I love the Mercado Artesanal La Merced so much that I once tried to become one of the vendors myself, hoping to sell my own handmade crochet plushies and blankets. Turns out that’s harder than it sounds, and the waiting list is long.
It sets up on the first Sunday of every month in Plaza de la Merced, the square where Picasso was born and grew up, his childhood home still standing on the northeast corner as the Fundación Picasso Museo Casa Natal, artisan stalls filling the space in front of it, a street musician or two playing somewhere in between.
My one honest caveat: it gets properly crowded from midday, so go early if you’d rather browse than queue. And this isn’t Atarazanas or the other food halls, don’t come expecting fish on ice or fruit stacked in crates, this is handmade goods only, free to enter, 11am to 7pm.
Here’s everything worth knowing before you go.
When Is the Mercado Artesanal La Merced?
The Mercado Artesanal La Merced sets up on the first Sunday of every month, from 11am to 7pm, and it runs year round. A few things are worth knowing before you plan around it: get there before midday for the best selection and time to actually enjoy the browsing, expect summer to bring bigger crowds and sometimes a few extra stalls, and don’t be surprised if winter vendors pack up a little early when the weather turns.
By early afternoon the square fills up, especially in spring and summer, when tourists mix in with locals out for their Sunday paseo. In my experience it’s generally crowded, everyone browsing shoulder to shoulder rather than actually buying much.
If you want room to look properly, go early. If you’re happy to just soak up the buzz, show up whenever.
⭐ Don’t miss >> Where to stay in Malaga, my hotel picks
What Can You Buy
Honestly, the first time I wandered through, I didn’t expect to be this impressed. Every stall really is unlike anything you’d pick up in a normal shop, and that’s not me being generous.
I know exactly why the quality holds up so well, because I tried to get in on it. When I asked about renting a stall to sell my own crochet plushies and blankets, I was told the list runs long, they cap it at 50 vendors and don’t make exceptions (it’s organised by CATs Markets alongside Malaga City Council, with most sellers being local artisans making their own work). When that many people are fighting for so few spots, only the strongest work makes it through.
Jewellery is the category to watch. Silver, beaded, and leather pieces from independent designers, many of whom only sell here and online, so you won’t spot the same bracelet twice. Prices run from just a few euros for something simple up to €40-50 for the more detailed, genuinely beautiful pieces.
Ceramics come a close second: hand-painted tiles, small bowls, mugs, genuinely gorgeous decorative pieces, mostly made in workshops around Malaga province. A few vendors do live demonstrations, so you can watch something take shape before deciding whether to buy it.
Then there’s the leather, wallets, belts, bags, journal covers, often stamped or hand-stitched, and properly nice quality, a clear step up from what you’ll find at the Friday street markets along the coast.
Beyond that, look out for original art prints, illustrations, handmade soaps, candles, textiles, and the odd stack of vintage books. The lineup shifts month to month as vendors rotate through, so what you see one Sunday won’t necessarily be there the next.
Where Is the Market
Head for Plaza de la Merced and you’re already right in the thick of Malaga’s old town, just five minutes on foot from the Picasso Museum and the Roman Theatre. The market stalls ring the central obelisk, the monument to General Torrijos, so once you’re on the square there’s no way to miss them. It’s pedestrianised and flat from edge to edge, easy going whether you’re pushing a buggy, wheeling a suitcase, or just don’t fancy dodging traffic while you browse.
Driving in? Park underground at Plaza de la Marina, about a ten-minute walk south (our guide to parking in Malaga has the full rundown). Buses 1, 3, 11 and 36 are supposed to stop within a few minutes’ walk too, though it’s worth double-checking against Malaga’s public transport guide before you set off. Either way, you’re never more than a short stroll from the stalls.
Looking for a place to stay near Plaza de la Merced? Here are a few of my favourite picks right around the square:
⭐ Steps from the square >> Hotel Bro, adults-only with a rooftop pool
⭐ A short walk away >> Palacete de Alamos, a restored mansion with original features
⭐ In the old town >> Palacio Solecio, a restored 18th-century palace
Is It Worth the Trip?
Yes, but don’t make it the whole day. The market runs 11am to 7pm, plenty of hours, but you’ll walk every stall in under an hour, and then what?
Pair it with a castle or a museum nearby and suddenly you’ve got a properly good day out instead of a quick browse.
Treat it as a starter, not the main course.
What Else to Do on Market Day
Start with coffee before you browse. The square itself is ringed with terrace cafés, plenty of them doing a proper breakfast menu, so grab a table and watch the market come alive before you get stuck into the stalls.
Time it right and you can turn the morning into a proper day out. If it’s a Sunday, the Picasso Museum is free for its last two opening hours, and the Carmen Thyssen Museum and Centre Pompidou are both free from 4pm until closing. Worth building the rest of the day around (our guide to Malaga’s museums breaks down which ones to prioritize).
After that, walk it off. The Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle are about a 15-minute walk south of the plaza, and the climb is one of the best payoffs in the city (see our guide to the best viewpoints in Malaga for why). Do the market first, though. Your legs will thank you later.
Don’t Confuse It With the Mercado de la Merced
Confusingly, there’s a second market with almost the same name, and it’s not the same thing. The Mercado de la Merced is an indoor food market just off the square on Calle la Merced, open Monday to Saturday for fresh produce and tapas, nothing to do with the monthly artisan stalls.
Plaza de la Merced also fills up with evening markets, craft fairs, and seasonal events now and then, especially the lovely one around Christmas and during the Feria de Malaga (our guide to what’s on in Malaga in August covers that one).
On top of that, the artisan market itself answers to a handful of names depending where you read about it, CATs Markets, Plaza de la Merced Market, LaMerced&Co, Merced Street Market. Same market, different label each time.
If a date matters to your plans, check the Ayuntamiento de Málaga website, or my full write-up on Spanish Local Markets, before you commit to anything, these things move around more than you’d think.
