Shopping · San Miguel de Allende · Mexico
Shopping in San Miguel de Allende
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Microstar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
San Miguel is known for design, crafts and art: punched-tin lanterns, papier-mâché, ceramics, blown glass, textiles and contemporary paintings. Prices in the centre's boutiques are high, while the craft market is more affordable. Best souvenirs: Punched-tin lanterns and mirrors, Papier-mâché figures and Talavera-style ceramics.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Punched-tin lanterns and mirrors
Where to shop
Fábrica La Aurora
Galleries, antiques and interiors shops in a converted textile mill.
Calle Zacateros and Calle Canal
Boutiques for clothing, jewellery and home decor in the centre.
Around the Jardín
Galleries and craft shops in colonial houses close to the Parroquia.
Markets
Mercado de Artesanías
A lane of craft stalls for tin, glass, ceramics, textiles and silver.
Mercado Ignacio Ramírez
The town's food market, with fruit, flowers, fondas and household goods.
Tianguis de los martes
A large Tuesday street market on the edge of town selling clothes, food and second-hand goods to locals.
What to buy
Punched-tin lanterns and mirrors
A local craft, sold in the craft market and specialist shops.
Papier-mâché figures
Colourful catrinas, animals and miniature mojigangas.
Talavera-style ceramics
Hand-painted pottery, often from workshops in nearby Dolores Hidalgo.
Contemporary art
Paintings, prints and photography from the town's galleries and studios.
Guanajuato wine
Bottles from the region's vineyards, sold at tasting rooms and wine shops.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Street · Centro
Calle Aldama
This narrow cobbled street running south from the Parroquia is lined with pastel façades, carved doorways and bougainvillea, and it frames the church spires at its northern end.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Architecture
- Couples
Gallery · Colonia Guadalupe
Fábrica La Aurora
A cotton-textile mill that operated for most of the 20th century has been converted into an art and design centre, with galleries, artists' studios, antiques, furniture and interiors shops under its high factory roofs.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Free
Market · Centro
Mercado de Artesanías
A long, narrow lane of stalls on the Andador Lucas Balderas sells tin lanterns, papier-mâché, painted ceramics, glassware, textiles and silver.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Food
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Churros and hot chocolate, Mexican wine from Guanajuato, Mezcal and tequila cocktails and Nieves of Dolores Hidalgo. Churrerías in the streets around the Jardín, busiest in the evenings. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Centro | $$$$ | Cobbled streets, the Jardín and the Parroquia |
| San Antonio | $$ | Local barrio along Ancha de San Antonio |
| Atascadero | $$$$ | Hillside homes and views east of the centre |
| Colonia Guadalupe | $$ | Street murals and studios near Fábrica La Aurora |
| Countryside around town | $$$$ | Ranches, vineyards and spa hotels on the surrounding plateau |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in MXN. Tip 10–15% in restaurants and bars. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but rounding up is appreciated; guides and drivers on day trips usually receive 10% or more.
- Greet people with 'buenos días' or 'buenas tardes' in shops and on quiet streets; locals do so with each other.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in May–August; the busiest months are December.
- August: Festival Internacional de Música de Cámara (usually August)
- October: La Calaca festival and Día de Muertos events (late October to early November)
- November: Jazz and blues festival (usually November)
- December: Christmas and New Year celebrations around the Jardín
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in San Miguel de Allende?
Punched-tin lanterns and mirrors, Papier-mâché figures, Talavera-style ceramics and Contemporary art.
+Where is the best shopping in San Miguel de Allende?
Fábrica La Aurora: Galleries, antiques and interiors shops in a converted textile mill.
+What are the best markets in San Miguel de Allende?
Mercado de Artesanías, Mercado Ignacio Ramírez and Tianguis de los martes.