Shopping in Guanajuato State, Mexico

Mexico boots are rightfully famous with cowboys and those who simply wish to appear like they hang around on a cattle ranch. Some of the largest boot companies are stinting quality while contracting out to Asia, so “made in Mexico” has ended up being a sign that youre getting something crafted with care thats going to last. A few of the worldwide brand names exported from here consist of Hondo, Tecovas, Lane (for women), Chisos, Bachesto, Old Gringo, and custom-made ones from JW Boot Company. See a complete list and more explanation of each here in this short article.
The Chisos brand utilizes softened adult cow leather instead of the more common calfskin, which definitely seems more gentle. You can hear a podcast interview with Chisos founder Will Roman, consisting of why all his boots are made in Leon, at this link.
More than 450 Shoe Brands at the Outlet Mall.
While the huge shoe and leather market can be hit-or-miss when it pertains to quality, and there are more than a couple of knock-offs, you will discover name brand names and a higher level of quality at the Muzla outlet mall for shoes. Its on the primary roadway to the Leon city center from the airport and you cant miss it: theres a huge red stiletto outside by the entrance.
Plus youll discover many of the worldwide brands youre familiar with, however at deep discounts since most of the shoes are the ones made in your area. Theres more range in the designs here, youre unlikely to find counterfeit products because the shops are run by the brands, and its much easier to browse than the often chaotic and cramped market.
Leon Leather Shopping.
Shoe and boots arent the only things made from leather, of course, so theres a wide array of other items in the market and the shops– including at the outlet shopping mall. Youll find a shocking variety of belts, purses, wallets, and leather bracelets that make great presents, or treat yourself with a soft leather jacket or possibly a leather stetson. If youre a genuine equestrian, you can discover handmade horse saddles for sale too.
If you desire a faster way to quality leather items, the brand name Cuadra is one of the most appreciated in Mexico, with shops throughout the nation. They have one near the shoe market at Blvd.
San Miguel de Allende Shopping.
If youre aiming to purchase handicrafts, keepsakes, or art, this traveler and expat magnet is a great place to explore. They have a lot of non-junky items that are reasonably priced in the indoor/outdoor Artisans Market. Or check out the shops near centro for clothing, distinct fashion jewelry, and among the very best art scenes outside of Mexicos capital city.
We did an entire article last year on our shop and market picks for the most popular city in Guanajuato State, so go to that San Miguel de Allende shopping short article for a full rundown with suggestions.
Havent picked your place to stay? See our comprehensive evaluations of the finest hotels in San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato.
For other ideas of what to do, see the official Guanajuato State Tourism website.
The post Shopping in Guanajuato State, Mexico appeared first on Luxury Latin America Blog. Source.

Guanajuato State is one of the most popular in central Mexico for foreign visitors, partially due to the fact that it brings in many various sort of travelers. San Miguel de Allende has actually been ranked as the # 1 small city on the planet in numerous travel publication reader surveys and draws in artists, senior citizens, and travelers who are emigrating. Guanajuato City, the capital, is popular with language learners, culture candidates, music fans (throughout the yearly Cervantino Festival), and history enthusiasts. Dolores Hidalgo is a major pottery center and the red wine region around there and San Miguel has actually been coming on strong. Service tourists pertain to Leon by the planeload: the city is a significant leather, shoes, and automobiles producer.
So while Guanajuato shopping might not be the primary factor you booked a flight to the Bajio airport, you might wish to bring a credit card without any foreign transaction charges and be prepared to pull some extra squander of the ATM after arrival.
I, your simple editor of Luxury Latin America, am based in the capital city of Guanajuato. Plus I take a trip around the state regularly and have actually equipped my home with items Ive acquired in the region. So if youre searching for suggestions on where to go shopping in this part of central Mexico, youve got the within scoop here.
Shopping in Guanajuato City, the Capital
Guanajuato, Guanajuato– as the Mexicans usually call it– is a UNESCO World Heritage city, going back to the 1500s as a Spanish settlement and growing for centuries as a center for silver mining. Its a distinct city because most streets are pedestrian-only and its difficult to discover an ideal angle anywhere, in sharp contrast to the normal Spanish Colonial city grid design where everything emanates from a main square. Colorful homes spill down the mountainside to a narrow valley city filled with historical churches and structures.
Guanajuato City gets lots of tourists, but mainly domestic ones: this is where the defend Mexican self-reliance began. That keeps prices in check, including for souvenirs, so you can discover some fantastic deals here when shopping. Among the finest things to do in Guanajuato is to see and wander what you find, especially since shops come and go routinely, so consider these suggestions of recognized places as simply guideposts.
There are intriguing galleries and stores all down Calle Positos in between the university and The Alondiga historical website and if you strike it the right weekend theres an art walk. The other in some cases closed-off street is Alonso: decrease that from the Jardin de Union, then take a left on the citys main drag to find stores to stop in on the way to Hidalgo Market (Mercado Hidalgo).
Azuelos y Loza Talavera Vasquez
This long-running store is narrow but filled with treasures: Talavera tiles and pottery sourced from neighboring Dolores Hidalgo and Puebla. A few of the products may not fit in your luggage, like a full Talavera sink for your bathroom, but they can ship worldwide on demand. Its a fantastic place to select up some ceramic shot glasses, coffee mugs, house address numbers, or accent tiles for that upcoming restoration project. On Cantarranas Between the Jardin de Union and Plaza Barratillo in the.
La Casa del Quijote
Another shopping organization in the center, on Sopena pedestrian street near Plaza San Francisco. La Casa del Quijote is mostly a silver precious jewelry shop however it also has a variety of other top quality items for discerning buyers. There are hand-made fabrics and blankets, pottery items, and a few imports from Oaxaca like alebrijes– the wonderful animals made from wood.
If you exit this Guanajuato shop and head left, simply staying on the same street, youll pass a number of other fashion jewelry shops before and after Plaza de la Paz that deserve having a look at if you do not find what you like here. Much of them likewise offer lovely embroidered face masks, an appropriate gift in this day and age.
La Casa de la Abuela
Another shop that has actually been a regional fixture for ages, La Casa de la Abuela is stocked with intriguing handicrafts small and large. From hanging glass hearts and hand-blown glass light components, the collection moves on to much easier things to pack like painted wood items on Day of the Dead styles, accent tiles, and magnets.
The Guanajuato Artisans Market
This wonderful collection of craftsmen products initially appeared around the Christmas holidays, then became a seasonal opening, till lastly becoming an irreversible market across from the Basilica church and Plaza de la Paz. Housed in a historic structure thats an artwork in itself, the winding rooms are house to themed collections of items that are high quality and made in your area.

While shopping is normally not the primary reason the majority of individuals concern Guanajuato State in Mexico, its unusual that anyone goes back without a couple of additional items in their suitcase. While it may not have the wealth of artisans you discover in Oaxaca or the variety of white wine and spirits alternatives youll discover in Baja Norte and Jalisco, respectively, Guanajuato is tops in a couple of other classifications. There are lots of intriguing stores and markets to peruse in several locations.

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Its hard to run down the entire list of what youll discover here as it ranges from hats to purses, tile and tin mirrors to ceramic coffee mugs. One stand will be offering leather goods, and handmade lamps. Youll likewise find artisanal chocolate, natural soaps, and snack products.
Mercado Hidalgo.
This Guanajuato market is the largest and most popular market in the city, developed in 1910 and looking like a European train station. Its an intriguing mix of stalls for residents and ones for travelers. On the ground floor, youll discover produce stands, dining establishments, and butcher stores, all combined in between stores offering random items like handbags, electronics, and baskets.
Take the stairs as much as the 2nd level, which is a mezzanine circling around the structure, and youll discover lots of keepsake stores offering ceramics, t-shirts, toys, and more. The overall quality is not on the same level as youll find at the craftsmens market, however you may discover a fun gift or more. There are more comparable stalls on the left exterior of the structure as you face it, while the right side is mainly items for locals like herbs, bootleg DVDs, and vegetables.
Dolores Hidalgo Pottery, Ceramics, Antiques, and Wine.
Dolores Hidalgo was among the very first “magic towns” to earn that classification in Mexico, prior to the label ended up being so diluted with 100+ more dubious options. It was here that the daddy of independent Mexico, Miguel Hidalgo, let loose with a rebel scream and after that gathered fighters for the march to San Miguel and then Guanajuato City.
It has actually long been Mexicos 2nd essential pottery center after much bigger Puebla and the latter city developed a nit-picking distinction when it got a “classification of origin” for the word “talavera” in the late 1990s. Still, its widely utilized here too because a lot of the designs are the exact same in both locations. The majolica pottery design, of which Talavera belongs, took Spanish styles and adjusted them to Mexico, ultimately including more range as the centuries went on. You see items from Dolores Hidalgo throughout Mexico in houses and structures, plus some Mexican families have whole sets of hand-painted meals from here with service for 8 or twelve.

Pottery Shopping in Dolores Hidalgo.
You wont have to do a great deal of running around to look for Talavera products in Dolores Hidalgo. Even if you dont have an automobile, you can stroll from the center or take a quick taxi flight to get to Calle Jose Alfredo Jiminez, called after the popular vocalist who was born here and is buried close by. There youll discover lots of stores– some junky, some premium– selling elaborate works and basic meals. Take your time to explore because in some cases the smaller shops have much better products than the ones with a big shop.
If you have an automobile, you can go to some of the real factories on the edge of town. The ceramics market here is a big company and some services ship internationally. They can make it happen if you want boxes of tiles or require something big shipped.
Antiques and Wine Off the Highway.
The road between San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo is lined with antique stores, numerous items from here finding their way into bars, restaurants, and local homes. Some of the products are too huge for going to tourists, but its enjoyable to see and search whats here, specifically in the wacky and massive outside Museo Mexico Lindo. There are also some free-standing shops selling pottery and items carved from wood, including furniture.

While it may not have the wealth of artisans you discover in Oaxaca or the variety of red wine and spirits choices youll discover in Baja Norte and Jalisco, respectively, Guanajuato is tops in a couple of other categories. One of the best things to do in Guanajuato is to see and roam what you discover, specifically because shops come and go regularly, so think about these suggestions of established locations as simply guideposts.
On the ground flooring, youll discover produce stands, eateries, and butcher shops, all combined in between stores selling random items like handbags, electronic devices, and baskets.
The total quality is not on the very same level as youll discover at the artisans market, however you may find a fun present or 2. You can find practically any kind of shoes from Mexico that are made in the nation.

Dolores Hidalgo is the center of the Guanajuato white wine region, with five recognized wineries near the city. All of them do tastings with a booking and you can likewise schedule a table for a meal with wine at the outstanding dining establishments of Tres Raices, La Santisma Trinidad, or Cuna de Tierra wineries. Naturally, you can grab a bottle or two to take with you if you find a Tempranillo, Nebiollo or Cabernet Franc that you truly like.
Shoes and Leather in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico.
Leon, Mexico is not a tourist town, however it is referred to as “the shoe capital” in this nation and its leather market is so big it hosts a twice-yearly convention for purchasers and sellers. From high heels to treking shoes and cowboy boots to leather coats, in Leon youll discover an overwhelming choice of items made from cowhide and more unique skins.
Shoes and Guanajuato Boots by the Thousands.
The shoe and leather market is no one-building affair either: it sprawls for numerous blocks near the bus station, not far from downtown, and if you spent simply 2 minutes in every store you would be here for days. You can discover practically any kind of shoes from Mexico that are made in the country.