Hotel Zone Shopping Downtown Shopping What to Buy

Cancun has a medley of entertaining shopping options. Browse the outdoor plazas overflowing with traditional Mexican crafts and name brand products at prices you could only dream of. Or escape the heat at the many modern, indoor, air-conditioned, shopping centers (centros comerciales). Don't miss the many shops in the Hotel Zone and downtown Cancun where you can find many interesting buys.

Expect to bargain in the markets; but stores usually have fixed prices. If you can pay cash, you may get the 15% sales tax taken off at shops that don't want to pay the high credit-card commissions.

Shopping hours generally are weekdays 10am - 2pm and 4pm - 7pm. But many stores choose to stay open during the siesta hours from 2pm - 4pm. On Saturdays, many shops only open for the morning. On Sunday, some open for the morning until 1pm. Shops in the malls tend to be open weekdays from 10am to 8pm.

You'll find Cozumel's main shopping area in downtown. The waterfront along Avenida Rafael Melgar and the side streets around the plaza offer more than 150 shops. Mondays tend to be extremely crowded since cruise ships usually dock that day. Word of warning: Do not buy black coral since it is an endangered species and illegal to bring back home.