Zihuatanejo's Municipal Market and other Food Marts
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The Zihuatanejo Municipal Market
Zihuatanejo's Municipal Market, or Mercado, is located on Boulevard Benito Juarez, close to downtown. It's on the regular Micro bus route and anyone will point you in the right direction if you can just say "mercado" (mare-ka-doe)
It can be disconcerting to the shopper used to serve-yourself supermarket aisles to find yourself in a market in which you don't have that much hands-on control over what you're buying, especially when you don't know the language to ask for what you want! It can also be a totally fascinating and fully sensory experience! The shopkeepers can be pretty understanding and helpful, and a lot of them know enough English to know what you're searching for if you tell them clearly and slowly (NOT necessarily loudly!).
Here, fresh fruits and vegetables form a palette-full of color.
For some, the meat area of the market is to be avoided. Everything is on graphic display. Almost all of Zihuatanejo's meat dealers now have refrigerated display cases and freezers in the back of their small stalls, even though certain cuts, such as the dried and salt-cured meats, are hung over the cases at room temperature.The fish market toward the back of the building offers everything from jumbo shrimp to octopus to fresh tuna steaks. Getting there early is always better.You can pick out your catch and have the fishmonger clean and fillet as desired. Dried nuts, seeds, beans, rice and spices are in yet another section. There are areas where you'll find hardware, clothing, dairy products and packaged goods such as cereals. Here, milk comes in boxes and eggs usually come in bags!The market is also a place where a lot of the local residents go to have lunch, or just pick up a fresh barbecued-pork torta or chicken taco. Food stands exist here that will serve you just about anything, and for a very low cost.
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Other food shopping options: the Supermarkets
If you'd rather shop at a convential grocery store, Zihuatanejo now has the Comercial Mexicana or the Bodega Aurrera , where you can find everything from meat and dairy products to bathing suits and garden supplies, all arrayed on the standard shelves and racks within easy reach of the customer.
The Comercial Mexicana (often just called the "CM" or "La Comer") is located on Paseo de la Boquita (along the canal), just up from Plaza Kioto.
The Bodega Aurrera (usually shortened to simply "la Bodega", is located in Zihuatanejo on the main Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa highway just up from the Fuente del Sol and the Town Hall.
For more about local stores and providers in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa, see Shopping and Services.