Mercado Las Mercedes, San Miguel Teotongo

The Mercado Las Mercedes is one of the traditional markets of San Miguel Teotongo, in Iztapalapa.

This one is so traditional, in fact, that one can see the origins of all markets in Mexico City as street markets. Merchants later consolidated themselves into semi-permanent stalls. These sometimes have named or numbered aisles. Eventually, we call it a public market when they draw a great common roof over top of everyone. Las Mercedes has only a few shared roofs rather than one in common. That makes it a little harder to spot when passing over on Line 2 of the Cablebús. It’s a great market nevertheless.

Just a few minutes walk south from the Utopia Teotongo, it’s a great place for lunch. It’s also a great introduction to San Miguel Teotongo. The neighborhood extends southward from here. It climbs the slopes of the Tetlalmanche Volcano to the Cablebús station. But just around the corner from the station is a wonderful community museum. It’s dedicated to antiquities uncovered by residents all over the neighborhood. And views out the back of the museum are spectacular too.

The market has an entrance on Popocatépetl, just seconds from the Utopia’s south entrance. The main entrance though (shown above) is on Lázaro Cárdenas around the corner. As it’s Iztapalapa, the street art is ubiquitous and not to be missed. 

Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.