Top Rated Shopping in Merida

This bookstore does not belong to the Universidad de Los Andes, yet it functions mostly as a text supplier to the university's lecturers and students. Besides books, they stock classics in compact disc and video VHS formats. Apart from customers who come from the university, the general public and tourists shop here as well. There is a ten percent discount on all books, and a twenty percent discount on books published in Spanish by universities from around the world.

Mérida's Principal Market left its former and rather cumbersome downtown location near the Plaza Bolívar, so as to move to these clean, modern and comfortable new premises to the front of the Miranda Viaduct. This should be a must on your itinerary for both shopping and getting to rub shoulders with the locals. There are three floors of stores, activities and people. You will find a selection of the freshest and most tempting regional products including meat and poultry, vegetables, bread, confectionery, honey, fruit wines, and many other items. Walk down corridors decorated with handicrafts; and do not miss the opportunity of tasting a truly typical meal, from one of five kitchens offering a catering service in the central dining hall.

Located in front of the centrally located Glorias Patrias Park, and with its name blazing across an eye-catching red signboard, this bakery and pastry shop is easy to find. Neither will you have any trouble once inside, locating a loaf of bread to your liking, such as "sobado", butter bread, milk or maize bread, and even one made of oats, and last but not least, the famous Andean bread.

What is the difference between microwaved TV dinners and what this service has to offer? Simply that, they supply you (for take-away or home delivery) with everything you will need for a full gourmet dinner; only you do the actual cooking. Everything is exquisitely prepared: prime custom cuts of beef, poultry, seafood, party trays, sausages, vegetables, juices and beverages, cheeses, fresh fruits, and a basic line of full dinners that will save you a lot of time at the supermarket and preparation at home. So have your own Chef do the work for you.

Anywhere you go in the state of Mérida, you will find artisans and crafts shops of all kinds. But if you want to see genuine traditional pieces, and to observe how they are made, come to visit this market that was inaugurated in 1983. Within its ample Mediterranean-style installations, stroll down the galleries that surround the inner patios, and observe expert craftsmen working and shaping materials such as clay, wood, iron, wool, stone, anime, paper and leather. There is also a café.

Found near the entrance to a modern shopping centre, this store offers a vast assortment of bakery and delicatessen products: different types of bread, pastries, cakes, cold cuts, eggs, confectionery, cheeses, soft-drinks, desserts, canned foods, and whatever you may need for the celebration of a birthday, anniversary, graduation or any special occasion you find yourself commemorating. As the store is located in a shopping centre, there is the added benefit of safe parking.