The Farmer’s Market at Amakiri Botanical Garden

Situated beside Amakiri Botanical Garden, a sanctuary for indigenous and rare cacti, the Farmer’s Market celebrates Mexican artistry and craftsmanship. 

Residents of Quivira Los Cabos and guests of Pueblo Bonito Resorts can browse artisanal crafts and fresh-baked goods in a large U-shaped area shaded by white tents erected beside the garden.

Open on Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from October through August, this seasonal market, which routinely attracts 25 to 40 exhibitors, offers a broad cross-section of Mexican creativity, much of it produced in Los Cabos.  

The food vendors, in the center of the market, are led by La Jarana, which produces exceptional rounds of sourdough bread and homemade chicken breast tamales with green sauce wrapped in banana leaves. 

Areca Bakery Lab, based in San Jose, is known for its New York Cookies: chocolate chip, pistachio, and white chocolate chip, and pure cacao with dark chocolate chip. The bakery’s small cakes and pies, including a banana and pecan cake and a guava pie, are vegan and gluten-free.

There’s also Casa Portugal Mezcal, an artisanal product made from espadin agave aged the traditional way, in clay pots. Company founder Diego Portugal said that all proceeds are used to support an animal shelter for stray dogs.

Moving in a counter-clockwise direction, visitors will find beautiful tree bark wall hangings made in San Puebla. The colors for the abstract and cactus-themed designs are derived from flowers.

For figures of animals that could fill an ark, from snorting bulls to hammerhead sharks, Santini, who sources ironwood in Sonora and Baja California Sur for his carvings, is the man. He adds clear shoe polish to the otherwise dull ironwood to produce a shiny, mahogany-like luster to the figurines. He also carries large themed blankets, from the Aztec calendar to El Arco at Land’s End.

For authentic Huichol Art from Jalisco, Mario displays intricately beaded bracelets and masks as well as beaded cats, jaguars, and even deer and cow skulls. Many of the design motifs are symbolic. Corn, for example, signifies health and prosperity. Peyote denotes a spiritual connection. There are dozens more. 

Francisco from San Jose collects sea glass on Cabo’s beaches. The sea glass he recovers is predominantly dark amber, from discarded Pacifico beer bottles. “You’re never going to see a fisherman with a bottle of milk,” he laughs. He uses the sea glass to create necklaces and earrings. His wife, Monica, makes scented candles: jasmine, rose, cinnamon, coconut, and gardenia. 

Poeta Amarilla (Yellow Poet) is Christina’s brand of crocheted items made from T-shirt yarn sourced in Guadalajara. Totes, handbags, small backpacks, cell phone carriers, and swirled seashell fashion statement bags are available in an array of vibrant colors. Her craftsmanship is exceptional.

Andres, a.k.a. “Magic Fingers,” makes small seascape paintings on tile in oil with no brushes. He dabs his fingers in a palette of oil paints and smudges the paint into realistic shapes and forms, from turtles and dolphins to breaching whales. He also sells colored glass sea turtles that sparkle in the sun.

On and on it goes at the Farmer’s Market. Macrame anklets, bracelets, and necklaces made with waxed thread. Obsidian sculptures. Leather goods. Sombreros. Ponchos. Lots of costume jewelry, but also fine jewelry in silver or gold set with precious and semi-precious stones. Lithographs with flora and wildlife themes. Sustainable bath products—brushes and scrubbers--made from agave fiber.  

An outing to the Farmer’s Market is an experience that will engage your senses—and enrich your visit. Local tip: arrive early, especially for the homemade food stuffs.