Cancún's markets are one of the most reliable ways to encounter the city outside resort-economy pricing, and they're a genuinely different experience from anything in the Hotel Zone.
Mercado 28
The main tourist-facing market — a covered warren of stalls selling hammocks, huipiles, Talavera pottery, embroidered textiles, silver jewelry, and every variety of souvenir. Prices are negotiable; quality varies considerably between stalls. The food section at the back (look for the cooked food area, not the raw produce section) serves proper market food at market prices — try the regional Yucatecan dishes rather than the generic items near the entrance.
Mercado 23
Smaller, more local, and less oriented toward tourists than Mercado 28 — this is where people in El Centro buy groceries, fresh produce, and everyday household items. The atmosphere is notably different: working market rather than craft market. The prepared food stalls here are excellent for breakfast and early lunch.
Neighborhood tianguis
Rotating street markets (tianguis) set up in different neighborhoods on different days of the week — ask locally or look for street closures and vendor setups in the residential areas north and west of El Centro. These are the least tourist-facing of all, and the most genuinely local.
What to buy
Hammocks (Yucatán is Mexico's hammock-making heartland — buy here rather than online), hand-embroidered blouses and tablecloths, Talavera pottery, local honey, and habanero products. Avoid anything made with coral, shells of protected species, or items marketed as "Aztec" calendar art — which has no historical connection to this region.