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When it comes to shopping, Mérida has something for everyone from souvenir junkies to the most discriminating of market trollers. If you're looking for a more standard shopping experience, or need to grab some new tennis shoes or a pair of jeans, there are also a few shopping malls in town.
Crafts at reasonable prices can be found in the markets, parks, and plazas, and local art can be picked up at one of the many galleries, for the art scene here is burgeoning. Be aware that there have been reports of vendors increasing the prices of their art and crafts by the hundreds, claiming that the value of their wares is far greater than it really is. Most vendors are honest, so be sure to shop around to acquaint yourself with the kinds of crafts and the levels of quality that are available. Once you have an idea of what's out there, you'll be better able to spot fraud, and you may even have some fun bargaining.
Mérida's biggest English-language bookstore is relatively small, but it still offers a nicely curated selection of recent popular titles as well as a number that are focused on Mexican culture, cuisine, and history. The store also has bookish gifts including journals, bookmarks, and more. Several stores in the Carmesí complex, where the bookstore is located, are worth a stop, too; they mostly sell local, high-quality handicrafts. There's also Volta Café for a snack and drink.
The Mérida-based bookstore chain Dante, with a location on Plaza Grande as well as eight others around the city, has the best selection of Spanish-language books about the peninsula's history, culture, cuisine, and more. It is especially strong on books for kids and works dealing with Yucatecan flora and fauna. This branch is the largest of its locations, a little north of central Mérida on the Prolongación Paseo de Montejo.
