Off the tourist path we wander through Mercado 23 and take in all of the sights, smells, and sounds of the place.  It’s hopping, people everywhere, its hot, really hot, and there’s a haze from the humidity permeating the market today.

Cooked and raw foods, produce, jewelry, clothes, everything you could imagine.  Stroll through the stalls and haggle for good prices on treasures you find. Do not accept the first price offered.  If you visit Mercado 23 and Mercado 28 you will find a huge difference in prices and in presentation. I really like the authentic market feel Mercado 23 much better and I bet you will too!  Mercado 23 is much less touristy than its sister market 28.  23 has less formal food stalls and more of the produce, meats, and raw goods to be prepared and resold or consumed by the locals. These prices are less inflated and the negotiations are not as aggressive as Mercado 28.  We tried some queso-filled empanadas at Antonitos that were amazing and cheap at only $1.00 each!