Markets in Andalusia
Spain · 832 markets across 8 provinces
Andalusia, Andalucía in Spanish, is the southern end of the country, and we hold records for 832 markets across its 8 provinces and 280 towns and cities. Of those, 685 are street markets and 147 are permanent covered halls. It is an index rather than a shortlist: each province opens onto the towns within it, and each town onto the individual markets we hold a record for.
Two words are worth knowing before you go. A mercado is a permanent covered market, a hall with fixed counters trading to a regular schedule. A mercadillo is a street market that sets up on one particular day of the week, takes over a car park or a run of streets, and packs down again afterwards. The difference matters when you're planning a morning: arrive where a mercadillo runs on the wrong day and there is nothing to see.
Most of the region trades in the morning. The most common hours across all 832 markets are 9am to 2pm, so a market you reach at three in the afternoon has usually finished. Days, times and addresses for each individual market sit on its own page, because they vary town by town.
Featured Markets
Adamuz Weekly Market
Adamuz, Cordoba
Runs every Tuesday from 9am to 2pm in Adamuz. A local weekly market offering clothing, fresh produce and textiles.
Every week on Tuesday
Adra Antiques Market
Adra, Almeria
Runs every Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Adra's antiques market sets up in the waterfront park with vintage collectibles and restored pieces.
Every week on Sunday
Ágora Market
Ubeda, Jaen
Runs every Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Ágora is an artisan market showcasing local crafts, design and illustration in central Ubeda.
Every week on Saturday
Agro-Artisan Market of Cuevas del Becerro
Cuevas del Becerro, Malaga
Runs every Saturday from 9am to 2pm on Calle Real, combining fresh local produce with handmade crafts and prepared foods.
Every week on Saturday
Provinces
Which day has the most markets
Saturday, by a clear margin: 334 of the 832 markets trade on a Saturday. Friday is second with 280, then Thursday on 253, Wednesday on 235 and Tuesday on 225. Sunday drops to 221 and Monday is the quietest at 203.
That spread is worth reading carefully if you are planning around one free morning. Even Monday, the thinnest day in Andalusia, still has 203 markets open somewhere in the region, so there is no day of the week with nothing to go to. What changes is how far you might have to drive. On a Saturday you can usually find something within a short distance of wherever you are staying on the Costa del Sol or in a provincial capital; on a Monday you may need to pick a town and travel to it.
One caveat we would rather state than hide: 75 of the 832 markets have no confirmed trading day in our records, so 757 do. Where we don't know a day, the market's own page says so rather than guessing.
Where the markets are concentrated
Malaga province has the most, with 218 markets, which is more than a quarter of the regional total and reflects both the density of coastal towns and the size of the market tradition along that stretch. Seville follows with 158. After those two the numbers even out: Cordoba and Cadiz have 85 each, Jaen 84, Huelva 72, Granada 71 and Almeria 59.
At town level the two big cities lead, Malaga with 40 markets and Seville with 39, followed by Cordoba on 22 and Granada on 11. The interesting names are the smaller ones. Marbella has 10, Fuengirola 9, Benalmadena 7 and El Puerto de Sta María 8, which is a lot of market days packed into a short run of coast. Inland, Aguilar de la Frontera in Cordoba province and Aljaraque in Huelva both have 7, and El Ejido in Almeria has 7 as well.
The practical effect for a visitor on the Costa del Sol is that you can often reach a different market every morning of the week without leaving the coast road, while in the inland provinces you are more likely to be planning a single trip around one town's market day.
Provinces
What time do Andalusian markets open?
The most common hours are 9am to 2pm. Street markets in particular are morning affairs and pack down in the early afternoon, so aim to arrive before midday. Individual markets vary and their own pages carry the confirmed times.
How many markets are there in Andalusia?
We hold records for 832, spread across 280 towns and cities in the 8 provinces. 685 of them are street markets, the mercadillos that set up for one morning a week, and 147 are permanent covered market halls.
Which province has the most markets?
Malaga, with 218. Seville is next with 158, then Cordoba and Cadiz with 85 each, Jaen with 84, Huelva with 72, Granada with 71 and Almeria with 59.
Which day is best for markets in Andalusia?
Saturday, if you have a choice: 334 of the 832 markets trade then, against 280 on a Friday, 253 on a Thursday, 235 on a Wednesday, 225 on a Tuesday and 221 on a Sunday. Monday is the quietest at 203, which still leaves plenty open, just further apart.
What is the difference between a mercado and a mercadillo?
A mercado is a permanent covered market with fixed stalls trading to a regular schedule. A mercadillo is a street market that sets up on a single day of the week and packs down afterwards. Andalusia has 147 of the first and 685 of the second.
Which markets in Andalusia are open today?
Check that town's own page, which carries the confirmed day for each market recorded there. Whatever today is, something is trading somewhere in Andalusia: the thinnest day is Monday with 203 markets and the fullest is Saturday with 334. Bear in mind 75 of the 832 markets have no confirmed day in our records, and those pages say so rather than guess.
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