Shopping

Crucecita [1] has a small traditional market (officially the Mercado 3 de Mayo) east of the plaza, between Guanacastle and Guamuchil. Although produce, meats, and clothing occupy most of the stalls, a few offer Oaxaca handicrafts. Items include black barra pottery, hand-crocheted Mixtec and Amusgo huipiles, wool weavings from Teotitlán del Valle [2], and whimsical duck-motif wooden bowls carved by an elderly but sharp-bargaining local gentleman.

In Santa Cruz, just west of the boat harbor, a warren of dozens of stalls offer nearly everything from T-shirts and Taxco silver to carved wooden fish and lacquerware.

Steep rents and lack of business force many local silver, leather, art, and other handicrafts shops to hibernate until tourists arrive in December. The few healthy shops with good selections cluster either around the Crucecita plaza, the Santa Cruz boat harbor, or in the Punta Tangolunda shopping complex adjacent to the Hotel Barceló (or shops in the hotel itself).

In Crucecita [1], one of the most reliable crafts stores is Plata de Taxco (9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily), next to Hotel Suites Begonias, a few doors south of the plaza’s southwest corner. Here you can select from an all-Mexican assortment: shiny barro negro (black pottery) from the Valley of Oaxaca [3], pottery moon and sun faces from Tonalá, Jalisco, talavera ware from Puebla, alebrijes from Arrazola [4], near Oaxaca City [5], and lots of glistening silver jewelry from Taxco.

Alternatively, for a fine all-Taxco silver collection, especially rings, go to Plateréa Maitl (tel. 958/587-1223, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily) on the Crucecita plaza, west side, between Guancaxtle and Guamuchil.

One of the few local handicrafts workshops is the charmingly traditional Mantelería Escobar (Ocotillo 217, tel. 958/587-0532, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Sat) at the corner of Bugambilias, three blocks south of the Crucecita plaza. This factory uses century-old looms to create lovely all-cotton manteles (tablecloths). Besides their own work, they also sell plenty—blouses, skirts, huipiles, and ceramics—from all over Oaxaca.

Another worthwhile Crucecita [1] handicrafts option is Artesanías Paradiso (tel. 958/587-0268, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 5–10 p.m. Sun.), just past the plaza’s northwest corner, on Gardenia, corner of Guarumbo. Among the many carefully selected treasures, find masks from Huazaolotitlán, black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec [6], dolls from San Miguel de Allende, alebrijes from San Martén Tilcajete, and a whole roomful of fetching one-of-a-kind dresses, blouses, and skirts ranging from traditional to chic.