Best Place To Shop In The Mexican Riviera

[Dancinboots]

We will be cruising on the Star this coming Monday in the Mexican Riviera...Acapulco, Ixtapa, Puerta Vallarta & Caba San Lucas. I was wondering where the best places to shop and what items in particular do you get your very best buys in Mexico?:o

 

What about the stores or flea markets walking distance from the ship. Are there good deals to be found there and do the merchants barter with you much? Is there any really good places you know of to purchase jewlery that you found reputable?:rolleyes:

 

Also what about the galleria shops on the ship. Were there some good buys to be found on board on jewlery toward the end of the cruise?

 

Thanks...Sharon:cool:

[Bob7]

Sharon I can help with PV and Cabo, are you still here or are you gone?

[ikajus]

even if sharon's gone, I could still use the advice. I'll be in ACA, Ixtapa, PV, and Cabo. Thanks for the help.

[csacsoka]

I loved Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo. I thought the market was 100% better than in Acapulco, and I think it was about 50% cheaper.

 

It is really fun to shop in Zihuatenejo, they have great selection, and they are not as pushy as in Acapulco.

[lstrong]

One of the better places for jewelry was the shop at the cliff divers hotel. Air conditioned, free margaritas, good prices, not pushy.

[Bob7]

even if sharon's gone, I could still use the advice. I'll be in ACA, Ixtapa, PV, and Cabo. Thanks for the help.

 

We were in 2 of those, Cabo and PV. Cabo is easy, all the shopping is along Marina Blvd., and the boardwalk. When you get off the tender, keep to the right and you'll be on the lovely boardwalk, marina boats on our right, and shops and cafes on your left. It goes all around the harbor to the upscale Puerto Paraiso Mall. Go to the left off the boardwalk anywhere along and you'll be on Marina Blvd., more shops. Perhaps the best left turn is at the large lighthouse, go 30 yards up the cobblestone aqueduct and your on Marina Blvd.

 

In PV all the tourist shops are along the beach drag, Paseo Diaz Ordaz, boardwalk on the beach side, shops, bars, etc on the other side. But the best shopping is next 2 steets in, parallel to Ordaz, first Morelos, then Juarez, between 31 de Octobre street and Zaragoza street. The local shops are there, no haggling, pay the listed price. The Walmart at the port was sort of interesting, spent 10 minutes there and left. Also good local shopping around the Main Plaza in Pitilal, about a mile inland from the ship, $5-6 cab, 2 blocks in each direction from the Plaza.

 

Take lots of small bills for shopping, 50-70 ones, 20-25 fives, or change will always be a hassle. Don't bother with 20's, few 10's is ok.

[realproperty]

None of PV, Maz or Cabo are shopping meccas. Other than jewellery and good luck on determining quality on that, there is nothing here to buy. Save your money and treat yourself when you get home. Don't wast the precious time you have in these places looking for good stuff--it isn't worth it.

[Bob7]

"Real" is right about that, our jeweler told us horror stories about the silver, stuff with the official .925 or .92x stamp is often junk now, diamonds have resin filler in their flaws, making them worthless. One $900 ring he evaluated for a customer was costume junk. The leather is overpriced. The best time my wife had was in a couple fabric stores, good quality for about 10-20% of what it cost here. And the top brand vanilla extract (Orlando), 1 litre for 120 pesos. Booze was cheaper in the ship store. T-shirts were ok, 3 or 4 for $10. Ceramic dishes, push top dispensers, plates, were not bad, under $10, good if it's a colorful design you really like, perhaps not avail a home.

[twocats]

Wow a fabric store? Where, please tell me. That might be a highlight of my trip!

[cruisecrasy]

I agree with 'rare' - have also heard, from reputable jewellers, that supplies are 'iffy' these days so 'be wary' is very good advice. That said, I need fabrics 'cause love to design and have my clothes made so plse reply with places to go while in PV, Cabo or Maz. Thanks very much in advance & for taking time to also warn folks - its what this board is all about.

[Bob7]

Hi Cats and Crazy,

Here’s the fabric store tale …. we’re walking along checking out the shops, Wendy sees this fabric store, goes in, sees a bazillion fabric rolls on two floors, sees some signs with the prices, her eyes get that same look as when Tom Cruise takes off his shirt in a movie, and she says “Ok hon, I gotta have some alone time in here.” Knowing full well that ya don’t mess with a woman who has found a shopping bonanza, I tooted around the area for awhile and came back to find her arms full and a big smile on her face. I wondered how she ordered anything, clerks in these local shops often don’t speak any English, and we don’t speak any Spanish. It’s sold in metres (39 inches), and she said she pointed at the roll she wanted and held up how many fingers and said “metres”, same in both languages, and that worked fine. The cutter gives you a slip with the order and cost and takes your fabric away, you take the slip to a pay station, they stamp it paid and you take the paid slip to the delivery station where your stuff is waiting to be picked up.

 

She says here’s a couple examples of what she got … a lovely silky jackard cotton-lined fabric to make jewellery rolls for travelling, $1.69/metre. Beautifully colored cotton nursery prints to make baby quilts, vibrant colors with teddy bears, $3.99/metre. White and ecru cotton eyelet $2.10 - $2.90/metre.

 

The Mazatlan store was a bit cheaper than the PV store, but both were excellent. They are both large chain stores, over 50 branches around Mexico listed on the back of the bill. The one in Maz is called Modatelas, and is right beside the Mercado Central Market in Old Town, a $5 cab from the port. It’s at the corner of Benito Juarez and Leandro Valle, on the northwest corner of the Market. Another ship port with a branch is Acapulco. Here’s the link to a pretty good Old Town Maz map: http://www.pacificpearl.com/Images/map3.jpg

 

The store in PV is called Parisina, with branches in Acapulco and Cancun. We can’t remember exactly where it is, no address on the order form, but it’s on the local shopping streets behind Ordaz, the ocean drive. It’s either on Morelos or Juarez, between Domininguez and Zaragoza, most likely in the area between Aldama and Iturbide. Shopkeepers could point it out for you. Here’s the link to a PV map:

http://www.allaboutpuertovallarta.com/images/PVdntw1.gif

 

Another nice thing about these local stores over the tourist shops, you get the correct exchange rate of about 11 pesos to the US $, instead of the 10 to 1 that most cabbies and souvenir shops give you. You always get your change in pesos, so if you have close to the right amount in dollars you won’t have many pesos in change to get rid of. So it’s good to have lots of 1’s and 5’s. 20’s are a nuisance, no one wants to change them.

 

Happy shopping!

-Bob (El Fabrico Head Honcho)

[twocats]

We will only be in Acapulco on this trip so I will do a search and see what I can find out. Maybe Roberto from the Port Authority (Mexican Riv. thread) will have some info regarding the shop. Thanks for the info and congratulations to your wife on her purchases. Sounds wonderful!

[Cruisin Rick]

The best place to buy things is probaly at your local Sears in your hometown mall. First grade goods at resonable prices.

When the ships come into port in Mexico, the prices go up and they barter very little. I've found the the shops at the peir at PV and the larger building near the terminal building at Mazatlan has the best prices. It's also the last shop out of town sotospeak so they are more willing to haggle, A 50% drop on price right off the top isnot unsusall. I bought my son a Rolex watch for $20. It wouldn't hold up to day to day wear but it is an intrigal part to the family dating system handed down over the years. :D

 

Crusing Rick

[cruisecrasy]

Really looking forward to 'hitting' those shops - thanks to Wendy for finding them & 'Bob7' for the great directions and explanation...plus the chuckle!!! 'Rick' - u are a real 'giggle'..plse keep it up 'fellas' - we all can use good directions & a few laughs..!!

[Bob7]

(snip)I bought my son a Rolex watch for $20. It wouldn't hold up to day to day wear but it is an intrigal part to the family dating system handed down over the years. :D

Crusing Rick

 

Hey Rick we saw those "Rolex's" everywhere too, the black face one starting at $35 and the blue face one starting at $85, both even uglier than the real thing, which is plenty ugly to begin with. They might have even spelled Rolex wrong. Probably need to reset the time every day or so. And hey, family heirlooms, what a touching idea!

[Cruisin Rick]

I agree, most of them are hidious but if you search around you will find some not so cheaply guady and a more simpler grace to them. You got to search though, And bargain, I wouldn't pay more that twenty bucks for one of those peices. Stay away frim the automatics, the battery ones will hold up better. But again, these are not everday watches.

think of them as only a novelty and give it in the same maner and nobody will be disapointed.

As far as silver, bring a small magnet. A magnet will not grab onto silver. I'm sure there's better ways, but that's always worked for me. Personally, we got some very nice souveniers onboard ship. and as far as silver, the kiosks in the locall malls are priced pretty well. It 's just tuff to go down there and not bring back a few items for your loved ones.

 

Rick

[Cruisin Rick]

One more thing worth mentioning is that we were impressed at the prices on board Ship. We bought a beautiful brass statue of a dolphin with a turtle, manta ray and a few other creatures attached to it. It'a 12 inches high and sits on a marble stand. A very respectable souvenier for the ships price of $99.00.

They also had some nice crystall pieces and many other things you could place proudly in your home or give as gifts. I'm totally turned off by the Mexican crud they push off in town to us turista's. Besides, how many velvet Elvis paintings can a person have?

 

Cruisin Rick

[JohnQ]

We were also told by locals that the shops near the dock in Mazatlan and Cabo are as good for the average souvineer stuff as those downtown. We found several silver bracelets and pottery, if you take your time and check prices and quality. We don't buy expensive jewelry in any tourist area.

[jezzdogg]

When we were in PV on vacation (not a cruise) found great buys on pewter wear. Bought a bowl with, large sppin anad fork for around 25 dollars..Same design as the Lennox piece at a fraction of the price. Also if you walk down from town to the Flea market the price of the sliver drops and did not have any problems with it being real

[randyat1001]

dancinboots,

In PV I found an awesome pair of ostrich skin cowboy boots at a department store for $80. Very well made and comfortable. Went to a leather shop in old PV and was quoted $300 for the exact same boots.

Randy