Weekly street market in Cabo de Palos

Sunday is market day in Cabo de Palos: over 200 stalls outside the Las Dunas shopping centre

For many expats and visitors, one of the great joys of shopping in Spain is the opportunity to buy fresh products and bargain clothes in the weekly local markets, which are awash with colour and noise as shoppers jostle for space, queue to be served, stand and chat, get in each other’s way and generally socialize as they go about the business of stocking up on food and picking out other bargains.

For newcomers, a couple of tips: don’t be scared to choose your own fruit and veg (otherwise you may be given the bruised items!), check that the amount you’re charged is related to the marked prices. In addition, as at markets the world over it is advisable to be aware of the risk of being pickpocketed. Please take care with handbags, purses, wallets and loose cash, and avoid taking important documents such as passports or ID to street markets.

But that makes it sound as though the markets are simply a hotbed for petty crime: not the case at all, and the best advice of all is to bear these precautions in mind while rummaging, searching around and enjoying the organized chaos of the event!

In the town of Cabo de Palos the main weekly market is held on Sunday mornings, when around 200 stalls are set up outside the Centro Comercial Las Dunas, close to the tourist office and the main dual carriageway between Cartagena and La Manga (see map).

Click for more information regarding the weekly markets in the Mar Menor area and the municipality of Cartagena, or go to the Cabo de Palos section of Murcia Today for more local news, events and information.