YUCATAN TOURS

Visit Local Shopping Places For Hand Made Hammocks, Pottery, Jewelry, Blankets, Artwork And More Around The Merida Yucatan Area

​Approx 8 Hour Per Day Tours

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Buying at the source and finding regional craft specialties

Like the food, craft items in Mexico are regional and the three states that make up the Yucatan peninsula: Quintano Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche are renowned for particular specialties.

The most ubiquitous item may be the handmade hammocks that are made in Maya villages throughout the region and sold in parks, souvenir and more upscale specialty stores. Plenty of information exists online about choosing and caring for hammocks so I won’t delve into it here, other than to say the village of Tixkokob specializes in them. In Merida there are many stores with competitive prices in the craft market near the main market downtown.

Other regional specialties are palm fiber items, embroidered clothing/home decor, filigree jewelry, and culinary items.

Palm Fiber

Palm fibers and henequen have been used for centuries to make Panama-style hats, baskets and other items in the Yucatan. Today, you can find a huge selection of hats throughout the peninsula, with the highest quality coming from Becal in the state of Campeche.

Gorgeous palm fiber items can be found in variety of souvenir stores, at the Sunday craft market around the square in Merida (mostly handbags, coasters and hot plates), and at larger stores like the government run Casa de Las Artesanias in Merida.  Woven fiber Rosary beads, Christmas ornaments, Catrina skeletons, and cigarette cases are also available.

Solid, mostly pastel colored tortilla warmers are available all over town and Casa de Las Artesanias has a great collection.

Embroidered Dresses, Shirts and Home Decor

Indigenous women, or Maya descendants can be seen everywhere in the Yucatan peninsula wearing huipiles – the traditional dress that pre-dates the Spanish. Style and intricacy vary greatly

Most towns and villages have their own style of embroidery.

Men in the Yucatan wear Guayaberas – the cool, tailored cotton or linen shirts. They’re sold all over the peninsula in stores for tourists and locals alike, of varying quality.

Pillows are either from Chiapas in Mexico, or nearby Guatemala – and you can buy them all over Merida.  In the stores in Merida that specialize in products from Chiapas

Food and Liquor

Habanero is the pepper of the Yucatan, and high quality salsas are available in groceries, markets and handmade at the mercados.The Mexicans in Merida make a very unique, piquant salsa. El Yucateco can be found in supermarkets, small grocery stores and even at the airport.

Chocolate originated in the Yucatan and artisanal chocolate making is on the rise in the area. Chocol Ha in Campeche is noteworthy for their light and airy chocolate tamales. Merida has several artisanal chocolate stores, like the exceptional Ki’Xocolatl on Santa Lucia park. Chocolhaa Maya, a 100% organic artisanal chocolate factory in Valladolid on Calzada de Los Frailes, offers a brief informational tour with tastings.

Tequila can be found everywhere, and some of the manufacturers from Jalisco have opened showrooms in Merida, Valladolid and Cancun. But, the liqueur of the Yucatan is Xtabentun.

A mixture of anise and fermented honey produced by honey bees from the nectar of the Xtabentun flower is combined with rum. Marketed as the drink of the Maya, it is believed that Xtabentun did descend from Balche’, a ceremonial Maya drink that was modified by the Spanish. D’Aristi is a popular brand.

Filigree Jewelry

Filigree is the jewelry style of the area, and intricately twisted silver and gold designs are available in quality jewelry stores and souvenir places in most towns.

Mexican Yucatan Food Books

Merida boasts several large bookstores that offer a good selection of Mexican art, local history and regional cookbooks.

John L. Stephens “Incidents of Travel in Yucatan Parts 1&2” is a great read for anyone interested in Maya ruins, the history of the region and what it was like in 1839-41. Frederick Catherwood’s detailed illustrations of many significant Mayan ruin sites, enable readers to see before and after scenes of ruins as they were cleared of brush.

The Hacienda Teya and a selection of other regional cookbooks enable you to replicate Yucatecan specialties at home. I’ve also bought these books for foodie friends.

Libreria Dante, a huge bookstore on the main plaza in Merida is a treasure trove of art and Mexican home design books. When a sudden downpour interrupts activities on the square, it’s a great place to spend time browsing.

Supermarket Souvenirs

Supermarkets offer an opportunity to pick up inexpensive souvenirs, and food items often impossible to find at home. Typically, gift sets of salsa for friends, canned peppers, dried peppers, achiote paste, the peanuts with lemon, the Japonaise peanuts, more salsa.
Colorful Mexican Embroidery

Other regions of Mexico

Since the Yucatan Peninsula attracts upscale visitors from Mexico and around the world, there is also an opportunity to purchase art and folk crafts from other parts of the country. Select upscale stores in the malls in Merida offering some of the best of what is available to buy in the country.

Artesania, their small satellite store in the shops around Santa Lucia Park, and 100% Mexico, the store in Hotel Casa San Angel have the best selection of high end Mexican art and craft items in Merida. Another quality store Mexican craft store can be found on Paseo Montejo.

For an overview of the amazing arts and crafts of Mexico, don’t miss the Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatan by Mejorada Park in Merida. They also have a gift shop.

Miniaturas on Calle 59 in central Merida is crammed with miniature objects – including many Catrinas (skeletons) in many forms and occupations. Here you can buy a smaller Arbol de Vida (ceramic tree of life) that would be easier to transport home than the huge, intricate, very fragile ones.

No matter where you travel in Mexico, there are unique, high quality craft items available. The Yucatan Peninsula offers a selection of quality products for all budgets – for souvenir seekers, as well as lovers of craft and folk art.

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Just let us know places you would like to go, or see made and purchase, and we will help you put a plan together.

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Includes:

*Tour

*Bottled Water

*Lunch Typical to the region

*Transportation with air conditioning in all tours with guide

Not included: Drinks at the Restaurant and Tips For Guides and your tour operator.

Bring With You:

*Comfortable Clothes

*Sweater In Case You Are Cold In Van

*Tennis Shoes

*Sun Glasses

*Camera