Shopping · Mendoza · Argentina
Shopping in Mendoza
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Cerro Arco, Mendoza · Photo: Itsmemarttin, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The best things to buy in Mendoza come from its farms and wineries: wine, olive oil, dried fruit and preserves, plus leather and Argentine crafts in the centre. Best souvenirs: Mendoza wine, Olive oil and Mate gourd and bombilla.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Mendoza wine
Plan a trip to Mendoza
Compare flights, places to stay and rental cars, then book with the provider you choose.
Where to shop
Paseo Sarmiento and Avenida San Martín
The main shopping streets of the centre, with clothing stores, wine shops and leather goods.
Winery shops
Most wineries sell their own bottles, including limited releases you will not find in town.
Chacras de Coria
Small boutiques, delicatessens and wine shops around the village plaza.
Markets
Mercado Central
The city's covered food market on Avenida Las Heras for olives, cheese, cured meats and dried fruit.
Plaza Independencia crafts fair
Weekend stalls selling leather, silver, ceramics and handmade souvenirs around the main square.
What to buy
Mendoza wine
Malbec and other bottles bought direct from wineries; ask about packaging for travel and check your home allowance.
Olive oil
Extra-virgin oil and tapenades from Maipú producers, best bought in tins for luggage.
Mate gourd and bombilla
A calabash or wooden gourd with a metal straw, plus a packet of yerba mate.
Dried fruit and preserves
Raisins, dried plums and fruit preserves from the region's orchards, sold in the Mercado Central.
Leather goods
Belts, bags and jackets from Argentine leather, sold in shops in the centre.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Landmark · Microcentro
Plaza Independencia
Mendoza's main square covers four city blocks with fountains, palms and the Teatro Independencia on its western edge.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- After dark
- Shopping
Market · Microcentro
Mercado Central
Mendoza's covered market on Avenida Las Heras has butchers, greengrocers, cheese and cured-meat counters, and simple stalls selling empanadas, pizza and sandwiches at lunchtime.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Street · Quinta Sección and Arístides Villanueva
Avenida Arístides Villanueva
This avenue in the Quinta Sección is Mendoza's main going-out street, with parrillas, wine bars, craft-beer pubs and pavement tables along several blocks.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- Food
- Free
Street · Microcentro
Paseo Sarmiento
The pedestrian stretch of Sarmiento street runs east from Plaza Independencia, lined with cafés, ice-cream shops and outdoor tables.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
Experience · Maipú
Olive-oil tasting in Maipú
Maipú is also Mendoza's olive country, and several producers along the bike route explain pressing and serve tastings of extra-virgin oils, tapenades and preserves.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Kids
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Malbec and Sopaipillas. Winery tastings in Luján de Cuyo, Maipú and the Uco Valley, and wine bars along Arístides Villanueva and in Chacras de Coria. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Microcentro | $$ | The grid around Plaza Independencia, Peatonal Sarmiento and the satellite plazas |
| Quinta Sección and Arístides Villanueva | $$ | Leafy residential streets and the city's main bar strip near the park |
| Chacras de Coria | $$$ | Village plaza, country houses and wineries in Luján de Cuyo, 15 km south |
| Maipú | $$ | Flat vineyard roads, olive groves and bike rental shops southeast of the city |
| Luján de Cuyo wine country | $$$$ | Agrelo and Perdriel estates where Malbec grows at the foot of the Andes |
| Uco Valley | $$$$ | High-altitude vineyards and design-led wine lodges below the Cordón del Plata |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in ARS. Leave about 10% in restaurants for good service, in cash if possible. Tips are welcome for winery guides and tour drivers but not expected in taxis.
- Expect a slower pace at lunch and in the afternoon, when many shops close.
- Argentine prices change quickly with inflation; check current rates and compare paying by card with paying in cash.
- Visitors paying with foreign cards often receive a favourable exchange rate; check your card's terms before you travel.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in June and August–September; the busiest months are March.
- February: Vendimia neighbourhood festivals in each department (usually February)
- March: Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia — harvest festival with parades and a show in the Frank Romero Day amphitheatre (usually late February or early March)
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Mendoza?
Mendoza wine, Olive oil, Mate gourd and bombilla and Dried fruit and preserves.
+Where is the best shopping in Mendoza?
Paseo Sarmiento and Avenida San Martín: The main shopping streets of the centre, with clothing stores, wine shops and leather goods.
+What are the best markets in Mendoza?
Mercado Central and Plaza Independencia crafts fair.