Once a separate municipality, San Ángel—in the city’s south, nestled into its western foothills—is a leafy, genteel enclave whose relative isolation adds a soigné feel (for better or worse) you won’t find in neighboring Coyoacán. Ground zero for promenading is quaint Plaza San Jacinto, whose cute parish church (and beautiful cloister garden) is a sort of spiritual last stand amid the surrounding area’s high-toned consumerism. That said, the plaza’s true spirit comes alive Saturdays, at the so-called Bazar Sábado, an artisanal market that fills the area with stall after stall of handmade jewelry, textiles, crafts, and accessories, plus a great deal of art—some finer, some less so—in styles that go from hippie to haute. Strolling musicians and performers add to the carnival atmosphere.
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Saturdays in the Park: El Bazaar Sábado
Every Saturday, Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood bursts into colorful life with El Bazaar Sábado: an art, craft, and flower market in the Plaza de San Jacinto. Fine artists display their paintings and sculptures in the plaza proper, while indigenous people from surrounding areas demonstrate and sell traditional handicrafts around the perimeter. However, the real draw, in my view, is the flower market café inside the colonial-era hacienda on the plaza. Pass through the dim stalls of blossom sellers, spice merchants, artisan jewelers, and glassblowers to a bright, open courtyard, festooned with brilliantly imaginative floral wonders. Live music fills the air as bustling ladies in kerchiefs hand-turn fresh tortillas on blazing griddles, and gentleman in crisp vests deliver frosty margaritas to guests seated in the lacy shade of the courtyard’s trees. It is an ideal venue to relax and enjoy a traditional Mexican repast, in traditional Mexican style, and one of many reasons to be sure to dedicate at least one day to exploring Mexico City’s charming southern neighborhoods. Reachable by public transportation via Metrobus “La Bombilla,” the market is open to the public every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday Market in Mexico City
San Angel’s Bazar Sabado (Saturday market) is an ideal place to browse a wide variety of quality handicrafts from across Mexico. There are some nice churches in the area and historic buildings, as well as fantastic street food and nearby restaurants. I loved the masks, in particular. It’s a great way to spend a day!
Street Food in the DF: Chicharrón
We finally tried Chicharrones in the festive main plaza of San Ángel while attending El Bazaar Sábado, a fantastic collection of little shops and vendors selling all kinds of stuff (and very popular with tourists). We had already sampled some of the well-known quesadillas that were being made inside the Bazaar’s main plaza, but we were still hungry for some street snacks. The Chicharrón was originally pulled out of the vendor’s little glass cart in one giant, porky sheet, which was then chopped up into smaller strips and served slathered in Valentina hot sauce. I prefer my Chicharrón served dry, but it was great to order a whole slab of pork rinds and eat it out of a plastic bag on the street.
Día de los Muertos in San Ángel
An ofrenda, erected outside the Bazar del Sábado in San Ángel, a colonia in the southern part of the city. San Ángel and nearby Coyoacán were a great place to experience the holiday and provided a very welcome break from the hectic pace of the city center.
