Sight guide · Oaxaca · Mexico
Visiting Mercado Benito Juárez
The city's main covered market, directly north of the 20 de Noviembre, sells everything from quesillo cheese, chapulines and moles by the kilo to mezcal, leather sandals, baskets and embroidered blouses.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. João Sousa assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Mercado Benito Juárez is a market in Centro Histórico, Oaxaca. Allow 1 hour; it is low cost. Booking ahead is not usually needed.
Key facts
- Type
- Market
- Area
- Centro Histórico
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Not usually needed
- Good for
- food, shopping and rainy day
- Best months
- June and August–September
About Mercado Benito Juárez
The city's main covered market, directly north of the 20 de Noviembre, sells everything from quesillo cheese, chapulines and moles by the kilo to mezcal, leather sandals, baskets and embroidered blouses. It is the best place to try tejate, the frothy cold maize-and-cacao drink served from painted gourds.
Tip: Buy mole paste here to take home; stallholders will let you taste the negro, rojo and amarillo before choosing.
Plan your visit
- Time needed: 1 hour.
- Cost: Low cost.
- Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
- Where: Centro Histórico, zócalo, cathedral and markets in the colonial grid.
Best time to visit Mercado Benito Juárez
Mercado Benito Juárez is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:
- June: 29°C (84°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- August: 28°C (82°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- September: 27°C (81°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
When to visit Oaxaca has the full month-by-month picture.
Fit it into your trip
Our 3-day Oaxaca itinerary visits Mercado Benito Juárez on day 2, together with Monte Albán, Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Andador Macedonio Alcalá.
- No. 7 of the 17 sights in our Oaxaca things-to-do list.
- Day 2 of the 2-day plan.
- Day 2 of the 5-day plan.
- One of the picks in oaxaca on a rainy day.
- A family favourite in Oaxaca with kids.
Near Mercado Benito Juárez
Also in Centro Histórico, so you can walk between them:
- Mercado 20 de Noviembre — 1 hour, low cost
- Zócalo and Cathedral — 1 hour, free
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca — 1 hour, low cost
Staying near Mercado Benito Juárez
Stay in Centro Histórico ($$) to walk here: zócalo, cathedral and markets in the colonial grid. All areas to stay in Oaxaca.
Questions travellers ask
+How long do you need at Mercado Benito Juárez?
Plan 1 hour. With Mercado 20 de Noviembre nearby, it fits a half-day in Centro Histórico.
+Is Mercado Benito Juárez free?
No, it is low cost. Tickets are usually available on the day.
+When is the best time to visit Mercado Benito Juárez?
June and August–September, the wettest months, when an indoor sight is most welcome. Buy mole paste here to take home; stallholders will let you taste the negro, rojo and amarillo before choosing.
+Do I need to book Mercado Benito Juárez in advance?
Usually not: you can decide on the day.
+Is Mercado Benito Juárez good for kids?
Yes, it is one of our family picks in Oaxaca. Oaxaca is easy-going with children: compact, walkable and full of colour, with markets to graze through, craft workshops where kids can watch alebrijes being carved and painted, and the pools at Hierve el Agua.