Shopping in Tonalá, Mexico

by Mary Jo Manzanares on July 10th, 2008

Tonalá is a city of around 350,000 located near Guadalajara, in central Mexico. The city is well known for its ceramics, glass, and other native arts and crafts, and its Thursday and Sunday open air markets.

Market days will find the neighborhoods full of good displayed on the sidewalks, and often spilling out into the streets. Ceramics, pottery, glassware, papier mâché items are all good buys.

If you practiced up on your Spanish, it will come in handy. Although many locals do speak a little English, it’s probably going to take a fair amount of Spanish, English, and some gestures, to make yourself understood. My Spanish is pretty rusty, but I gave it a good try, and really didn’t have any problems.

On market days, start your exploration from the main plaza at Juarez and Hidalgo . Pick a direction and start wandering. Many of the shops also serve as the family home, with the entire family involved in the business. After awhile a lot of the products will look the same, and there’s not a lot of variation in price. Find someone who’s a pleasure to do business with, and enjoy the transaction.

This plaza area also has lots of shops that feature more elaborate and decorative pieces, including wall hangings, furniture, and large ceramic and glass pieces. Some of these shops take credit cards and will assist in arranging for shipping.

Should I still plan a visit if it’s not a market day? Keep reading to find out!

Even if you’re not there on market day, a visit to Tonalá is enjoyable and can still yield great shopping. Visit the ceramic and glass factories to get better prices than you’ll see most anywhere else. These factories supply the shops in nearby Tlaquepaque, so you know that a trip to the source will mean better prices.

Start at the main thoroughfare of Avenida de Los Tonaltecas on the edge of the downtown area. The shops will be dusty and cluttered, the shelves rickety and crudely put together, and the products poorly displayed. But here you’ll find good bargains. Just remember, prettier displays and dusting equals higher prices! The selections will vary slightly from place to place, although pricing is reasonably consistent. The prices quoted were so incredibly fair and reasonable, that I was embarrassed to bargain. That’s just the way I am – I don’t mind paying a fair price, nor do I begrudge anyone making a living.

One of the more popular purchases in Tonalá is the recognizable clear glasses with the blue rims. While this color is the traditional one, and seen at many restaurants, bars, and upscale stores here in the United States, other colors are also becoming quite popular. You’ll also find frosted glasses, and colorfully painted and decorated ones.

This video provides a nice sample display of some of the items you’ll find in Tonalá:

Here are some prices, listed in dollars, from a recent visit. Variations will occur based on color, size, quantity purchased, and, of course, the exchange rate. These are hand blown items, and each piece in unique. Variations are to be expected. . . and enjoyed!

Glass margarita pitcher and set of six margarita glasses – around $10-12(depending on size)
Iced tea pitcher with six tumblers – around $8
Small pitchers (for cream, syrup, etc.) – around $1 (depending on size)
Large pitchers (for lemonade, sangria, etc.) - $3-6 (depending on size)
Glass hanging wall masks with candle holder – around $6
Wine glasses - $1-3 (depending on size and style)

You’re going to need to bring pesos, as most of the factories and shops do not accept credit cards or U.S. currency.

Tonalá is about 20 minutes from Guadalajara by taxi (about $13), and about 45 minutes by local bus (about $1). Taking the bus is a lot of fun, but if you’re doing a lot of shopping, it may be easier to take a taxi for the return trip when you’re toting lots of packages.

Photo credit: flickr

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