Mercado Libertad, better known as Mercado San Juan de Dios (San Juan de Dios Market) is located in the city of

Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalaj ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

. It is the largest indoor market in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

with an area of 40,000 m².

Description and history

Most vendors in the market allow haggling, and many articles can be found at discounted prices. The market was inaugurated on December 30, 1958 and was designed by the architect

Alejandro Zohn Alejandro Zohn (born Alexander Zohn; born 8 August 1930, in Vienna - 2000, in Guadalajara) was a Mexican architect. He was a Holocaust survivor who grew up in Western Mexico. Alejandro Zohn studied at the Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, gradua ...

. There are approximately 2,980 posts in the market, selling clothing, eyeglasses, shoes, movies, video games, CDs, electrical goods, and many other types of items. The lower level includes stands selling typical foods of Guadalajara, such as

tortas ahogadas A torta ahogada (, ''drowned submarine sandwich'') is a typical dish from the Mexican state of Jalisco, particularly in the city of Guadalajara. Although it is popular in some other parts of Mexico, it is most popular in Guadalajara. It is calle ...

(sandwiches 'drowned' in sauce), perhaps the most typical dish from Jalisco, as well as tacos,

pozole Pozole (; from nah, pozoll, meaning ''cacahuazintle'', a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically pork, but possibly chicken), and can be seasoned and garnished w ...

, and other foods. The market has three levels and two parking lots. The first level has a section that includes stalls selling typical groceries and sweets as well as an area of stalls selling crafts. The second level includes small restaurants and food stalls selling typical Mexican dishes. The third level, the most recent addition, includes stalls selling imported goods, clothes, electronics, music, movies, computer equipment, paint, shoes, etc. The market is open every day of the year and is visited by residents and tourists largely attracted by the craft stalls. The market was laid out so as to have each floor have a theme, i.e. a floor for jewelry, candy, crafts, huaraches, etc. and another just for food, and a third for imported goods.

References

{{Coord, 20, 40, 32, N, 103, 20, 24, W, type:landmark, display=title Guadalajara, Jalisco Retail markets in Mexico Tourist attractions in Guadalajara, Jalisco