from Parque Central towards Casa Santo Domingo.
Nim Po't
A large shop near the Santa Catalina Arch selling huipiles, belts and textiles from many highland villages, labelled by place of origin.
Markets
Mercado de Artesanías
The handicraft market beside the municipal market sells weavings, masks, ceramics and souvenirs; bargaining is expected.
Municipal market
Produce, flowers, spices and everyday goods, busiest on Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.
What to buy
Handwoven textiles
Huipiles, table runners and bags woven on backstrap looms, with patterns specific to each village.
Guatemalan jade
Jadeite from Guatemala carved into jewellery and figures; buy from established shops that can explain the stone's origin.
Antigua coffee beans
Whole beans from local roasters and coffee farms, packaged for travel.
Cacao and chocolate
Bars and cacao nibs from local chocolate makers, plus disks for making Maya-style hot chocolate.
Carved wooden masks
Painted masks of the kind worn in traditional dances, sold in the handicraft market and in Chichicastenango.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · West side near the market
Municipal market and handicraft market
Antigua's main market is a maze of produce, flower, meat and clothing stalls where people from surrounding villages shop, with simple comedores serving set lunches.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Free
- Photo spot
Museum · Centro around Parque Central
Casa del Tejido Antiguo
This small textile museum explains how the huipiles of different highland towns are woven, with displays of regional patterns and backstrap loom demonstrations.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Rellenitos, Atol de elote, Antigua coffee and Dulces típicos. Bakeries, market stalls and evening food stands around La Merced. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| La Merced and Calle del Arco | $$$ | Yellow baroque church, the arch and quieter lanes on the north side of town |
| San Francisco and El Calvario | $$ | Residential southeast, the Hermano Pedro shrine and the Alameda del Calvario |
| West side near the market | $ | Hostels, the municipal market and chicken buses by La Recolección |
| Jocotenango | $ | Neighbouring town just north of Antigua with lower prices and the Calle Real |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in GTQ. About 10% is customary in sit-down restaurants; check whether 'propina' or a service charge is already on the bill. Tip guides and shuttle drivers on tours if you are happy with the service.
- Say 'buenos días' or 'buenas tardes' when entering a shop or approaching anyone with a question.
- Bargaining is normal at handicraft stalls but keep it friendly; it is not done for food or in shops with fixed prices.
- Withdraw quetzales from ATMs inside banks or shopping centres rather than street machines.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in May–June and September–October; the busiest months are March.
- November: Giant kite festivals in Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez (1 November)
- December: Christmas posadas — evening processions (mid to late December)
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Antigua?
Handwoven textiles, Guatemalan jade, Antigua coffee beans and Cacao and chocolate.
+Where is the best shopping in Antigua?
Calle del Arco and 5a Avenida Norte: Galleries, textile boutiques and jade shops in colonial buildings along the town's best-known street.
+What are the best markets in Antigua?
Mercado de Artesanías and Municipal market.