Shopping in Yucatan

Ki'Xocolatil Mexican Belgian Chocolates

2010-12-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

Expat's and locals shop at the little factory shop in Pensions or the boutique in Montecristo because that is where you'll find a selection of bon-bons that make your head swim. In the downtown location they only sell a small selection of chocolate bars and tablets. Drop in for a hot or cold chocolate drink or dessert with coffee. But it's worth seeking out the wider selection at Rosas y Xocolate hotel or the full range at the other two Ki'Xocolatil locations.

"In the Mayan and the Nahuatl languages, the word Ki-xocolatl means: delectable chocolate. This name was chosen in honor of the two great pre-Hispanic cultures that dominated the cultivation of cocoa plants, and passed it on to modern man. The Olmecs as well as the Mayas were the first to cultivate cocoa, which was used to prepare a drink offered in their religious ceremonies. Cocoa beans were later used as a monetary medium of exchange in commercial dealings. Later, the Aztecs mixed cocoa with spices to convert it into a drink for Gods and Kings."

In less than a month the Chocolate Museum will open in the Ruta Puuc between Labnah and Xlapac. Of course the owner's of Ki'Xocolatil Matheu & Stephanie Brees are behind the plantation and museum.

Pensiones: Calle 5-D #313 x 38 y 38-A
Centro: Calle 55 No. 513 x 60 y 62
Montecristo: Calle 49 x 32  #215, Local 17,  Colonia San Antonio Cucul
Hotel Rosas & Xocolate: Paseo de Montejo x Calle 41

Casa Montejo

2010-12-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

Haciendas Mundo Maya has a new shop in the recently restored Casa Montejo on the Gran Plaza in Merida. In addition to crafts from the Yucatan they have items from many of the other states of Mexico. A nice selection of books on Mexican crafts as well.

Coqui Coqui Perfumes in Merida

2010-12-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

The new Coqui Coqui boutique has opened in Merida with a selection of perfumes and candles and soon the boutique will include the collection of accessories Hacienda Montecristo which is sold at Barney's in New York. The spa will open in 2011.
Legend says, that during the colonization of the new world, the Franciscan monks, while entrusted by the Queen of Spain, picked flowers, woods and exotic herbs together within the Mayan natives in the remote land of the Yucatán Peninsula.
So many species were found, that the monks, little by little, began to create a large botanical catalog, giving rise to the most original eau de cologne, emulsions and lotion formulas, as well as introducing perfumes mixed with essential oils, using native flora from the Yucatán Peninsula.

Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award for Artisan Revival

2010-12-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Travel+Leisure
Artisan Revival: The Haciendas, Yucatán, Mexico
When development company Grupo Plan began a painstaking restoration of colonial estates that once anchored the Yucatán’s sisal industry, it had little idea that its five beautiful hotels (from the jungle-shaded Hacienda San José to the stately and manicured Hacienda Temozon) would end up revitalizing entire areas of rural Mexico. The properties inspired a wave of community-focused tourism. Today, folk art collectives sell handicrafts both to the hotels and directly to the wave of visitors they are now attracting. Meanwhile, a cultural center and hotel-sponsored initiatives promoting health and literacy are allowing these once-depressed communities to take a larger role in determining their own future.

Take the Trip: Each of the Haciendas has an on-site boutique selling local handmade goods such as carved horn necklaces and Mayan cotton hammocks.

Let there be Lighting

2010-05-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

After working on several large design projects in Merida and not being able to find nice lighting fixtures or furnishings we decided to something I swore never to do again. We opened a store. A little store by appointment only. A couple of years ago we closed that venue but we still have a few lanterns in storage or we can special order them. One can see a selection of the lanterns and lamps here . Email us for a price list.

Artesanaria Santa Lucia

2009-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

On the corner of Calle 60 and Calle 55 there is a new shop that has many of the best crafts from Mexico and the Yucatan. They have a small selection of things that you can also find in the Grupo Plan stores around the Yucatan and in the Montejo House on the main square. They also have some things you'd find at the Fonart store at San Angel Hotel on the remate de Montejo. They have a nice selection of the lamps that are designed by Marieke Baumgarten for Manos Mayas. I have found many nice gifts for the home and jewelry there in the past couple of months.

It's 1/2 a block from the Cafe Ki'Xocolatl which has desserts and coffee but the emphasis is on the Chocolates made by master chocolatiers Stéphanie Verbrugge and Mathieu Brees from Belguim. They also have some nice gifts.

Artesanaria
Calle 60 x 55

Hennequen Handbags & Boxes

2007-12-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

Louise Vogel is a national treasure. You can see her handbags and baskets in the Santa Lucia market square on sundays or you can get in touch with her and visit her workshop. Here you can learn a thing or two about Hennequen and weaving.

Hammocks

2007-12-08T17:10:00.001-08:00

They are the bane of my existance those hammock hawkers and snake oil salesmen who hang downtown around the main square. So my advice is take a page from Nancy Reagan and JUST SAY NO! Well if you cannot just say no then, say "Yo Tango" which means I have one and keep walking. Walk or Drive over to Hamacas El Aguacate a family workshop with a large selection of very good hammocks of various qualities and colors. The prices are posted and they are fair and correct. There are alot of tricky dealers around in the historic center and recently they talked our guests, Mo and Katinka, into buying a $20 usd hammock for $160 usd with some story about hennequen and vestal virgins or some such. There are hammocks made of hennequen and some made of the plant "lengua de vaca" (sanseviera). If you want one of these go see Louisa Vogel on Sunday's in the Santa Lucia Park (she speaks english, spanish, french) or go to Casa de las Artesanias on calle 63 between 64 and 66. But if you want a cotton or nylon hammock go to Aguacate Calle 58 at 73. you don't need to spend more than 20 to 50 dollars for a hammock unless you know what you are doing. Hammocks come in 4 sizes sencilla (single), doble (double), matrimonial (queen size), matrimonial especial (king size). How to buy a hammock... First of all, never buy a packed hammock without checking it. They are handmade and the craftsmanship can vary in quality. Besides, you want to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. To judge the quality, hold the hammock out by its loops and run your hand over the weave, pushing down slightly. The weave should then close under your hand in a firm fashion. If it's flimsy and your fingers slip between the threads too easily, the work isn't up to standard. The end strings can also be counted to judge the quality; a good size hammock should have at least 200 pairs of end strings. The end hanging-loop should be thick and firm, not thin and be thick and firm, not thin and bendy.

The nicest hammocks I know of come from the prison on the libre road between Valladolid and Chichen Itza! Tixcocob is the town where a lot of hammocks are made but once again you'll have to haggle.

Hennequen & Haciendas

2007-12-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

Fundacion Haciendas en el Mundo Maya is a project sponsoring the making of crafts in the Yucatan. There is a new shop in the Casa de Montejo on the Main Square or Zocalo and another shop at the Hacienda Ochil. They sell some of the very best & most expensive products made by these crafts people. You can also see these products and many of the tallers (work shops) if you visit the haciendas and hacienda towns like Temozon and Ochil.

From the Zocalo walk over to the Casa des Artesanias on calle 63 no. 503 x 66 y 64 and compare the quality and the prices. You will have seen some of the best and most expensive items compared to the very good but very basic items available in Yucatan. This will educate you and give you a price structure for the rest of your shopping whether it been in the market stalls or in tourist and craft shops around Merida.

You'll find less crafts and less variety in the Yucatan than you'll find elsewhere in Mexico. But there are excellent Panama hats made in the caves around Campeche and there are great hammocks made in towns like Tixcopo. Embroidery is done in Teabo.
Our friend Louisa makes the best hennequen bags and boxes we have found and she is usually in the market of Santa Lucia on Sundays if you go early.

Yucatan Living's Shopping List

2007-12-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

A list of 10 places to shop in Merida from the Yucatan Living bloggers. Thier words not mine...

1. Miniaturas Folk Art
On Calle 59 between Calle 60 and 62 is the Miniatures shop. If it's closed, you won't be able to find it, but if it's open, you'll enjoy the little shop full of little things. This shop has everything from calavera (skeleton) necklaces to masks to movie posters and tree of life candlesticks. Also a good place to find a Mexican-themed greeting card. Their hours? 10 am to 8 pm, mas o menos :-). We were recently there at noon, and they weren't open yet. Like they say, mas o menos.

2. Casa de las Artesanias
Don't be fooled by the many places also named similarly... this is the real one underwritten by the State. Located on Calle 63 next door to the Monastery (Casa de las Monjas) between Calle 64 and 66. Artesans from around the state contribute their goods here. They have products from henequen, jewelry, guayaberas and huipiles, honey, carved stone gifts, etc. A little bit of everything.

5. Amate Bookstore
s now opened in Merida! Located on Calle 60 at Calle 51, Amate Books has english-language books on anything relating to Latin America: history, art, interior design, biographies, novels, etc. They also sell masks and other handmade gift items. Air-conditioned and very conveniently located.

6. Fonart at the Hotel San Angel

High-end Mexican artesanias products can be found at Calle 49 and Paseo Montejo in the hotel lobby. Fonart is a chain of government-sponsored stores that cull the best artesanias' products from around Mexico. Here you'll find beautiful carvings, silver, pottery, textiles and other high quality items, all made in Mexico. A great store to visit even if you don't buy anything.

El Mercado the land of 1000 tomatoes

2007-12-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

At the center of the center is the old market which is next to the new market. Upstairs you'll find bad crafts that are as likely made in China as Mexico. Downstairs you'll find row after row of the same thing in the veggie and fruit area. And you won't have the heart of the stomach to do anything but dash through the meat section. But you'll find wonderful spices and candles and copal. You'll find a photo op around every corner. Here you'll see fruits you've never seen before and vegetables you never want to see again. I find myself at the market when I need termite and ant poison. I also go there to buy the flowers that lovely ladies from the villages grow in their gardens. There are a zillion taco stands, most of them good. It's a wonderful place to be if you have no where to be.

The Flea Market in Santa Lucia

2007-12-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

While walking around town with "los padres de Josue" Sunday I discoved two things. Almost everything I wanted to see in a shop or museum was closed. So go out early on Sunday or f'get about it. Sadly for you and me the flea market on Sundays in Santa Lucia is just about shopped out. None of the regular guys go there any more. Or at least not often. They have too many clients with all the new residents in town to sell trinkets in the park. Fortunately Ana Sabrina is still serving tacos though. Louisa was not there selling her hennequen bags, boxes and placemats but she usually is. Codice, my favorite craft store, was gone and replaced by another shop selling soap and gauzy dresses for fat old hippies. Well I'm pretty fat and pretty old and I'm a hippie too I guess but I don't need any diaphonous clothing thank you very much. We did see some nice tie-dyed dresses in the zocalo but it seems like there's nothing much to buy unless you want some soggy french fries and a T-shirt. Also the information center in the corner of Olimpio is gone too. What's a tourist to do???