I shopped at market 28 cancun july 17,2008..I purchased a $25.00 belly button ring from ARTESANIAS POCHICANCUN the vendor charged me 2500 pesos on my visa and i didnt relize thats $250.00 usd until i got my visa bill. BE VERY CAREFUL GETTING RIPPED OFF HERE!!!!

Ok, so after hearing everyone saying 'go to market 28, its so much cheaper' - we did. Well, we didn't realize that those same people were probably going to the REAL expensive places to compare it to.

Here goes my suggestion:
Go to the Mexican Outlet (the yellow stores). There are a few of them on the strip - my favorite is the mall where planet hollywood, rainforest cafe is located. Anyway, you cannot bargain in there. But it is FAIRLY priced. If you have enough time while you are there -- just take a look at what you like at the Mexican Outlet... take notes on their prices.

THEN go to Market 28 (the bus is a straight shot there, only 1-2 block walk to the right after you get off), and bargain lower according to the Outlet store.

Ok... here is an example, we were buying this leather artwork at Market 28.. for the same size (take note of the sizes and the prices, because they will justify their price on this too). Anyway, he started off at $60 USD. Long story short - We paid $35 for it, but this is me starting at $25. Then he agreed to $30 USD.

Well we went to the Outlet and guess how much it was? $20!!! So bargain HARD when you are there, but know how much their "competitor" is (outlet store). Because if you ask for too little, it might be an insult. But they are going to guilt trip you so bad that you will probably just buy it 3 times more expensive as you could've at the Mexican Outlet.

Oh watch out for the exchange rate. When we were there it was $11 pesos to $1USD. Ok, so if you are buying a big purchase and they quote you $1,000 pesos -- and you give him $100 USD - you are actually giving him $111 USD. Get it? If you don't mind paying more, then this is fine. But if you want to save even more, just pay in pesos.

Also, the food there is CHEAP. The only thing is... I found hair in my salsa and raw meat under neathe my sandwhich. YUCK. The place that we really like is actually a kiosk, she cooks it RIGHT in front of you -- go that route, so you know how your food was actually prepared.

Another spot to eat is El Patino's (the restuarant in front of WalMart) -- they have the BEST Mole and it only ranges $7USD-$12 USD. This is WAY cheaper than the strip. We only finally ate there our last night, and we wish we would've found it earlier.

July 6, 2008

I just arrived back from Cancun with my daughter, we absolutely loved shopping at Mercado 28. It was exactly what I thought it would be like. You have to haggle of course with the people, but you will get a good price for the things you want if you are smart and don't buy the first thing you see. It is also the best place to buy tickets for the tours, it is alot cheaper than in the hotels. I just read a review from someone saying it was dirty, it is not. I have been to many flea markets in the US and this one was one of the cleanest. We met the nicest Myan boy named Abelardo Moo Pech, he works at one of the stands and sells tours for Sando's resorts. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He was extremely kind and honest, he helped us get the best prices for the items we wanted. My daughter became ill due to the severe heat, I called him and asked him where I could take her, he said don't worry I'll help you. He called his family Dr and made an appointment for her. He picked us up at the hotel and took us to his office. I couldn't believe how kind he was. If anyone ever goes to Mercado 28 look for the stand on the outside, it is a few blocks from Walmart across from a salon. He wears a red shirt that says Sandos with tan pants. Evev if you don't buy anything, just say hello. He is a great person.

The market is not worth the visit. My husband and I went there on our trip to Cancun. One vendor wanted to charge us $35 U.S. for a small bottle of vanilla - and when we finally bargained down ($5 U.S.), we still paid more than in the store - which we found out later was $3.50 U.S. A silver beaded necklace was the same price as the on you can find on the Tiffany website and the final asking price was still more than the U.S. price for a non-brand. The vendors are too agressive to get you into their store area. If you are looking for deals, this is not the place to find it. My husband and I have been to markets all over the world and we were highly disappointed by this one.