Looking for the best Mexico souvenirs to bring back from Mexico? It can be overwhelming to decide what to buy in Mexico for yourself and your loved ones back home.
But fortunately, this vibrant, cultured country is a great place to shop for all manner of apparel items, edible goods, trinkets, and home decor pieces that you cannot find elsewhere. Better yet, you can buy some great things without breaking the bank.
26 Best Mexico Souvenirs: What to Buy in Mexico
A selection of some of the very best Mexican souvenirs is detailed below. You will find a gift for every type of person in Mexico, whatever their interests.
Mexican candies
Mexican candies are fruity and often either unapologetically sweet or relatively spicy and covered with a layer of chili. (Seriously, everything is spicy here that you cannot even trust the candy not to set your mouth on fire!)
Pica fresas are particularly addictive strawberry-flavored gummy candies. They are covered in a layer of chili, and are spicy and sour at first, before becoming sweet.
You can buy them in giant bags at Walmart, Super Aki, and virtually every Mexican supermarket. If you like these, chances are you will also like Mexican lollipops that are often strawberry or cherry flavored and served with a little bag of chili on the side for dipping.
Mazapán de la Rosa sweets
Another popular Mexican candy is Mazapán de la Rosa. This is one of Mexico’s most classic candies.
The treat dates back to the 1950s when it was created by a couple from Guadalajara who had opened a candy business to support their large family of 13 kids. It is immediately distinguishable by its yellow and transparent packaging with a picture of a rose on the front.
The simple treat is made with just powdered sugar and peanuts. It is based on marzipan, which the Spanish had introduced to Mexico during the occupation.
You will find this treat sold in little boxes on store counters virtually everywhere. Even the most random stores seem to have Mazapán de la Rosa for sale. So, if there is someone with a sweet tooth in your life, one of the best Mexican souvenirs/gifts that you can buy for them is perhaps an assortment of different candies and treats.
Machaca
Machaca is dried meat (usually beef or pork) that originates from Northern Mexico. The meat is salted, sun-dried, and then smashed with a wooden hammer. The name ¨machaca¨ stems from the act of pounding the meat.
To prepare it, the meat is usually rehydrated with some water and fried in oil. Then, it is eaten with maize or flour tortillas in a taco, often with the addition of tomatoes or onions.
It is believed that indigenous people had enjoyed machaca made from venison, well before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. Although machaca is more prevalent in the north of Mexico, you will be able to find it all over the country, particularly in delicatessens, or sold in butchers and grill houses/steak restaurants.
Do check your country’s rules and regulations about bringing food and preserved meat from Mexico. Depending on where you are traveling, it may or may not be permitted.
Mexican sports memorabilia
There are lots of different sports that are popular in Mexico. The charreria (essentially the Mexican answer to the rodeo) could be considered as being the country´s national sport.
UNESCO recognized the Mexican Charreria and inscribed it as a cultural asset in 2016. It sits on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
You may be able to catch a charreria show while you are in Mexico, particularly if you find yourself in Guadalajara and Jalisco where this is especially popular. Here, you will be able to find stalls selling cowboy hats (Mexican cowboys are called ¨charros¨).
Kids, especially, may love having a full Mexican cowboy outfit as a souvenir! Other sports that are enjoyed internationally are played or watched in Mexico, including baseball and football (soccer).
Baseball-wise, the Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) based in Mexico City are one of the best teams in the country. In the Yucatan, you can catch a game by the Leones de Yucatán.
Memorabilia is available at the various stadium stores, as well as in sports shops and baseball stores in malls around the country. Even if you don’t have a chance to see a game or you don’t support the team, these can make nice souvenirs from Mexico. This is particularly true if you collect sports memorabilia, or you just want a comfy jersey to lounge around the house in.
Mezcal copitas
If you are going to buy some mezcal as one of your souvenirs from Mexico, why not also buy special mezcal cups to serve it in? Mezcal is usually served in a little clay cup known as a copita.
Modern copitas are also sometimes made with stone, glass, and ceramic materials, but why not opt for the most charming and traditional? The clay is said to enhance the flavor of the drink while also softening the bite of the alcohol.
Pox and other traditional alcohol
Tequila and mezcal may be the most popular alcoholic Mexican drinks but they are far from being the only ones. There are so many different traditional liquors in Mexico that people have never even heard of internationally.
Some drinks are native to specific regions of Mexico. Others date back over centuries, have been created by specific indigenous groups, and were historically used in religious rituals and ceremonies!
Pox is one drink to add to your radar. It originates from the state of Chiapas.
It is pronounced ¨Posh¨ and you will find it on sale at various little stores and restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas, Palenque, and all corners of the state. The drink is often used by witch doctors and sick individuals that are praying for a cure for their ailments in the Tzotzil villages of Zinacantan and Chamula.
People believed that drinking the liquor would perform something of an exorcism on the body and remove any unwanted spirits from within. The burning sensation felt when swallowing the alcohol (because it was so strong) was believed to be the evil leaving the body.
A selection of Mexican snacks
If you don’t have a huge budget that will enable you to get lots of expensive Mexico souvenirs for your loved ones back home, don’t worry. A fun gift that they will enjoy does not have to break the bank.
One idea is to prepare a Mexican snack box with all of the weird and wonderful Mexican treats that you find in the supermarkets or in Oxxo stores. For instance, have you ever tried a churro cappuccino?
Once your friends have tried a churro cappuccino, they will probably wonder where on earth churro cappuccinos have been all their lives. Other great ideas?
Mexican potato chips (sabritas) – particularly the ultra spicy ones like Takis. Banderillas, gansitos and cacahuates Japones are all other great things to include.
Mexican hot sauces and salsas
Hot sauce accompanies virtually everything in Mexico. Eating some potato chips?
Pour some hot sauce on them. Having eggs for breakfast? Eat them with tortillas and hot sauce.
The variety is huge too. Although Mexicans generally have a better spice tolerance than most westerners, you can absolutely find some milder hot sauces.
Salsa Valentina is a mild/moderate Mexican salsa that you will most commonly see. Looking for something a little spicier? Try salsa Huichol.
Looking for something totally different with a taste that you cannot quite explain? Buy them chamoy.
Chamoy is a Mexican salsa that is made from pickled fruit. It has a taste unlike anything else that is equal parts sour and salty. Mexicans will often eat fruit with it.
Mexican Rock Salt
The Instagram-famous pink lakes of Mexico are more than just a pretty sight. These cotton-candy lakes are filled with salt which locals harvest and sell.
Famous salt lakes like Las Coloradas and Laguna Rosada have been harvested for their salt for thousands of years. In fact, the ancient Maya would harvest and trade salt from here too!
The Maya ruin Xcambó is what remains of a city that was strategically located close to the salt factories. When you venture to these various pink lakes, you can buy pink rock salt from the locals for a few pesos.
This is one of the best Mexico souvenirs for your foodie friends and people that like cooking. While salt may not seem all that exciting, there is a great story behind your purchase and it makes a nice additional item as part of a wider Mexico hamper.
A handmade hammock
Hammocks and the Yucatan go together like cheese and crackers. If you spend any amount of time on a Yucatan itinerary, you will have likely encountered a ton.
A lot of Yucatecan houses and hotel rooms have little rings in the walls where you can hang a hammock. Locals like to have hammocks in their homes as they are a nice, cool way to sleep when the temperatures soar well above 90 degrees.
A handmade hammock is one of the best Mexico souvenirs that you can pick up in the Yucatan. Not all hammocks are created equal and you need to take care to make sure that you purchase a genuine, Mayan hammock.
A Mayan hammock weave is uniform throughout the hammock bed, and the color transition is even. Be careful of touts in tourist areas trying to encourage you to buy their hammocks. You can ask your hotel concierge, your Airbnb host, or locals in Mexico travel Facebook groups for advice on the best places to buy an authentic hammock.
Yucatecan clothing
The Yucatecan folk costume has become something of an icon in the Yucatan peninsula. Ladies here will often wear crisp white dresses whose necklines and hems are embroidered with colorful flowers.
You will see a lot of people that work in hospitality wearing this attire. For instance, in Yucatan haciendas, traditional restaurants, and hotels.
You can buy a traditional Yucatecan outfit, known as a terno. Alternatively, you can buy modern, contemporary clothing that places a twist on Yucatan traditional dress.
You will find a lot of stores in places in the Yucatan selling Yucatecan clothing. Some can be quite pricey so be sure to haggle and shop around. Shops in Merida, Izamal, and Valladolid will all sell these items.
Similarly, you may be interested to shop for traditional Mexican clothing from other parts of the country. In Chihuahua, for example, the Rarámuri women traditionally dress in long, brightly colored skirts (known as sipúchaka) and flowy tops (called mapáchaka).
Meanwhile, in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in western Mexico, Huichol people have their own traditional dress. Huichol men traditionally wear long white cotton pants known as huerruri. The women traditionally wear a white waist-length blouse and a long skirt. They will often cover their head with a traditional ricuri – a light embroidered cloth.
Trinkets and Maya statues from temples
The little Maya god statues and trinkets that you can buy from ruins and temples like Mayapan, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Edzna are among the best Mexico souvenirs you can buy. They are simple and cheap, yet charming.
You can get cute reclining figurines of Chac-Mool, the Maya sun god at lots of different archaeological sites. Other deities to look out for include Kukulcán – the Feathered Serpent God, Itzamná – the God of the Sky, Ix Chel – the Mayan Moon Goddess, Ah Puch – the God of Death and Buluc Chabtan – the God of War.
Wooden Maya masks
The ancient Maya would create and carve intricate wooden masks that portrayed the devil, ancient deities, jungle animals, or deceased individuals. These masks would then be used during battle, for ceremonies and dances, and for religious events.
Today, you will find many artisans across Mexico that still produce these masks. They take explicit care to create them, using techniques that have been passed down through the generations of their families for over 2,000 years.
The masks make great souvenirs or collector’s items. You can proudly display them in your home, hang them on your walls, etc.
Mezcal
Mezcal is a distilled spirit derived from the agave plant, which is also how we get tequila. Wherever you travel in Mexico, you will have the opportunity to try and buy mezcal.
For the best Mezcal tasting and purchasing experience, head to Oaxaca. Here, you can take a tour of the village of Santiago Matatlán – a mezcal hub.
Organize a tasting with a local producer. Artisanal mezcals make some of the best Mexico souvenirs as the stuff that you find at Mexican supermarkets are often watered down. Typically, artisanal mezcals almost always have alcohol levels above 45%.
Tequila
Tequila makes one of the best Mexico souvenirs to bring back for your family and friends that like spirits. There are scores of excellent Mexican tequilas that are only sold domestically and do not make it overseas.
If you want to buy the best of the best, there are a few tequilas that you should have on your radar. El Tequileño is a great choice.
The drink is reposado aged for 11 months and 2 weeks. This gives it a rich, full-bodied flavor. One bottle is approximately $25 USD.
Another suggestion? Siete Leguas D’Antaño extra añejo. A lot of Mexicans consider this the best of the best when it comes to Mexican tequila. If you travel to the village of Tequila, or the nearby city of Tlaquepaque, you will find a lot of great artisanal brands on sale.
Street art from local vendors
In towns and cities across Mexico, you will often find street vendors selling artisanal products, handicrafts, and paintings on the sides of pedestrianized roads. These make a nice souvenir and can be something unique to decorate your home with.
Better yet, purchasing something from a street vendor is a great way to support small businesses and local communities.
Bohemian clothing from Tulum
The popular coastal town of Tulum is a favorite Mexico travel destination for a lot of Americans and other international travelers. In recent years, the area has even developed its own fashion style.
Tulum style is essentially a modern spin on luxury resort wear. Think flowy skirts, boho-chic rompers, caftans, and off-the-shoulder dresses with sandals.
There are tons of independent clothing stores in Tulum and elsewhere in Quintana Roo (PDC, Cancun, Bacalar, etc) selling this style of clothing. If you are not sure of the clothing sizes of the person you are buying for, you can buy a lot of great accessories, handbags, beach totes, etc here too.
Mexican Chocolate
A little-known fact about Mexico? It is the birthplace of chocolate!
Chocolate in Mexico is produced a little differently than elsewhere in the world. It is minimally processed to retain the health benefits and integrity of cacao.
As a result, it has a more gritty texture and taste as compared to European chocolate. You can purchase Mexican-brand chocolates or alternatively, buy a box of handmade treats from an artisanal store.
Día de Muertos decorations
Dia de Muertos (Day of the dead) is an annual celebration that takes place in Mexico in November every year. The day exists to honor the lives of loved ones lost.
All year round in Mexico, you can buy Dia de Muertos figures and decorations. In November, they are even more abundant.
It sounds macabre but many of these figurines – small Catrina statues or colorful skulls are very tasteful. They are a quintessentially Mexican gift and a great reminder of your time in the country.
Mexican coffee beans
In this part of the world, it may be South American countries like Colombia that are best known for their coffee. However, Mexican coffee is not to be overlooked.
Mexico is actually the world’s largest producer of organic coffee beans. 90% of Mexico’s coffee is produced in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Puebla.
Mexican coffees tend to be lighter-bodied and mild, with subtle flavors. If you visit San Cristóbal de las Casas or Comitan in Chiapas, you will have plenty of opportunities to buy organic Mexican Chiapas coffee.
The city is surrounded by coffee farms and you can even buy direct from the farmers or in stores in Chiapas.
Puebla’s coffee regions are in its scenic Sierra Norte. You will find organic coffee sold in many artisanal stores in the Pueblos Magicos here.
Achiote
Achiote is used in a lot of cooking in Mexico, particularly when making Yucatan food dishes. It is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree.
Achiote is mostly used to add coloring, but also sometimes for its flavor. In Yucatecan cuisine, it is used to make cochinita pibil.
If you want to replicate the Yucatecan dishes you have tried when you get back home, achiote is an essential ingredient. Alternatively. It makes one of the best Mexico souvenirs for anyone who likes food or cooking.
Lucha Libre masks
Lucha Libre masks are Mexican wrestling masks that are designed in bold, vibrant colors and designs. You will find them sold in abundance at touristic markets and stores in all parts of the country – from Mexico City to Tulum and beyond.
Lucha Libre is essentially the Mexican version of WWE. Anyone that you know that loves wrestling (Mexican, American, or otherwise) will surely love and appreciate a Lucha Libre mask souvenir. Even if you don’t really get or care about wrestling, it’s a fun little gag gift that is just so quintessentially Mexican.
Talavera pottery
Talavera pottery (Spanish: Talavera poblana) is a Mexican and Spanish pottery tradition from Talavera de la Reina, in Spain. These pieces do not come cheap, as every pottery item is one of a kind and of incredible quality.
One of the best places to buy Talavera in Mexico is Puebla – a city that already has a deeply rooted culture in ceramics. You should always be cautious when purchasing pottery as a lot of fakes and imitations do exist.
In Puebla, there are a few places to add to your radar. Namely, The Talavera de la Luz workshop, Talavera Celia, Uriarte Talavera, Talavera La Reyna, Talavera Santa Catarina, Talavera Armando, and the Callejón de los Sapos.
A molinillo
A molinillo is a traditionally turned-wood whisk used in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. It is mostly used to prepare hot drinks like hot chocolate.
You will find molinillos sold at a lot of gift shops and homeware stores. They usually have very unique, intricate, hand-carved designs. Even if you don’t think that you will use the whisk, it makes a nice souvenir from Mexico.
Fridge magnets
Fridge magnets may seem nothing to write home about. However, a lot of people still collect them and if you or someone else travels a lot, they will be excited to have additional magnets to add to their collections.
Fridge magnets are sold at historical sites, tourist attractions, and gift shops in Mexico. So, you will have plenty of opportunities to buy them. If you want, you can buy several, all from different parts of Mexico.
Final Thoughts
Which of these Mexican souvenirs do you like the most? Have you picked up anything interesting from your travels around Mexico or elsewhere in the world?
If you are visiting Mexico for the first time, you may also enjoy reading this collection of interesting facts about Mexico. Have a wonderful time exploring here!
Buen viaje! Xo
