The weekly mercadillos are one of the most enjoyable — and cheapest — things to do in the Canary Islands. Every island has its street markets, held on set days in the same towns, mixing local produce, cheese and honey with crafts, clothes, jewellery and, yes, a fair bit of souvenir tat. The best of them are proper occasions: a morning of wandering, haggling, snacking and people-watching that gives you a real taste of island life away from the resort. Here are the ones worth planning your week around, when they run and what to buy.
Go early: markets here run mornings into early afternoon and are busiest (and hottest) by midday. Arrive by 10–11am for the best choice, bring cash and small change, a bag, sun cream and a hat — and be ready to haggle politely on crafts and clothes, though not usually on food. Days can shift around public holidays, so double-check locally.
The best markets, island by island
Teguise Sunday market — Lanzarote
The biggest and most famous market in the whole archipelago fills the beautiful old former capital of Teguise every Sunday morning. Hundreds of stalls spread across the historic streets and squares selling crafts, leather, jewellery, clothes, aloe products and local food, often with live music and folk dancing. It's touristy and crowded, but genuinely atmospheric — the one market most visitors to Lanzarote make a point of seeing.
Puerto de Mogán Friday market — Gran Canaria
Held every Friday in the pretty canal-and-marina village of Puerto de Mogán (the "little Venice" of Gran Canaria), this is one of the south's most popular markets — stalls of crafts, clothes, jewellery and produce winding through a genuinely photogenic harbour setting. Combine it with lunch at the marina and a swim.
Arguineguín Tuesday market — Gran Canaria
The Tuesday-morning market in the working fishing town of Arguineguín is a big, sprawling favourite with visitors staying along the south coast — clothes, leather, souvenirs, fruit and veg and plenty of bargaining. Cheerful, busy and easy to reach from the nearby resorts.
Santa Cruz and the city markets — Tenerife & Gran Canaria
For food rather than souvenirs, the covered municipal markets of the capitals are wonderful. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África is a handsome daily food market of fish, cheese, fruit, flowers and spices. In Las Palmas, the historic Mercado de Vegueta in the old town does the same — this is where locals actually shop, and where the island's produce is at its best.
| Market | Where | Day | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teguise market | Teguise, Lanzarote | Sunday | Crafts, atmosphere, the big one |
| Puerto de Mogán | Gran Canaria | Friday | Crafts in a marina setting |
| Arguineguín | Gran Canaria | Tuesday | Clothes, souvenirs, produce |
| Mercado de África | Santa Cruz, Tenerife | Daily (esp. weekend) | Fish, cheese, fresh food |
| Mercado de Vegueta | Las Palmas, GC | Daily | Local produce, city food market |
What to buy — and what to skip
The genuine local buys are edible or made by hand: island cheeses, honey and palm honey, mojo sauces and gofio, fresh fruit, aloe vera creams, local wine and rum, and real handicraft — pottery, embroidery, basketwork and the timple. These taste and feel of the islands and make far better presents than the mass-produced "I ❤ Tenerife" souvenirs that fill half the stalls. For the food angle, our Canarian food guide explains what's what.
A word on "handmade": not everything labelled artisan is. Identical "traditional" trinkets on every stall were shipped in by the box. Look for a maker present at the stall, uneven hand-finished detail and a local origin, and be happy to pay a little more for the real thing. For food, buy from producers selling their own cheese, honey or wine.
Smaller markets worth a look
Beyond the headliners, most towns have their own weekly or weekend mercadillo — farmers' markets selling the island's own produce, craft fairs in the resorts, and Sunday markets in villages across every island. Ask at your hotel what's on locally during your stay; the small ones are often the most authentic. For more on the low-tax shopping picture generally, see our Canary Islands shopping guide, and for handmade souvenirs specifically, the Canarian crafts guide.
A morning at a good mercadillo — cheese and honey in your bag, a coffee in hand, folk music somewhere behind you — is one of the simplest pleasures the islands offer. Build one into your week and browse more things to do around it.