A mecca for the capital’s foodies, San Juan Pugibet is likely the only market on the planet where you can pick up tofu (at Productos Orientales), ostrich meat (at Los Coyotes), and chicatana salsa (at Productos Oaxaqueños, made from Oaxacan flying ants!) on any given day. To top it off, this downtown market is positively dripping in centuries of history. Take La Jersey, a 90-year-old stand that went from selling basic cheeses to numerous stalls with artisanal dairy and gourmet products.

This market distinguishes itself with a down-to-earth charm, offering a wide range of eats – from the cheese and squash blossom quesadillas at its entrance to the locally famed pozole rojo at Pozole Estilo Michoacán. Compact yet diverse, its stalls are a parade of fresh, regional flavors, while nearby squares provide a chill backdrop for savoring the neighborhood vibe. It's a welcoming spot for a leisurely stroll, a quick bite and a taste of local life without the usual tourist bustle.

Of all the markets in CDMX, we’re often most excited to return to this one. Notable among the vendors is La Sorpresa butchery, a 30-year family business with a diverse meat selection​​. Other standouts are La Morenita juice stand, where owner Lety crafts refreshing drinks with natural ingredients, and Señor Carlos’s Cremería Lupita, which offers dairy products from local Mexican producers. We always end a trip with seafood at La Morenita and ice cream from our fave Cuban vendor.

Welcome to Mexico City's first certified organic market, called Mercado el 100 because it offers produce grown within 100 miles of the city. All items are pesticide-free, locally produced and environmentally friendly, sourced only from small-scale producers. Although smaller in size compared to other markets in the city, vendors offer fresh fruits and veggies, as well as homemade jams, organic honey and handcrafted cheeses, with stalls dedicated to vegan products and natural remedies.

A jumble of produce vendors and flower sellers, this is not a place you would expect to find a gourmet establishment. That’s what makes this market so appealing. Hidden in this massive complex are several outstanding food spots, ranging in size and scope from a nondescript green chorizo taquería (Las Mas Altas Montañas) to an elevated seafood spot (the unpretentious Mariscos El Paisa). Other favorites: El Profe for barbacoa, Huaraches Rossy and Quesadillas La Chaparrita.

For those of us who love fish markets, La Viga is a dreamscape – rows of gray slippery octopus, red snapper heads staring up in shock, blue crabs tied tightly with bright green grass and fishmongers whose razor-sharp knives filet fish after fish with the swiftness of blade masters. La Viga is one of the world’s largest fish markets, handling 60% of seafood sales in Mexico. There are also a few dozen restaurants with flaky fish-filled empanadas, fried filets and sticky sweet shrimp cocktails.

Sprawling across 12 blocks, this market houses a 70-year-old association of 154 dulcerías, offering artisanal sweets like alegrias, a blend of amaranth, nuts and honey. Navigating its colorful corridors requires a strategic approach to spot the best deals, especially in the traditional sweets section (our favorite) accessed via a tunnel. In the heart of the tunnel, check out Local 17 Dulcería EMI, a great spot for bargains. Visit during daylight hours for the best experience.

While many are familiar with boating the waterways of this southern borough, a visit to the colorful mercado in downtown Xochimilco is a completely different experience. There is a flower market and a main market, with some of the best banana-leaf tamales right outside and an aisle lined with delicious tlacoyos. The market showcases local produce grown on the city’s ancient chinampas, including rare frog and charal tamales, sold by vendors who fear these delicacies might one day vanish.

The world's largest wholesale market blends modern commerce with a fantasy world. It's sensory overload, with conveyor belts of produce and stands stacked with colorful pyramids of produce, all competing for attention. The market’s outdoor bit, with its football-field-sized plots, are remnants of farmland that an expanding Mexico City gobbled up long ago. It offers seasonal goodies and a sea of flowers, while back inside clowns and musicians entertain customers and food stands hawk their wares.