9 Best Shopping in Chiapas and Tabasco, Mexico

The range of crafts in San Cristóbal extends far beyond those made by indigenous groups. Arte Sandía has a wonderful array of housewares, including plates and dishes covered with the store's namesake watermelon. (It's a popular theme in this country, as the watermelon has the three colors of the Mexican flag.) You'll find plenty of women's clothing here, too.

The government-run Casa de las Artesanías sells wooden toys, ceramics, embroidered blouses, bags, and handwoven textiles from throughout the state. You'll also find honey, marmalade, and locally made liqueurs.

Casa Penagoes has an eye-popping collection of colorful clothing from indigenous groups.

Chocolatería Kakao Natura is stocked with fresh chocolates made from scratch on-site (from the grinding of the cacao itself!).

Íconos Mayas carries beautiful weavings, especially shawls, produced by the renowned El Camino, a nonprofit group that supports women weavers and their families. You can make an appointment to see a wider selection of El Camino's weavings by email ([email protected]).

Avenida Juárez has small crafts stores, but for the mother lode, head to the Mercado de las Artesanías just east of the main square.

One of the city's most memorable shops is Nemi Zapata, which stocks crafts from local villages. Many of these communities were sympathetic to the Zapatista cause, which is reflected in the art. Most interesting are the servietas (cloth napkins) with hand-embroidered portraits of rebel leaders.

Among its excellent selection of wares, Sna Jolobil, the regional crafts cooperative of 800 weavers from 20 indigenous communities, has hand-dyed wool sweaters and tunics, embroidered pillow covers, and pre-Hispanic-design wall hangings. Quality is high and items are priced accordingly. The name means "Weaver's House" in the Tzotzil language. The cooperative is housed in the former Santo Domingo convent, adjacent to the church of the same name.

A unique indigenous co-op in an old colonial San Cristóbal home sells top-quality crafts and lets you observe artisans at work. Look for handmade journals, boxes, postcards, and writing paper fashioned from plants.