Mercado Sonora

Great market with lots of goods, as well as animals to purchase as pets. It was quite large, with many stalls, and was pretty crowded when we went. Though it was near día de muertos and many were there to purchase costumes and traditional items for their alters.

It’s really busy! But found a good amount of incense for a really affordable price among other things

It’s pretty cool. Except nothing in the world could have prepared me for the smell in the animal area. I almost vomited. As in, I had to run from that part gagging, as people were trying to talk to me. 🤢 It’s a dense and complicated olfactory experience of diluted bleach, lots of excrement, bird smell, pet food, death and hay. I have a breathing technique that stops me from smelling things, and it didn’t work here. Cute puppies though. Saw a lot of normal stuff. Saw some wild stuff. The witchcraft area is totally fine. Didn’t speak to them but they all seemed friendly or disinterested in tourists. No hostility or scary vibes 💚. Scariest thing there was a man who followed me for 5 minutes but the market was so hectic and dense it was easy enough to loose him.

It is an interesting experience with a mixed of everything I went there with a guide so it is good to understand the black magic area more Like why they are worshipping the drug dealer and the skeleton and the satan The animal section is where we were warned many times not to take photos I could understand why they are all pathetic and I saw a few dead chicken and pigeons in the cages I simply couldn’t stay there longer Despite of that I still think this Mercado is special

Not a good place for tourists on their own. If you go, go with a guide. As two white women it was very clear we were the odd ones out and when we tried to book an uber back to our hotel there was no one accepting our request for a pickup and we figured out the metro was next best option. Felt very intimidated by men with long stares and close following. All ok on the end but I would not go again knowing what I know now.

This market is special, and it's kind of a mix of everything especially the witch things make it unique.

Large market that sells everything and the prices are very good. Easy to get to by metro. There are many different sections, witchcraft, religious, toys, home decor, souvenirs, and so much more. Trigger warning - There is also an area inside selling a variety of live animals. They are kept in small cages, and there is a strong smell. Most of the market is indoors with more stalls outside. There are many entrances to the front and back. There are many places to eat whether you want something sweet or savoury. I've been to this market many times as I always find what I need and at a good price.

If you want the real Mexican experience in markets you must come here where you'll find a whole range of cool stuff such as decorations for the holidays at such good prices. Here is even cheaper than in Mercado de artesanías near insurgentes sur and Mercado de la Ciudadela (Halloween, Day of the dead, Christmas, independence day, etc). There is a whole range of traditional objects trinkets and decorations, and since the area has become more Touristy you'll be fine but always be careful of pick pockets.

Mercado Sonora is not for the faint of heart, its tight hallways and bustling patrons would give the best of you some heavy anxiety. (especially now 6 feet please, don't cough on me) If you don't look Spanish or have lighter skin, I would probably come here with a local. It would be very easy to get targeted in this area, try to not bring expensive cameras or shiny new objects. The people are all very welcoming but it's in a not so good area. I came here (in october 2019) with my GF who is Filipina and she got a lot of looks but people were mostly friendly and left us alone since I could be Mexican and speak fluent Spanish (we're both brown). There are some food stalls right outside the entrance of this market. I wouldn't rely too much on having a full lunch here, just grab some small bites to get you through the market (its very big) and then plan on having a proper meal later. Tip* I would ask prices before ordering, they don't list prices on most of these stalls. The inside market has stalls that not only sell fresh fruits and vegetables but traditional herbs, magical potions, and other indigenous Mexican spiritual objects. You can also find some toys and wrestling masks here, but not many. The Mercado de Sonora is located in the Colonia Merced Balbuena neighborhood of Venustiano Carranza Burrough in Mexico City. The indoor market is one of the many public markets built by the city to regulate retail commerce. The institution was officially opened in 1957.

Santaria! Need some mystical floor wash? Magical incense? Santa Muerte altars?! This is the place for all your spiritual and metaphysical needs. They've got everything you need for curses, spells, incantations, hexes and blessings. This flea market stretches far and wide, full of everything you'll ever need. One wrong turn, and you're in a separate kind of market. They not only sell religious materials, but also chickens, pigeons, doves, and other sorts of birds. Watch out! There aren't nearly enough restrooms here- and you gotta pay for the few that are in here. This place can be a bit overwhelming, with every possible inch used to sell weird and exotic stuff. The stalls are incredibly packed with goods, and all prices are negotiable. The market gets pretty crowded on Saturdays, which I hear is the best day to go.

First off, I'll say that this place is HUGE. Couple that with the fact that it's just a block or so from Le Merced, you're going to have a full day just visiting both locations. While I didn't really find anything that peaked my interest enough to buy it, a friend opted to get a "washing", which was entertaining to watch, and she then bought some items to help improve her love live and finances. We'll see if either are effective! You'll also find a section selling live animals...everything from chickens and other birds to kittens, dogs, pigs, rodents.......I didn't ask the purpose, didn't want to know. Mingled in with all the mystical items are some regular vendors selling various souvenir items, books, party supplies, toys, school supplies, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Keep in mind that these markets are not there to be tourist attractions, they're where the locals actually go to trade. So you'll see a lot of things like fresh vegetables, raw meat, herbs, cooking utensils, etc. But if you have any interest in this culture at all, it's a must see on your trip to Mexico City.

I have never been to a market like this anywhere in the world. Now, I'm a well traveled, Spanish speaking white as wonderbread American, but i'm not intimidated by new and unfamiliar places. I was able to buy Frankincense and Myrrh resins for a whopping $4 a Kilo (about a pound). I found someone who had a rare herb called Abre Camino. I bought two bags of the stuff. The prices are more than inexpensive as someone visiting with Dollars. There are tons and tons of shops that have toys, clothes, nicknacks but at least 1/4 of the place caters to Latin American folk magic, Santeria, Palo and other African Traditional Religions. You can even pick up a goat for an Orisha if one is needed. They have chickens, chicken eggs, live plants. It really is impressive...and dirty. It's sure not Whole Foods, but I had a blast. Some Caveats: Don't go on a weekend. It's VERY crowded. I went on a Thursday afternoon and there were a lot of people but not enough to make it uncomfortable. Also, going in crowded spaces full of people opens you up for getting pick-pocketed. I had my hands in my pockets the whole time with my hand on my phone/wallet. There are street vendors. While it might seem tempting, and I've eaten street meat in L.A. plenty of times, I would abstain unless it is something from a sealed soft drinks bottle or maybe something boiled like the corn they had which looked rather tasty! I hope to come back again soon.

Unbelievable! Best Flea Market I've ever been to. A must see! drink mucho aqua and stay out of the Sun.

Good prices but wouldn't recommend it if you don't speak Spanish. The area outside the market is not very safe so watch out for pickpockets!

It's not a coincidence that I got robbed the first time I visited a witchcraft market but that's not the only reason why I have mixed feelings about this place. If you are a curious person like me, you can visit but don't expect anything great,unless you are into magic potions and all that. It's an overcrowded market. The stalls are cramped full and with people and their wares. Everything from Halloween and day of the dead costumes to party favours to herbs and liquid potions and cures for all sorts of illnesses. The back part of the market is filled with animals ( dogs, goats, cats, frogs, tortoises, birds in all colours) in very unkept states ready to be sold off or ready to go with the potions and it stinks, it stinks bad! This coupled with the cramped stores and people makes it hard to walk, breathe or even see anything and that makes it easy for pick pockets to steal because you are distracted trying to concentrate on breathing! I managed to get a picture of some of the liquid potions in a side stall but it just isn't worth it if you are not going to buy anything . Oh there are tarot readers too!

This place is worth checking out for weirdness factor for sure. You can walk there from Zocalo if you're prepared to navigate what feels like The Bronx of Mexico City. If you come from that direction you'll first encounter lots of undesirable crap most likely made in China. At first you'll walk through lots of stalls with children's backpacks and little purses, giant stuffed animals and tacky cheap jewelry, and inside the first part you'll find so many costumes and little Mexican souvenirs, and possibly people walking around dressed as clowns with kittens in their pockets. I got pulled into the back because I saw a puppy, and then to my horror discovered all sorts of animals in cages. Chickens of all ages and baby rat hamsters. The real weirdness is on the other end of the market where you'll find creepy dolls with horror movie vibes and lots of witchcrafty dark arts things, as well as medicinal herbs and all kinds of spices. Be prepared for tiny little walkways between stalls and uncomfortable closeness to strangers, and aggressive vendors. Kind of feels like a bad trip now that I look back on it.

If you like the Santa Muerte then this is the place for you . If not, then this is definitely not the place for you as it was not for me. Extremely tight knit walkways with a lot of cluster and filthy . Very scary inside and looks unsafe I didn't last longer than five minutes inside so if you want to try it out by all means give her a swing and post here after