Guerrero is a Pacific coast state in southern Mexico best known for the resort city of Acapulco, the colonial silver town of Taxco de Alarcón, and the twin beach towns of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. The state pairs dramatic coastline and mountain scenery with a serious, well-documented security situation that shapes how and where visitors should travel.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Taxco Sterling Silver Jewelry
Price: MXN 300-8,000 per piece (approx USD 18-471), often priced by silver weight
Where: Workshops and shops around Plaza Borda, Taxco; Mercado de Plata (Tianguis de la Plata)
Amuzgo Backstrap-Loom Textiles
Price: MXN 400-2,500 per piece (approx USD 24-147)
Where: Weaving cooperatives in Xochistlahuaca, artisan stalls at Acapulco's Mercado de Artesanías
Hand-Painted Ceramics and Talavera-Style Pottery
Price: MXN 150-1,200 per piece (approx USD 9-71)
Where: Mercado de Artesanías Acapulco, artisan shops in Taxco
Hammocks and Woven Ponchos
Price: MXN 250-900 (approx USD 15-53)
Where: Mercado de Artesanías Acapulco, malecón stalls
Coconut and Tropical Fruit Preserves
Price: MXN 50-180 per package (approx USD 3-11)
Where: Mercado Municipal Acapulco, coastal roadside stands
Mezcal and Regional Liqueurs
Price: MXN 250-700 per bottle (approx USD 15-41)
Where: Specialty shops in Taxco and Acapulco's Zócalo area
Traditional Tlacololero and Diablo Dance Masks (Decorative)
Price: MXN 300-1,500 (approx USD 18-88)
Where: Artisan stalls in Chilapa and select Taxco and Acapulco craft shops
Handmade Huarache Sandals
Price: MXN 250-800 per pair (approx USD 15-47)
Where: Mercado Municipal Acapulco, market stalls in Taxco
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Mercado de Plata (Tianguis de la Plata)
A multi-story building near Plaza Borda where independent silversmiths sell rings, necklaces, and bracelets, generally at better prices than street vendors. Pieces should carry a '925' stamp confirming sterling silver, and polite bargaining is common, especially on multiple-item purchases. The Saturday tianguis (street market) draws the widest selection and is busiest early in the day.
Where: Centro, Taxco de Alarcón
Hours: Daily 10AM-7PM, Saturday tianguis draws the largest selection
Plaza Borda Silver Workshops
The streets ringing Plaza Borda, anchored by the Baroque Santa Prisca parish, hold hundreds of silver workshops and boutiques, a craft revived in Taxco during the 1930s by American designer William Spratling. Quality and pricing vary widely between shops, so comparing several before buying is standard practice, and many workshops let visitors watch silversmiths at work.
Where: Centro, Taxco de Alarcón
Hours: Daily 10AM-8PM (hours vary by shop)
Mercado Municipal de Acapulco
Acapulco's largest indoor market, built in 1969, spans roughly 650 stalls a few blocks inland from Costera Miguel Alemán. Alongside produce and household goods, small comedores serve pozole, ceviche, and other regional dishes, making the market as much a food stop as a shopping destination. Cash is the standard payment method for most stalls.
Where: Centro, Acapulco de Juárez
Hours: Daily 7AM-6PM
Mercado de Artesanías (Acapulco)
A shaded cluster of roughly 560 tile-roofed stalls just blocks from Acapulco's Zócalo, selling handcrafts sourced from across Mexico alongside Guerrero-specific items like Amuzgo textiles and Taxco-style silver. Bargaining is generally accepted, particularly on multiple purchases, and the market is a convenient single stop for souvenirs without traveling to individual artisan towns.
Where: Near the Zócalo, Centro, Acapulco de Juárez
Hours: Daily 9AM-9PM
La Isla Acapulco Shopping Village
An open-air shopping complex in the newer Diamante zone south of Acapulco Bay, anchored by national and international retail chains, a cinema, and a wide range of restaurants and bars. Prices are fixed as marked, cards are widely accepted, and the modern, air-conditioned-adjacent layout offers a contrast to the city's traditional markets.
Where: Playa Diamante, Acapulco de Juárez
Hours: Daily 11AM-10PM (restaurants and bars later)
Xochistlahuaca Amuzgo Weaving Cooperatives
Xochistlahuaca, near the Oaxaca border, is the cultural center of Guerrero's Amuzgo weaving tradition, where women produce intricate geometric textiles on backstrap looms. Buying directly from a cooperative or weaver supports artisans most directly, and pieces reflect the many hours of skilled labor involved, so prices are generally not aggressively negotiable.
Where: Xochistlahuaca, La Costa Chica region
Hours: Varies by cooperative; generally daytime hours
Acapulco Zócalo Souvenir Stalls
Informal stalls and small shops ring Acapulco's shaded central Zócalo, near the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, selling everyday beach and travel souvenirs alongside some Taxco-sourced silver. Light bargaining is generally accepted, and cash is the standard payment method for smaller stalls.
Where: Zócalo, Centro, Acapulco de Juárez
Hours: Daily 10AM-10PM
Zihuatanejo Municipal Market
Zihuatanejo's compact municipal market serves the town's fishing-village character, with fresh seafood and produce stalls alongside a handful of coastal handcraft vendors. It caters primarily to residents and small hotel and restaurant buyers rather than tourists, giving it an authentic, workaday atmosphere distinct from Ixtapa's resort shops.
Where: Centro, Zihuatanejo
Hours: Daily 7AM-6PM