Loja Municipal Food Market

Loja Municipal Food Market is the covered hall on Plaza Joaquín Costa, in the centre of Loja, where 20 stalls sell fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese and bread six days a week. The thing to check before walking over is the split week: the doors stay open until 4pm from Monday to Wednesday, then close at midday from Thursday to Saturday. It is one of the markets in Loja.

About Loja Municipal Food Market

Hours are 8am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 8am to noon on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday is closed. That gives you three long days at the start of the week and three short mornings at the end of it, and on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday the whole trading day is finished by noon.

This is a permanent food hall rather than a weekly farmers market, so the same counters are there every weekday morning and local shoppers use it for the week's meals: a kilo of tomatoes, a piece of fish for lunch, a wedge of cheese. With 20 stalls you can walk the lot in ten minutes. The hall is covered, so the Granada province summer heat makes no difference, and access is level and wheelchair accessible, which is not a given in a hillside town. Stalls take cash and mobile payment.

What to buy at Loja Municipal Food Market

The stalls cover fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, cheese and dairy, and bread and bakery goods, which is enough between them for a full day's food if you are self-catering nearby.

Fish and seafood are the counters to reach first, and on the short Thursday to Saturday days that means arriving well before midday. The fruit and vegetable stalls follow the Andalusian growing year, so what is piled up in March looks nothing like the trays in August. Bread from the bakery stall and cheese from the dairy counter make a picnic to carry up to the Alcazaba.

How to get to Loja Municipal Food Market

The address is Plaza Joaquín Costa, s/n, 18300 Loja, in the town centre, a short walk downhill from the old town and a few minutes from anywhere central. If you are driving, aim for the centre and expect to park on the surrounding streets, which are busiest during the morning trading hours.

For the town's other market days, see the street markets in Loja and the list of municipal markets in Loja.

Where to stay in Loja

Loja is a small town, so staying central is your best bet. Look for accommodation around Casco Histórico or the town centre, where you can easily walk to the market and explore the old streets on foot.

If you prefer something with a bit more comfort, Hotel Manzanil is a well-regarded option just outside the centre and makes a solid base for a day at the market.

What are the opening hours of Loja Municipal Food Market?

Loja Municipal Food Market opens at 8am six days a week and closes at two different times: 4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and noon on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is closed all day Sunday, so the last chance to shop in a given week is Saturday morning.

Is Loja Municipal Food Market open in the afternoon?

Loja Municipal Food Market trades into the afternoon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only, staying open until 4pm. From Thursday to Saturday the 20 stalls shut at noon, and the hall is closed on Sunday, so an afternoon visit later in the week finds the shutters down.

How many stalls does Loja Municipal Food Market have?

Loja Municipal Food Market has 20 stalls, covering fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, cheese and dairy, and bread and bakery goods. That is small enough to walk in ten minutes, and it is a working food hall for the town rather than a market laid on for visitors.

Can you pay by card at Loja Municipal Food Market?

No, card payment is not among the ways to pay listed for Loja Municipal Food Market: the stalls take cash and mobile payment. Bring notes and small coins, since a 20-stall hall means paying separately at the fruit counter, the fishmonger and the bakery.

Is Loja Municipal Food Market wheelchair accessible?

Yes, Loja Municipal Food Market is wheelchair accessible, and it is an indoor hall on Plaza Joaquín Costa rather than an open-air pitch, so all 20 stalls sit under cover in one space. Access is the same on every trading day, Monday to Saturday.