Shopping is diverse and exciting in Cancun. Depending on your style and interests, you can get a taste of "old" Mexico as you search the downtown open-air markets for handicrafts, or the "new", as you stroll through one of Cancun’s ultra-modern malls. Bring along that all-important empty suitcase to hold all the Mexican goodies that you encounter. No doubt you will return to the States with tangible memories of your wonderful trip!

In the Hotel Zone, Plaza la Fiesta offers similar crafts in a department-store-like atmosphere. El Zocalo, right across from the Convention Center is a bazaar for handicrafts where you can also see a multi-media show with exhibits of the history of Mexican clothing, fashion shows, and a nightly fiesta.  Numerous malls are also located along Paseo Kukulkan.

Local craft shops abound, both in the Hotel Zone and Cancun City. Ki Huic, one of the largest craft markets in Cancun, comes highly recommended (open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.), Avenida Tulum 17, Cancun City, tel. 84-3347). Another downtown shopping opportunity is the Plaza Bonita (SM8, located at the corner of Avenidas Zel-Ha and Tankah). It is a group of stores encircling a fountain, where handcrafted items can be purchased at excellent prices. There are also several easily visible open-air markets along the Avenida Tulum (the main drag) in Cancun City and in the Hotel Zone near the Convention Center.

The malls in Cancun are modern, air-conditioned and sophisticated, rivaling most malls in the U.S. They are mostly located along Paseo Kukulkan in the Hotel Zone. In these shopping oases - Plaza Lagunas, Costa Brava, La Mansion, Mayfair, Plaza Terramar, Plaza Caracol, Plaza Flamingo and Plaza Kukulkan - you will find not only indigenous goods (handicrafts, clothing, jewelry) but the finest imported products as well, often at a discount from what we’ve come to expect in the States. The malls offer shops selling everything from silver jewelry to crystalware to designer clothing. For a mid-spree snack, restauratns are interspersed within the shops, including many American favorites like Pizza Hut, Tequila Sunrise and Hard Rock Café. Some malls have food courts where a selection of foods from all over the world can be found.