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Best Place to Buy Christmas Gifts: The La Peñita Tianguis*

Located on Jaltemba Bay just north of Puerto Vallarta, La Peñita is great place to visit while visiting Riviera Nayarit. This quiet town comes alive on Thursday mornings during the open air flea markets known as the tianguis.

Most Mexican towns have a weekly flea market but La Peñita’s really stands out from the other tianguis in the area with a dedicated area for local artisans in the center of the square. While most tianguis offer the standard wares such as fresh fruit, shrimp, household items and clothing, the artisans at La Peñita offer something much more making it a great place not only to shop but to bring guests if you are in town for an extended time.

In addition to the local artists such as the Huitchol Indians, known for their amazing and colorful bead work, you can also find artists from cities like Oaxaca offering items normally only found in their locales. There are usually drummers and other musicians playing to add to the festive atmosphere.

Some of the “don’t miss” treasures are:

Jewelry: Most of the jewelry is handmade by the artists who are selling it. You can even watch them make pieces while they tend to their stands. You can find Taxco silver, handmade leather bracelets, beaded Huitchol earrings and brightly colored wooden bangles.

Wood Crafts: Two of the most impressive wood crafts are the ironwood sculptures and the brightly colored, painted wooden bowls. The ironwood, which comes from the deserts of Sonora, is carved into beautiful statues, most often depicting animals. The statues are on average 5-6 inches long although much larger pieces can be found. The wood is sanded to a smooth, rich polish and makes a beautiful addition to any décor.

The hand-painted wooden bowls are vibrant in color with traditional Mexican designs. They come in a variety of sizes, the largest being perfect for making salads or mixing dough.

Wool Rugs: You can find a stunning array of beautifully hand-woven Zapotec wool rugs. The Zapotec Indians originate from an area near Oaxaca and their weaving is world-renowned for the vibrant colors, natural materials and symbolic patterns that reflect their unique culture.

The process of weaving one of these rugs is very time consuming with large, complicated rugs taking up to eight months to make. Zapotec rugs are highly collectible and should be prized for their quality and beauty.

Of course, there are many other types of arts and crafts available at the tianguis, such as hand-woven reed baskets, beaded and velvet purses, straw bags, wooden masks and embroidered clothing. With all of the variety in La Peñita, there is no reason to settle for a generic Christmas gift.

If arts and crafts aren’t quite what you are looking for, you will find many other Mexico specific items to take home and share. Lime squeezers, tortilla presses, vanilla, organic Nayarit coffee and wooden molinillos, or Mexican hot chocolate whisk, all make great gifts.

*Tianguises are what guidebooks sometime refer to as “authentic weekly Indian markets.” The word tianguis is mostly used in the central Mexican highlands.