Jamaica Market

It is one of the most traditional markets of the city. Opened in the 50s, it is famous for its flowers and plants. There are over 1,000 stalls offering more than 5,000 different kinds of vegetation, both domestic and foreign. This market is also well known for groceries and meats.

What you will find. Flowers are the core of the market: some five thousand varieties spread over three halls, from loose cut flowers to potted ornamentals, foliage, planters, soil and gardening supplies. A large share of the stalls make arrangements to order —wreaths, bridal bouquets, table centrepieces— usually assembled in front of you. Along the outer aisles the market works like any neighbourhood one, with groceries, fruit and vegetables, butchers and small eateries.

Where the flowers come from. Much of the stock arrives from Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacán and the State of Mexico, and many florists across the capital buy here. That wholesale chain is why prices work out: buying by the bunch costs considerably less than at a neighbourhood flower shop.

Some history. The market opened in 1957, as part of the programme that rebuilt the city's public markets in that decade. The trade is far older: this was the eastern shore of ancient Tenochtitlan, and flowers and vegetables grown on chinampas travelled by canoe along the Jamaica and La Viga canals on their way to La Merced. The canals were covered over in the mid-20th century, but the flower trade stayed in the neighbourhood.

Getting there. The market sits next to Jamaica metro station, served by Lines 4 and 9; the Line 9 exit is the one right beside the halls. Local buses also run along Congreso de la Unión and Avenida Morelos. The address is Guillermo Prieto, colonia Jamaica, in Venustiano Carranza.

When to go. Open daily: Monday to Friday 8:00 to 19:00, Saturday and Sunday from 7:00. Early morning means fewer people and freshly delivered flowers. In the run-up to 14 February, 10 May (Mexican Mother's Day) and Day of the Dead the market fills up and prices rise, so allow extra time and bring cash.