Many of the great markets in Spain have become a gastronomic meeting point, full of restaurants and bars in which to try out dishes and recipes. However, we have selected some of the best markets in Spain where you can still go and do something as simple as shopping and taking it home with you.
If you are passing through one of these cities, visiting many of these markets in Spain is well worth it just to enjoy the smells and colour of the local goods. The markets are great examples of the architecture of yesteryear, as they have lasted all this time. They are the living proof that great things are maintained. Take note of the best ones to take a walk through.
Mercado de La Paz, Madrid
The Mercado de La Paz, in Madrid, is located in one of the best known and most luxurious districts of the capital: the barrio de Salamanca. This market offers its customers quality food with a friendly service. Opened in 1882, it is one of the oldest markets you will find in Madrid. Here you can discover a great selection of fresh products, as well as some gourmet delicacies. If you like the markets in Spain, you will love this one.
Mercado de Abastos in Santiago de Compostela
The Mercado de Abastos in Santiago de Compostela is the second most visited place in the Galician city after the Cathedral. A great space worth visiting and where you will find seafood, fish and vegetables from Galicia. Every day hundreds of tourists and locals come to admire and buy local products.
The market has some restaurants such as Marisco Manía, the market bar, where you can cook whatever you have bought in the market at that very moment. It also has a machine that distributes fresh milk of the day. You can bring your bottle and refill it or buy it from the machine. A market with a lot of history but very current.
Mercado de La Ribera, Bilbao
The Mercado de La Ribera is located in the heart of Bilbao‘s Old Town. Its 10,000 square meters make it the largest covered market in Europe. Here you can find food and products for all tastes. The fish stalls with excellent seafood are located on the ground floor; on the first floor, the butcher’s, sausage and delicatessen shops; and on the second floor, you will find the vegetables and fruits. The market has an online shopping service that offers customers the possibility of buying the most natural of the farmhouses. All this makes it one of the best markets in Spain.
Mercado Central in Zaragoza
At the Mercado Central in Zaragoza you can buy a wide variety of products thanks to its more than 70 stalls. You can buy and marvel at pieces of cod, frozen food stalls, butchers, delicatessens, pickles, poultry, fruit and vegetables… And with other products such as nuts, menuceles (mincemeat), bakeries… It is popularly known as Mercado de Lanuza.
La Boquería in Barcelona is one of the most famous food markets and a must if you are in Catalonia. Its origin can be found in the travelling markets that were organized in the old part of the city. The attentive sellers offer their raw materials with authentic detail. In their stalls you will not only find the most traditional and typical foods of the area, but also olives and preserves, salt fish, vegetables…
Mercado Central in Valencia
Valencia’s Mercado Central is one of the most beautiful in Spain and is located in the city centre. A market with a glass roof that holds over 1,000 stalls. The locals and tourists come to buy and have a look at all the food: live eels, vegetables from the Valencian garden, salted fish…
The Mercado Central in Cádiz has more than 150 stalls. The many stalls where you can buy fish and seafood make it a perfect sample of fresh products from the Bay of Cadiz. For example, you can buy coquinas, cañaillas, shrimps, galeras, acedias… This historic market in Plaza de la Libertad was opened in 1838. It offers customers seasonal products, bread and pastries and fish and seafood, among others. No doubt you should add it to your list of markets in Spain to visit at least once.
