Some tips on bargaining: Although haggling over prices in markets is expected and part of the fun, don't try to browbeat the vendor or bad-mouth the goods. Mexicans are almost pathologically polite, and vendors won't bargain with people they consider disrespectful unless they are desperate to make a sale. In the resort areas of Baja, unless it's an open-air market, the prices in stores are fixed, so bargaining is not an option. (Nevertheless, it never hurts to ask.) For best results, be insistent but friendly.
- Boutique Finds in San José: As San José del Cabo becomes increasingly gentrified, so does its shopping experience. In Southern Baja, the best boutiques and shops offering clothing, jewelry, and decorative items for the home are found within the lovely colonial buildings in this tree-lined town.
- Homemade Candy in San Bartolo: The unassuming stand at the curve in Hwy. 1, between La Paz and Los Cabos, is home to delectable macaroons made of cajeta (caramel made from goat's milk) and rough-hewn coconut thick and fresh from the grove in the valley below. Buy it by the truckload, if you can. Fresh fig jam and cajeta caramels are other worthy reasons to stop.
- Ibarra's Pottery, La Paz: Not only can you shop for hand-painted tiles, tableware, and decorative pottery here, but you can also watch it being made. Each piece on sale in this popular shop is individually made.
- Art in Todos Santos: Whether it's oil on canvas, pottery, or weavings, you'll find very high-quality original works of art in this cultural community. The annual Arts Festival, held every February, brings an even greater selection of works to choose from.
- Tecolote Books, Todos Santos: Baja's best English-language bookstore is a tiny storefront on Todos Santos' main drag, but it's a treasure-trove of offbeat fiction, hard-to-find Mexican esoterica, and excellent advice.
- Pasaje Rodriguez, Tijuana: This made-over tourist alley is Tijuana's newest arts district, chockablock with funky furniture, antiques, photography, and Tijuana's best outsider art. By shopping here, you're a part of Tijuana's rebirth.
- Carved Furniture in Rosarito: Rosarito Beach's Bulevar Benito Juárez has become known for its selection of shops featuring ornately carved wooden furniture. Comparing the offerings has become easy, with so many options in one central location.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
