The Mercado de Comidas Maria Esther Zuno is a celebrated lunch market with a few smaller gift shops mixed in for good measure. By and large, the market is dedicated almost entirely to feeding the masses. It has a strong following, too.
Like many of the markets at the top of the twin calzadas of Misterios and Guadalupe, this one has a long history. Some of the merchants here were plying their trade out on the crowded street only a generation ago. For that, many of the finest cooks in the city are visited here and regularly.
The market is named for the wife of former President Luis Echeverría (1970-1976). Maria Esther Zuno, though, firmly rejected the title of “First Lady,” and despite her husband’s controversial term, she remained popular with the Mexican public until her death in 1999.
That happened to be the year of a visit by Pope John Paul II. The visit was preceded by all kinds of improvements to the area of the Basilica de Guadalupe. One of them was the creation of this market.
While there are numerous markets in and around the Basilica itself, this one is among the most famous simply for eating.
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Nearest at 0.07 kms.
Nearest at 0.12 kms.
Nearest at 0.13 kms.
A planned temple and sanctuary dedicated to the first saint indigenous to the Americas . . .
A very old church calls to mind the long history of the Villa Guadalupe Hidalgo . . .
A fantastic place for lunch just outside La Villa . . .
A fine pilgrimage route makes the perfect promenade for strolling, too . . .