A Quick Guide to Buying Local in Puerto Vallarta; Olas Altas & Marina Street Markets

When visiting Puerto Vallarta you might feel like taking home a little piece of this paradise, so here you have a couple of reliable recommendations for buying (as a) local for all those savvy shoppers out there.  

In-Style Shopping with A View
Satisfy your conscious consumption cravings while enjoying the marvelous Puerto Vallarta hand-painted like sunsets at the always lively Art & Market Marina Vallarta.  Celebrating its tenth anniversary, this street boardwalk market with a view is held on Thursday evenings and stretches out for half a mile (a bit longer, actually) along the Marina Vallarta Malecon.  

This Marina Vallarta entrepreneurship was founded in 2012 by Puerto Vallarta patron of the arts and socialitè Mrs. Nelly Wulff as a means for showcasing to larger audiences the works of up-and-coming local artists and small producers from all over the Banderas Bay, as well as for attracting visitors to what was once considered a rather peaceful area for yacht spotting, but little else.  

A decade on, Marina Vallarta evolved into one of the trendiest neighborhoods in town.  And so it did its little boardwalk market!  This year marks a record as you will find more than 200 booths from local vendors at fairly reasonable prices, according to Art & Market coordinator Mr. Tony García.  Options ranging -among many others- from hand made artworks and home dècor accessories, a number of assorted wines, tequilas and other locally produced spirits, beachwear and resort casual apparel for him & her, to a wide variety of fresh organic goods to take home with you. 

Once your shopping spree is over, why not take a break at a cozy coffee shop or sports bar nearby.  Or better yet stay for the night out at one of the prestigious fine dining restaurants in the area.  

For more info on the regularly scheduled live music program, special seasonal sale events and other important announcements make sure you follow Art & Market Marina on Facebook at /artandmarketpv. 

Art & Market Marina Vallarta
Marina Vallarta Malecon 
Every Thursday evening through May, 2023
6:00pm to 10:00pm 
 
The Street Market That Started it All
A must-see, must-do for Puerto Vallarta regulars, first time visitors and locals alike during high season months.  Olas Altas Farmers Market is, arguably, one of the few places in town where you can still buy directly from the producers.  (No intermediaries or resellers at all!)  

Everything here –whether organic food, International dishes and other delicacies (has anybody said vegan?); traditional Mexican arts and crafts, textiles and apparel from local designers; fine art, music instruments and custom-made jewelry– is carefully appointed by the Organizing Committee honoring the market’s motto: “homegrown and handmade” only. 

The farmers market has come a long way since its inception back in the old days of yore at Púlpito Street, when Alberta CA born businesswoman (and prestigious master chocolatier) Charlotte Semple –of later Xocodiva local fame– came up with the idea of starting a small producers-driven market with a handful of vendors, inspired by the Slow Food Movement ideas of the late 2000s.   

As the market grew larger, both in participant producers/artists/vendors and an ever growing crowd of loyal followers, it found its natural new home on the Lázaro Cárdenas Park esplanade, at the heart of the Romantic Zone.  

This year, as social distancing restrictions are seemingly lifted for good, Olas Altas Farmers Market proudly gathers more than a hundred returning producers (including animal rescue associations and other local charities), as well as your all-time favorite market vendors and a cultural program featuring live music from several local bands; as stated by the President of the market board of directors Mrs. Teresa Moreno.  (As a matter of fact, the most traditional street market in town is about to turn into a blooming Quinceañera in the 2023/2024 season.)  

So save the date every other Saturday morning from November through April for a buying local day just a few steps away from the popular Los Muertos beach.  (Pro-tip: make you sure you carry enough Mexican Pesos, since most of the vendors accept cash only as their preferred payment option.)

Olas Altas Farmers Market
Lázaro Cárdenas Park esplanade
Every Saturday morning through April, 2023
9:00am to 2:00pm