This used to be the People's Market. It opened in 1904 after the Cabo Machichaco boat incident made people think about gathering places away from the marina and the water. The design was focused on iron and glass. There are two stories that can only be accessed from the outside separately. Downstairs is for fish and the upstairs is for meats and sundries. Today there area a few cafes and eateries on the upper level for those wanting to take a break from their market shopping Depending on the day of the week, the outside area of the market could host a vegetable farmer's market or a flea market. read more

See all

This definitely is the place to be for all of your fish & seafood needs or if you would like to see the daily (food) shopping life of Santanderinos. Since this is off the beaten path, in terms of tourists, you will really get a vibe of the "real" Santander. For the fish/seafood portion of the mercado, you pretty much will have so MANY variety of items. I was shocked by the amount of vendors set up in this market. The best part: while there were plenty of vendors, the market did not smell extremely fishy, which means the fish & seafood were pretty fresh. read more

See all

Wow what a great spot, this is actually pretty far out of the way in Santander, but if you follow the mapping stuff, you will end up on the hill that rises just above Santander. This is a local, local area where you will not see many tourists, but that is part of the charm. The market is in an older building, but there is a large municipal parking lot right next to it which makes it very convenient. This is a historic spot and there are rows and rows of stalls that are great. The meat and fish are on one floor and the produce on the next. This is a great place to wander around and get some really fresh produce. Also outside there is a clothing market as well, but we didn't visit that. Overall if you are in this part of town, this is a good spot to get good produce and tour the area where the "real" residents shop. read more

See all

Was in town for a few days, so what better thing to do than hang out at the mercado, right? Bought incredibly fresh produce and topped it off with a vermut on the second floor. Incredibly charming, right in heart of the city, and wonderful place to escape the rain. I adore! read more