The ephemeral San Ángel market in Mexico City is worth saving a Saturday for.

Paintings for sale outside at the Bazar Sábado — Handicrafts, artworks, pottery and other goodies are on sale at the Saturday Bazaar — one day a week only.

Unlike the village of Brigadoon, which rises out of the Scottish mist once every 100 years, the no-less-enchanting Bazar Sábado in the colonia (neighborhood) of San Ángel in Mexico City bursts into life every Saturday. An artisanal market rises and fills the hilly cobblestone streets, Plaza del Carmen and surrounding shops.

Originally, the colonia, located southwest of Centro, the city center, was a weekend retreat for Spanish nobles, who built their 19th century colonial-style homes here.

“The enchanting Bazar Sábado in San Ángel bursts into life every Saturday. The artisanal market fills the hilly cobblestone streets, plaza and surrounding shops.”

Market stalls selling handicrafts at the Bazar Sábado — The handicraft portion of the bazaar lines the street.

Shopping in San Ángel, CDMX

A few of the shops, including Caracol Púrpura, have beautiful contemporary and traditional objects for sale but were too expensive for us. We wanted to take some pictures to write about their shop but they told us no photos when they saw us getting ready to take a few snaps. We managed to capture a few anyway — we are the Not So Innocents Abroad after all!

Sign of the store Caracol Púrpura — A high-end shop in San Ángel

Catrinas for sale at Caracol Púrpura — Long and lean Catrinas

Man selling pressed tin artwork of the Virgin Mary at the Bazar Sábado — Pressed tin depictions of the Virgin Mary

Colorful woven garlands at the Bazar Sábado — Colorful garlands woven from palm leaves

Painted masks for sale at the Bazar Sábado — A fun selection of masks for sale

Marzipan fruit at el Bazar Sábado — These adorable tiny fruits are made of marzipan.

The next shop we entered was called Paskwarho. While Wally and I looked at a display of hand-painted dishware, we met Arturo, an expat and cofounder, who relocated from Chicago. I’m assuming that my Midwestern accent and Spanglish tipped him off. He kindly said to me that even after living in the country for many years he still doesn’t understand everything that’s said to him.

We bought a papier-mâché skull rattle with an articulated jaw that was handmade by one of the women who works in the shop as well as a burnt orange and white casserole baking dish hand-painted in the capulineado style, a pointillist flower pattern named after the town where they’re made.

Colorful howling wolf alebrije by stairs — A large howling wolf alebrije — fantastical Mexican folk art creatures

Día de Muertos tienda at the Bazar Sábado — A store devoted to Día de Muertos

Skeletons, skulls and catrinas for sale at the Bazar Sábado — Skeletons, skulls and marigolds

Artisans Galore

Outside are a multitude of tented stalls selling everything from handicrafts to jewelry to pottery and more. We purchased a couple of T-shirts and a change purse to keep our growing collection of coins.

The market can get crowded, but uttering a simple, apologetic, “Con permiso” goes a long way and will help you pass others politely. It’s like saying, “Excuse me” in English.

People sitting below mural at el Bazar Sábado — A delightful mural in the building that houses part of the Bazar Sábado

The Bazar Sábado was founded in 1960 as the first of its kind before relocating to its current home in 1965 and contains hundreds of artists and an open-air interior courtyard with a restaurant. After taking our temperature and offering us hand sanitizer, we were permitted to enter.

Courtyard restaurant with large tree at the Bazar Sábado — There’s a restaurant in the central courtyard, where women cook up meals on large griddles.

Sign that says "Bar" with monster drinking a margarita — Follow the sign.

Woman and man drinking at bar in the Bazar Sábado — And grab a drink at the small bar.

A devilishly cool sculpture hanging in one of the rooms adjoining the courtyard

We found a stand for Cervecería Monstruo de Agua, a Mexico City-based microbrewery offering a distinctive range of beers. They were one of my favorite discoveries on this visit. I had purchased a couple of bottles of Sugoi, a blonde ale brewed with agave, ginger and lemongrass at a small beer shop in La Condesa. I mean, who can resist a brand whose mascot is an axolotl, an amphibian with a long tail, six hornlike appendages and bulging eyes and whose name translates as “water monster” in Náhuatl? Not us! We ended up buying a small round glass with the creature embossed on it.

Volcanic rock pottery at the Bazar Sábado — Molcajetes made of volcanic stone are a must for home-made guacamole.

We were delighted to discover Cerámica San Germán, a shop filled with traditional hand-painted ceramics and stoneware from the town of Tonalá. We purchased several bowls and a plate depicting the nahual, a jaguar-like cat with a smiling face.

Also of note were the wares of Silva Dufour. I loved the colors and satin-finish glazes of their ceramic objects, which included scarab beetles and contemporary interpretations of traditional helmet masks.

Artist working on a drawing outside at the Bazar Sábado — One of the artists at work

When we exited the bazaar, we brought the unfinished open bottles of Monstruo de Agua with us. An elderly local artist in the park, which is filled with painters selling their artworks, told us that it’s prohibited to drink alcohol outside. I’m not sure the police would have noticed, but we returned to the building to finish our beers. Better to err on the side of caution than to risk violating the law in another country.

Men sitting on fountain in plaza of el Bazar Sábado — The plaza with this fountain is surrounded by artists selling paintings.

Luchadore masks for sale at Bazar Sábado — Which luchador mask would you choose?

Wally purchased a few desiccated Roses of Jericho (aka resurrection plants) from a street vendor as gifts for his coworkers, and we wandered down the hill into Happening, a store and gallery that carried cool clothes and objects from local artists and designers. While there I saw La Escalera, a bold graphic print by Boston-born, Mexico City-based artist Sophie Greenspan. Wally remarked that it reminded him of the modern architecture of Luis Barragán, which we had experienced earlier in the day on a tour with The Traveling Beetle.

The impressive tiled cupolas of Nuestra Señora del Carmen are visible from the end of the thoroughfare — just a stone’s throw from the bustling market area.

We’ll definitely return to San Ángel on our next trip to CDMX (we’re utterly smitten), especially for the basement crypt at the Templo y Museo del Carmen to see the mummified bodies of wealthy donors to the Carmelite order. And for a chance to view the embalmed severed hand of former Mexican President Álvaro Obregón in the basement of the WWI monument to him. Who knew such a charming neighborhood held such gruesome secrets? –Duke

El Bazar Sábado

Plaza San Jacinto 11
San Ángel
Álvaro Obregón
01000 Ciudad de México
CDMX
Mexico

A tour of this Colonial Baroque Catholic church built for the Discalced Carmelites in one of CDMX’s most charming neighborhoods.

Man in front of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City — Wally’s a bit obsessed with the domes of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel in Mexico City.

Those domes! Those wondrous brightly tiled domes! I didn’t want to stop looking at them. There was something captivating about their faded glory.

We spotted them in our Uber en route to el Bazaar Sábado, the Saturday Market in the charming CDMX colonia (neighborhood) of San Ángel.

“Nuestra Señora del Carmen was built for the strangely named order of Discalced Carmelites (known colloquially as Barefoot Carmelites for their tendency to forgo footwear). ”

Saint in niche at Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City

Saint with child in niche at Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City

Interior of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City — The church was founded for the order of Discalced Carmelites (aka the Barefoot Carmelites).

So, after we finished shopping at the market (and being told we couldn’t drink our beers while walking through the square outside), Duke and I knew we had to explore the church at the base of the hill. And thankfully, unlike in the States, we’ve found churches in Mexico to be unlocked any time we’ve wanted to go in.

Exterior of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City — The church is designed in the Baroque Colonial style — with a plain façade and an ornate gilded altarpiece.

The Discalced Carmelites: Barefoot but Not Pregnant

Design and construction of Nuestra Señora del Carmen was overseen by Fray Andrés de San Miguel between 1615 and 1626 for the strangely named order of Discalced Carmelites (known colloquially as Barefoot Carmelites for their tendency to forgo footwear). The order was established in 1562 by Saint Teresa of Avila, an epileptic Roman Catholic nun.

The Barefoot Carmelite nuns stayed in their cloisters, “above all to lead a life of unceasing prayer in silence and solitude,” according to their official website.

Gate of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City — There’s more to the Carmen Complex than the church — including mummies!

El Carmen Complex

We weren’t able to wander the entire grounds, which includes a former convent and monastery that’s now a museum (complete with mummies!).

The property extended quite far, and the scenic orchards are part of what attracted the aristocracy to make the neighborhood its home — giving birth to the colonia of San Ángel.

The complex was taken over by the government after the War of Reform, which was fought between the Liberals and Conservatives from 1857 and 1860. The lefties won and subsequently greatly diminished the power of the Catholic Church, stripping it of most of its property. The local school was shut down and was used by the town council. Parts of the Carmelite grounds became a prison and barracks.

The church, also known as the Templo del Carmen de San Ángel, is in the Colonial Baroque style — somehow austere in parts, such as the façade, and yet over-the-top ornate in others (that altarpiece!).

Altarpiece at Nuestra Señora del Carmen in San Ángel, Mexico City — The Baroque movement was all about drama — rounded edges and shimmering gold create a dizzying effect.

We spent some time exploring the church and all of its offshoot chapels, trying to be respectful of those praying within. Heavens knows we’ll be back to admire those beautiful domes — and to see the creepy mummies, of course. –Wally