The Benito Juárez Market

Opened in 1893, the Benito Juárez market is Oaxaca’s oldest.  Located close to the zocalo in the city centre (map), and taking up an entire block it’s very easy to spend a couple of hours just wandering around and exploring the space.

Before you enter the market you’ll notice the vendors on the surrounding streets selling traditional pastries, tlayudas and chapulines (spicy grasshoppers) – take the time to stop and try a few things on your way in.  The chapulines are not as scary as they might seem!

Roughly organised into a grid, stalls are packed in to every available space and while it is popular with tourists, this is a busy, working market with a constant flow of people and goods.  There’s a huge range of products including handicrafts, pottery, leather bags and belts, textiles and clothing, jewellery, flowers, baskets of every size, shape and colour and piñatas.

There’s also a lot of food (fresh and prepared), including fruit and vegetables, mezcal, mole, cheese (queso fresco and quesillo), herbs and spices, chapulines, tlayudas, quesadillas, tortas, licuados (smoothies) and more.  Towards the back you’ll find a section for fresh meat and fish.

The market is open from 10am – 8pm every day and you can access it from the following streets: Flores Magon, Las Casas, 20 de Noviembre and Aldama.