Shopping in Cabo: the marina, the markets, San José's galleries and what to bring home
Where to shop in Cabo San Lucas and San José, how to check silver, Talavera, vanilla and tequila, and what customs lets you take home.
In this guide
The best Cabo shopping is around the marina in downtown Cabo San Lucas, where the boardwalk, a mall and the craft stalls sit within a few minutes' walk of each other. For galleries and original art, go to San José del Cabo, about 20 miles up the coast. The things worth buying are sterling silver, hand-painted pottery, tequila and vanilla, and each one has a label or stamp you should check first.
Take pesos, haggle at the stalls but not in the stores, and know your customs allowance before you buy a third bottle.
Where to shop in Cabo San Lucas
The marina boardwalk
Marina Cabo San Lucas is where most visitors end up shopping, usually without planning to. The boardwalk wraps around the docks and is lined with shops, jewelry stores, pharmacies and restaurants. It's also where cruise passengers come ashore, so it's busiest on ship days. Cabo received more than a million cruise passengers in 2025.
Prices on the boardwalk are tourist prices. It's a good place for a walk and for fixed-price stores where you can pay by card. It's a poor place for bargains.
The marina mall
Puerto Paraíso is the mall on the marina, with indoor stores on several levels and a side that opens onto the docks. It's where to go for air conditioning, brand-name clothes and anything you forgot to pack.
Check that it's open before you count on a specific store. In April 2026 the municipal government suspended activity there after a water leak and other failures in the building, then began reopening it in stages on April 11, starting with the first floor. Some areas may still be on a different schedule.
The craft stalls near the docks
A short walk from the boardwalk there are market stalls that sell Mexican handicrafts: silver jewelry, textiles, straw hats, painted ceramics, leather and souvenirs. This is where bargaining is expected and where cash matters.
Two tips from people who shop there often. Prices tend to go up on days when cruise ships are in, and you'll usually bargain better late in the day.
Vendors on Médano Beach
On Médano Beach the shopping comes to you. Vendors walk the sand with hats, bracelets, sarongs and silver-colored jewelry. A polite "no, gracias" is all you need if you're not interested. If you are, haggle, and assume very cheap jewelry is not sterling silver.
Shopping in San José del Cabo: the Gallery District
San José del Cabo is the quieter of the two towns, at the other end of the 20 mile (32 km) corridor. Its Gallery District sits behind the church off Plaza Mijares, centered on Álvaro Obregón street, and it's the place for paintings, sculpture, ceramics and jewelry made by named artists.
The best night to go is Thursday. The Art Walk runs every Thursday from November to June, from 5 PM to 9 PM. It's free, the galleries stay open late, and the main streets are closed to cars. Our Art Walk guide has the details, and our list of things to do in San José del Cabo fills the rest of the day.
Prices in galleries are fixed or close to it. You aren't expected to haggle there. If you buy something large, ask the gallery about shipping before you carry it onto a plane.
What to buy in Cabo, and how to check it
| Item | What to check | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | A .925 stamp | Alpaca, an alloy with no silver |
| Talavera pottery | Signature, workshop logo, DO4 hologram | Unmarked pieces sold as originals |
| Vanilla | "Vanilla bean" in the ingredients | Tonka bean, or no ingredient list |
| Tequila | "100% de agave" on the label | Bottles that only say "Tequila" |
Silver
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, and real pieces carry a .925 stamp, often with "Mexico" or a maker's mark beside it. The cheap, shiny jewelry sold on the beach and at some stalls is usually alpaca, an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc that contains no silver at all.
A stamp can be faked, so the seller matters as much as the mark. For anything you'd be upset to find out was fake, buy from a store that gives you a receipt.
Talavera pottery
Talavera is the hand-painted, tin-glazed pottery from central Mexico. It has had a denomination of origin since 1993, which covers workshops in Puebla and, since 1997, Tlaxcala. A certified piece carries the potter's signature, the workshop's logo and a DO4 label with a holographic sticker. Only a handful of workshops are certified.
If a plate or tile has none of that, treat it as Talavera-style pottery. It can still be handmade and look great on a wall, and it should cost a lot less than a certified piece.
Vanilla
Mexican vanilla is a classic souvenir, and it's the one to read the label on. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that some products sold as vanilla in Mexico are made with tonka bean extract, which contains coumarin. Coumarin has been banned from food in the United States since 1954, and it's a particular risk for people who take blood thinners.
The FDA's advice is simple. Look for "vanilla bean" in the ingredient list. Skip the bottle if it says "tonka bean," if the list is vague, or if there's no list at all.
Tequila
Read the small print. Tequila made only from blue agave says "100% de agave" or "100% puro de agave" on the label. A bottle that just says "Tequila" is a mixto, which by Mexican rules needs only 51% of its sugars to come from agave. Every bottle also carries a four-digit NOM number that identifies the distillery.
Liquor stores and supermarkets in town sell it at marked prices, so there's nothing to haggle over.
Other things you'll see
Straw hats, embroidered textiles, leather sandals and bags, and hand-blown glass turn up at most stalls. Quality varies from stall to stall, so check the stitching and the seams before you start talking about price.
Customs limits: what you can take home
Rules change, so confirm with your own border agency before you fly. These were the published limits when we checked.
| United States | Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Duty-free goods | USD 800 per person | CAD 800 per person |
| Time abroad required | 48 hours | 48 hours |
| Alcohol in that allowance | 1 liter, age 21 and over | 1.14 L liquor, or 1.5 L wine, or 8.5 L beer |
| Shorter trips | Ask CBP | CAD 200 after 24 hours, no alcohol |
For US residents, the USD 800 exemption can be used about once a month. Family members who live together and return together can make a joint declaration and combine their exemptions. You can bring more than one liter of alcohol, but anything above the first liter is subject to duty. Declare everything you bought.
For Canadian residents, the alcohol allowance applies after 48 hours away, and you must meet the minimum age of the province where you land, which is 18 or 19.
Then there's the airline. On flights to the US, the TSA allows up to 5 liters of alcohol per passenger in checked bags when it's between 24% and 70% alcohol, in unopened retail packaging. Tequila falls in that range. Wrap the bottles well, since a broken one ruins everything else in the suitcase.
How to haggle in Cabo
Bargaining is normal at market stalls and with beach vendors. It isn't done in malls, galleries, pharmacies, supermarkets or any shop with printed price tags.
Where it is expected, a few habits make it pleasant for both sides:
- Ask the price, then offer less and settle somewhere in the middle. First prices at the stalls often drop by half.
- Decide what the thing is worth to you before you start, and stop there.
- Be friendly. A smile and a few words of Spanish go further than a hard face.
- Only bargain for things you intend to buy. Agreeing on a price and then walking away is rude.
- If you buy several items from one stall, ask for a price for the lot.
Pesos or dollars?
Pesos. Most vendors in Cabo take US dollars, but each one sets their own exchange rate, and it's rarely in your favor. Paying in pesos also makes bargaining easier, because nobody has to do math on a phone.
For reference, our site converts prices at 19 pesos per dollar. If a stall is giving you far fewer pesos per dollar than the going rate, pay in pesos or move on.
Carry cash in small bills for the stalls and the beach, since many small sellers don't take cards. Stores on the boardwalk and in the mall do.
Shopping and a boat from the same marina
Every shopping spot in Cabo San Lucas listed here is within a walk of the docks, and twelve of our thirteen yachts board at that same marina. That makes it easy to put both in one day.
Do the boat first. Mornings are usually calmer on the bay, and you don't want pottery and bottles riding around on a deck. Take a 2 hour trip to the Arch, come back to the dock, have lunch and shop in the afternoon with your hands free. If you'd rather shop first, drop your bags at the hotel and come back for a sunset departure.
Boats that fit a short morning before shopping:
- The Chaparral 28, for up to 10 guests, from USD 519 (MXN 9,799) for 2 hours.
- The Bayliner 33, for up to 8, from USD 599 (MXN 11,399) for 2 hours.
- The Sea Ray 36, for up to 12, from USD 659 (MXN 12,599) for 2 hours.
Prices are per boat for your whole group, with the 16% tax included. The customary 15% crew tip isn't included.
If you're in port for the day on a cruise, the same plan works in less time. Our cruise day page and the guide to a private boat from the Cabo cruise port show how to fit a boat and some shopping between tenders. The marina guide explains where everything is.
To set up the boat part, send your date, group size and preferred time through the planner. We reply in writing within 2 hours, between 8 AM and 8 PM Cabo time.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
Where is the best shopping in Cabo San Lucas?
Around the marina. The boardwalk, the Puerto Paraíso mall and the craft stalls near the docks are all within a walk of each other in downtown Cabo. For art and galleries, go to the Gallery District in San José del Cabo.
What should I buy in Cabo?
Sterling silver stamped .925, hand-painted pottery, tequila labeled 100% de agave and vanilla with a clear ingredient list are the usual picks. Check the stamp or the label before you pay.
How much tequila can I bring back from Cabo?
US residents 21 and older can include 1 liter of alcohol in their USD 800 duty-free exemption. Canadian residents away 48 hours or more can bring 1.14 liters of liquor within their CAD 800 exemption.
Do you haggle when shopping in Cabo?
At market stalls and with beach vendors, yes, it is expected. In malls, galleries and shops with price tags, no. Paying in pesos usually gets you a better deal than paying in dollars.
Should I pay in pesos or dollars in Cabo?
Pesos. Most vendors take US dollars, but each one sets their own exchange rate and it rarely favors you. Small stalls often don't take cards, so carry cash.
Plan your day on the water
Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Keep reading
Plan your tripCabo Marina Guide: Where Charters Board and Tenders LandWhere private charters board in Marina Cabo San Lucas, where the cruise tenders land, and how to get there on time.8 min read
Things to doCabo Art Walk: Thursdays in San José del CaboWhen the San José del Cabo Art Walk runs, where to park, how long to stay, and how to fit in a boat trip.8 min read
Plan your tripCabo Cruise Port Excursions: Private Boat to the ArchHow to fit a private boat to the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach into a Cabo cruise stop and still make all-aboard.8 min read
Things to doThings to Do Near Medano Beach Hotels in Cabo San LucasFrom a Médano Beach hotel you can walk to the sand, the marina and its restaurants. The Arch is a short boat ride away.7 min read