Antigua
Antigua's market – chaotic, colorful and always busy – sprawls north of 4a Calle Poniente. The best days are the official market days (Monday, Thursday…
Must-see shopping in Guatemala
Antigua
This brilliant, sprawling depot has a huge collection of Maya clothing, as well as hundreds of masks, wood carvings, kites, refrigerator magnets, assorted…
Lago de Atitlán
Sololá's market is one of the most vivid in the highlands. The sprawling Mercado Mayoreo (wholesale market) uphill of the Parque Centroamérica serves the…
Antigua
Next to the ruins of the Iglesia El Carmen, this excellent market is a good place to browse for textiles, pottery and jade, particularly on weekends, when…
Antigua
More than just a jewelry shop, the Casa has a small museum displaying dozens of pre-Hispanic jade pieces and an open workshop where you can admire the…
Panajachel
Supporting an NGO for the empowerment of indigenous women, this fair-trade shop features beautiful naturally dyed rugs, handbags, handwoven goods and…
Quetzaltenango
Outlet shop for the women's empowerment association AMA (highland women's association), Pixan sells beautiful high-quality textiles and clothing produced…
Antigua
This long and narrow shop has a superior selection of bright local handicrafts and home decorations, from flocks of miniature birds to hang from Christmas…
Quetzaltenango
On the west side of the park, Pasaje Enríquez is an imposing but gorgeous arcade built in 1896 after a structure in Florence, Italy, and houses an…
Antigua
Bookshop with a good selection of English as well as Spanish titles, including books on Central American history and politics, plus nature guides,…
Panajachel
Has a refreshingly good stock of books in English and Spanish on Guatemala, the Maya and Mesoamerica, plus maps and Latin American literature in English.
Flores & Santa Elena
This market is a monument to Martín de Ursúa Arizmendi y Aguirre, who snatched the island from the Maya in 1697. The castle on the main plaza's north side…
Guatemala City
Until the quake of 1976, Mercado Central, behind the cathedral, was where locals shopped for food and other necessities. Reconstructed after the…
Western Highlands
Half a block downhill from the church plaza, this handicrafts cooperative is made up of more than 600 local women. Finely woven vests, jackets and…
San Juan La Laguna
This small shop in the center of town is run by a cooperative of women seeking to reclaim the tradition of using natural dyes. Using ancestral techniques,…
Doña María Gordillo Dulces Típicos
Antigua
If you want to eat your way around some toothsome traditional Guatemalan sweets and pastries, this is the place for you. Try the coconut macaroons, dulces…
Cobán
If what your Guatemalan journey lacks is a triple-player chessboard, a Rubix Cube in all sorts of sizes/flavors, or puzzles that will keep you entertained…
Antigua
Masses of Guatemalan handicrafts fill the stalls of this building at the west end of town just below the main market. While not at the top end of the…
Antigua
Started by a pair of North American archaeologists who were researching ancient jade quarries in the Motagua valley, this shop features a jade workshop…
Antigua
Inside the courtyard shopping arcade Casa Antigua El Jaulón, this shop/museum displays Tz'utujil oil paintings, cedar figurines, masks and other crafts…
Quetzaltenango
For one of Xela's more intense everyday marketing experiences, hit the Mercado La Democracia, about 10 blocks north of Parque Centro América in Zona 3,…
Quiché
The numerous vendor stalls here offer well-made rebozos (scarves), cintas (the pom-pommed braid woven into Ixil women's hair) and huipiles, which can cost…
Lago de Atitlán
This small but excellent market on the upper level of the town hall displays beautiful huipiles, beadwork, bags and other crafts produced by a cooperative…
Comerciales de Artesanías Típicas Tinamit Maya
Panajachel
Be sure to browse the many stalls of this extensive handicrafts market, which has an impressive variety of bags, clothing, blankets, belts and hammocks…
San Pedro La Laguna
This is a Tz'utujil women's collective that sells fair-trade woven goods and offers weaving classes for Q30 per hour (not including materials). It's about…
Quetzaltenango
The hectic, sprawling market immediately south of the main bus terminal is an endless labyrinth of stalls piled high with produce echoing with the cries…
Guatemala City
A relaxed place to read while in the Zona Viva, with a good selection of books in English on Guatemala and the Maya, including Lonely Planet guides, and…
Chichicastenango
This fair-trade shop by the plaza's southwest corner displays the work of a local women's cooperative comprising 30 weavers, including scarves, shawls,…
Western Highlands
The upper level of the main market building is devoted to the town's renowned handicrafts. You'll find quality textiles, carved wood objects, ceramics and…
Quetzaltenango
Xela's central market is three floors of reasonably priced handicrafts, as well as everyday items and fresh produce. Souvenir hunters will need to bargain…
Quiché
Nebaj's market sprawls northeast of the church, particularly on market days, Thursday and Sunday, when all the streets around it are draped in a canvas…
Guatemala City
This sleepy official market near the museums and zoo sells fabrics, clothes and other standard souvenirs without the crowds of the other markets.
Antigua
This shop near the Santa Catalina arch specializes in designer jewelry featuring jade and other gems.
Guatemala City
Less hectic than the central market, the Plaza El Amate features a satisfying jumble of everyday items, clothes, CDs and DVDs mixed in with souvenirs and…
Guatemala City
One of the first malls in Guatemala, this has been surpassed by many others, but is still a standby for fashion boutiques, electronic goods and other…
Central & Eastern Guatemala
Next to the basilica, this shopping market has all sorts of trinkets, souvenirs, clothes, textiles and more.
Flores & Santa Elena
This modern shopping mall is opposite Mundo Maya International Airport. There are several reliable ATMs, shops and fast-food restaurants.
Panajachel
This small shopping center by the main junction contains cafes and a nightclub, as well as a variety of everyday stores.
