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Playa del Carmen Shopping

Go shopping in Playa del Carmen with recommendations, reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and locals.
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Chedraui: Grocery store
  • Tip Rating:
  • Dabs
  • Updated By Dabs on January 7, 2007
  • Playa del Carmen Page by Dabs
  • Chedraui - Playa del Carmen
    Chedraui
    by Dabs
    I always like visiting grocery stores when traveling, you can find some interesting things to eat and occasionally something to bring back for friends and family.

    Just south of Juarez Avenue on highway 307 is Chedraui, a large supermercado selling groceries, liquor, some clothes, small appliances, household products, etc. There's also a small prepared food section where you can get tacos and other things to eat while in the store.

    There's at least two other large grocery stores now, one along the highway south of Juarez Avenue (can't remember the name but it's in the strip mall with Woolworth's) and another one which I think it called Mega and, regrettably, a WalMart which I have never come across.

    The liquor selection wasn't huge but the prices were much better than along 5th Avenue. There weren't as many choices for tequila but we found a good bottle for about 30% less than in town and a bottle of Bacardi Oro for my sister in law who said you couldn't buy it in the US.

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  • Theme: Other
  • Address: Highway 307 just south of Juarez
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful

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    Even Shopping is an Adventure
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  • ScubaCat
  • Updated By ScubaCat on May 21, 2006
  • Playa del Carmen Page by ScubaCat
  • Playa Del Carmen - Playa del Carmen
    Playa Del Carmen
    by ScubaCat,
    4 more photos
    Playa Del Carmen is perfect for the adventurous shopper. As you walk along checking out the various shops. Look around. You'll see neat little mexican statutes & interesting people. An individual walking their iguana or maybe a 3 foot mastiff. You just never know what you might see. A giant frog floating above a building maybe? Then comes the real adventure as you wander through the shops. You get to negotiate on all those Pareos, t-shirts, mayan jewlery, brightly covered sundresses, silver jewlery, cigars, brightly decorated pottery, silver mayan statutes, mexican rugs, baskets, handmade hammocks, crocheted tableclothe's and yes, various pipes crafted to look like mayan gods. You can even negotiate for the finer jewlery made of gold, tanzinite, ruby, emerald, etc. If you don't like the response or price given back...keep negotiating. If you still don't like the price and can't get them lower...just turn & walk out. 9 times out of 10 they'll come running after you accepting your offer or just walk to the next vendor, he'll have the same items & might accept your offer. Btw, in Playa Del Carmen you can get a better deal on items than you can in Cancun by at least 25%. If you never negotiated before, have no fear, by the 4th or 5th shop, you should be an old pro. Watch the other purchaser's & you'll soon pick up all the tips & tricks & realize this is a common practice...so go ahead & have some fun with it. If you get called loco or a cheap jew, then you know you've gone too far & hit the price too low, but it sure is fun to see how low you can go before they get mad, lol. So go ahead & splurge. It's well worth your American Dollar, not only do you get a break on prices but our dollar down there is generally worth $1.25. Worried about carrying around a bunch of cash? Then fear no more, most of the stores & vendors accept Visa & Mastercard and American Express. But stick to these 2 as not everyone accepts American Express or Discover.

    For you women, this is the perfect place to pick up some really quality jewlery....especially mayan, since it in fashion, but it be can picked it up here for 1/4 the cost you'll pay in the states & you'll be able to afford those pieces inlaid with Malici, Lapis & the like. Even the finer jewlery stores are a bargain & those items are guaranteed. They'll repair or replace if your piece breaks or needs repaired. They have websites w/locations & instructions. Some of these finer jewlery stores even offer trade-in's or should I say trade-up's. The Mexican Rugs, Pareo's, colorful sundresses and the silver mayan gods. Leather is also a good buy there. Go ahead & pick up those leather purses, backpacks & the kind. You could sell all of these items back in the states for twice what you paid for them. The handcrafted crocheted tableclothes are also a bargain, look elegant & are a conversational piece. So unique!

    Prices vary depending on your purchases. Crocheted tableclothes - $10 to 15. Pareao's - $5 to $15. Hammocks - $25 to $40. Mayan Jewlery - $20 for a simple bracelet or earrings on up to $250 for the intricate & more precious stone inlaid necklaces. Gold or finer jewlery - $50 for a pair of simple gold earrings on up to $600 + for your gemstone rings, necklaces & earrings. T-Shirts - the more you buy, the bigger the break you get - $10 - $25.

  • Theme: Local Craft
  • Directions: Make your purchases in Playa Del Carmen or Cozumel with the stores or vendors. Do NOT buy from your hotel. You'll pay 3 times the amount than you would if you purchased the same item from town or a vendor
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Local venders: Buy outside the city
  • Tip Rating:
  • diver-x
  • By diver-x on October 27, 2006
  • Playa del Carmen Page by diver-x
  • More trinkets that one should ever have - Playa del Carmen
    More trinkets that one should
    ever have
    by diver-x
    In Playa del Carmen, all of the shops have the same touristy crap. Silver jewelry, carved wooden jaguar heads, turtle ashtrays, plastic pyramids, marachas, sombreros. They're all there in every shop on 5th Ave and the gift shops in our hotel. My favorite touristy souvenir is the carved wooden skeleton. Got mine at Chichen Itza. All of the paths there are lined with vendors selling the same stuff as in Playa del Carmen, only much cheaper and you can bargain much easier too. There are local vendors at all of the tourist attractions with much better prices than in town.

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  • Theme: Local Craft
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Corner Grocery Store: Smart Shopping
  • Tip Rating:
  • Pat&ZoAnn
  • By Pat&ZoAnn on September 19, 2005
  • Playa del Carmen Page by Pat&ZoAnn
  • Corner Grocery Store - Playa del Carmen - Playa del Carmen
    Corner Grocery Store - Playa
    del Carmen
    by Pat&ZoAnn
    We bought 4 litre jugs of water here (about 1 gallon) for less than a one litre bottle from a pharmacia one block away on Fifth Ave. I don't remeber the exact location of this one, but there are many shops like it, away from the tourist area.

    Basic necessities

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  • Theme: Food and Drink
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Tequileria: Cheap Tequila
  • Tip Rating:
  • hotsauce28
  • By hotsauce28 on February 28, 2008
  • Playa del Carmen Page by hotsauce28
  • Playa del Carmen Shopping
    by hotsauce28, 1 more photos
    I realize there are a ton of places to buy Tequila in Mexico but what really stood out about this place was that the sales lady was very knowledgeable about her tequila! She explained the different ways they're made and why the prices vary so much.

    It was really nice chatting with her but I can't remember anything she said.

    Anywhere from $4.00 a bottle and up.

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  • Theme: Food and Drink
  • Directions: On 5th avenue, just south of 10th.
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful

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    Chedraui: Need to stock a few groceries?
  • Tip Rating:
  • peggydaly
  • By peggydaly on March 9, 2006
  • Playa del Carmen Page by peggydaly
  • It's the big grocery store in town and worth the trip to pick up the stuff you'll need. i generally pick up some toilletries once i get there to travel more lightly. It's nice to experience shopping as a local. and don't bother driving. it's a nice walk down bustling Juarez to hwy 337. You'll see stuff along the way that you'll want to come back to during your visit.

    becuase the pillows are sometimes musty in MX i pick up a cheap pillow. They have bedding, cheap clothes, etc. their sausage and cheese section is great and fresh. veggies are better at small markets. the only place in town to get fresh (in a bottle/jug) milk is sam's club. still only the boxed milk here :).

    cheap groceries - not much.

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  • Theme: Department Store
  • Directions: Juarez (Actually Calle 1 Sur) and 337
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    5a Avenida Playa del Carmen: All you need in one avenue
  • Tip Rating:
  • bllopis
  • By bllopis on November 9, 2003
  • Playa del Carmen Page by bllopis
  • 5a avenida Playa del Carmen - Playa del Carmen
    5a avenida Playa del Carmen
    by bllopis
    You can find in one avenue all the shops you need for to buy the gifts or if you want to buy something for you.

    You can find art, alcohol, restaurants, jewelry and clothes.

    Because there are a lot of shops, is better to look for the cheapest location.

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  • Theme: Other
  • Address: 5a avenida, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
  • Directions: Last avenue, beside the beach.
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Parque principal, Valladolid: Buying art in a typical mexican city
  • Tip Rating:
  • bllopis
  • Updated By bllopis on November 9, 2003
  • Playa del Carmen Page by bllopis
  • Plaza Mayor de Valladolid, Mexico - Playa del Carmen
    Plaza Mayor de Valladolid,
    Mexico
    by bllopis
    Nice to look for mexican art in a typical mexican city big square.

    Mexican art.

    We saw that the prices here were much better than in other locations.

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  • Theme: Art
  • Address: Parque Principal by Valladolid
  • Directions: Parque Principal by Valladolid
  • Website: http://www.chichen.com.mx/valladolid
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Plaza Playacar: Where to buy good and fast
  • Tip Rating:
  • bllopis
  • Updated By bllopis on November 9, 2003
  • Playa del Carmen Page by bllopis
  • Plaza Playacar - Playa del Carmen
    Plaza Playacar
    by bllopis
    Very close to the city Playa del Carmen and some hotels. Nice place. There is a bank, too.

    You can by clothes and mexican art.

    Not cheap, but not expensive. The take euros, pesos and dollars.

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  • Theme: Other
  • Address: Paseo Xaman-Há by Playacar, Quintana Roo, Mexico
  • Directions: 15 minutes buy feet south from Playa del Carmen
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Rogers Boots: Mexican boots
  • Tip Rating:
  • Joan58
  • By Joan58 on January 16, 2003
  • Playa del Carmen Page by Joan58
  • Playa del Carmen Shopping
    by Joan58
    Here I bought a nice pair of mexican boots and a typical 'sun and moon' made of baked clay.

    In other shops I bought a carpet, a paperknife made of obsidian, a picture of Maya Calendar, some t-shirts... then my husband stopped me!!

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  • Theme: Shoes
  • Address: Quinta Avenida
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
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