What it inherits. The Mercado de Sonora carries on one of the most important pre-Hispanic traditions still practised in the city: the ritual and medicinal use of plants. That is what gives it its place in the mental map of every resident, and what makes it unlike any other market here.
How it is laid out. Around 10,262 square metres and 404 stalls, divided into two halls. The nave mayor holds crafts, ceramics and traditional toys. The nave menor is the one people come for: esoteric goods, images of saints, medicinal plants, and behind the stalls the spaces where consultations and cleansings are carried out.
The part to know about before you go. As in the pre-Hispanic tianguis, one section sells live animals — domestic, farm and exotic — and a good deal of that trade is illegal. For that reason the stallholders prohibit cameras and video inside the market. Respect it: this is not a rule anyone enforces politely.
The market's own feast. Every 23 September the traders celebrate the market's anniversary with a mass, followed by a party with food, gifts and discounts for customers.
What to buy. Several stalls make and sell alebrijes, the brightly painted papier-mâché creatures invented by an artisan from La Merced — the neighbourhood this market sits in — after a fever dream. Buying one here is as close to the source as you can get.
Practical notes. Metro Merced, line 1, and San Antonio Abad, line 2. Go in the morning, carry only the cash you need, keep your phone away, and do not photograph people or animals.
in the morning or in the evening
Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 419, Merced Balbuena. 15800
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