Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market), Acapulco

As you step through Central Market's doorways into the maze of alleys and booths, you’ll be greeted by a symphony of sounds: merchants calling out their wares, the sizzle of street food cooking, and the hum of daily trade. This is a place where locals come to source the freshest ingredients — fruits, vegetables, fish, meats — and where tourists can sample authentic regional fare while browsing artisan crafts and everyday necessities.

Constructed in 1969, the Municipal Market is now the city’s largest indoor market, encompassing some 650 commercial stalls. Over the decades it has undergone renovations and expansions, particularly in the areas of seafood, meat, and apparel, to better serve its vendors and customers. Today, it operates as the primary hub for supplying much of the city’s food, while also serving as a dynamic marketplace for goods like kitchenware, flowers, clothing, and handicrafts.

For visitors, one of the greatest pleasures of the Mercado Municipal is exploring its culinary offerings. As you wander through aisles, you’ll encounter stands dishing up tacos with rich consommé, fresh ceviche, atole, grilled meats, tamales, and a host of sweets and snacks. The seafood section is particularly lively, with catches arriving fresh from the Pacific, and the meat and produce areas brim with color, aroma, and local flavors.