Akumal Mexico Produce

Made available on September 10th, 2006 by Tortuga.
Groups: Shopping tips.

If you are staying in a villa or condo in Akumal, you may want to cook some of your meals. Of course, there are several convenience stores in Akumal, but buying fresh fruits and vegetables locally is a little trickier.

Produce shopping in Akumal

Shopping for produce in central Akumal

The Chomak convenience store at the front of Akumal — just before the arch — has a few fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s a small selection and you will pay for the convenience but they will be nicely presented and you just might find what you want in their small selection.

If you plan your meal preparations around produce shopping on specific days, on Wednesdays and Saturdays you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers at the plaza in the center of town. It is also just in front of the arch, the opposite side of the street from the Chomak. The local farmers set up in the Plaza in the courtyard by the basketball court. You will find a much larger selection of produce here and of generally good quality. Their produce, however, tends to be a little more ripe than other grocery store options, so don’t purchase more than a couple of days supply.

(Daily, the outdoor market has hammocks, pottery and other Mexican specialty keepsakes.)

Shopping for produce in the Akumal pueblo

Willing to venture out to the pueblo? Across Highway 307 are a couple of other options for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. On the south side of the main street into the pueblo, you will see the medium sized Super Mar Caribe. This mini-super has a tomatoes, potatoes, onions, limes, peppers, avocados, cilantro, and a few other selections. You will find the produce sections in the Mexican pueblos are not so concerned about presentation, so as the tomatoes start to rot, you will still see them mixed in with the good tomatoes. If you can get past that, you can get some good produce here for a good price.

If Super Mar Caribe doesn’t have what you are looking for or the tomatoes don’t look that good or the avocados are a little too ripe, there is another vegetable stand in the pueblo that will give you a different selection. You will find it by traveling just a little bit further up the hill. Before you get to the top of the hill, there is a small fruit and vegetable stand on the north side (your right). Juan is very friendly and speaks English fairly well from having watched American TV all his life. He is very pleased to accommodate you.

Supermarket shopping

Shopping for produce on Highway 307

Your best options for purchasing fruits and vegetables will be making a Playa del Carmen run 30 minutes north of Akumal. The easiest grocery stores to find are on Highway 307. Heading north, you will first pass Sam’s on your right on the east side of the highway. Sam’s has high quality select fruits and vegetables at a good price, some items in small quantities, some in bulk. A little further north is the local supermarket Chedraui with a large selection of produce at varying quality, depending on the day that you arrive.

On the opposite side of the highway, the west side, is the new Soriana’s. Their produce department is similar to Walmart’s: a large high-quality produce department. And because it is on the highway, it is conveniently located.

Shopping for produce in Playa del Carmen

Other good places to shop for fruits and vegetables are located in the interior of Playa del Carmen towards the beach side. Go east on Juaraz and turn north on Avenue 30. On 30th Avenue between Juarez and Constituyentes is a new Walmart and the more Mexican-comparable mega-supermarket Mega. Both have a large selection of high-quality fruits and vegetables. Walmart especially has hard to find fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Playa del Carmen has some nice vegetable stands, too, with high quality produce. Two good ones are also on 30th Avenue. One long-time supplier to local restaurants is DAK located just north of Constituyentes. They also have a juice bar out front. South of Juarez Avenue on 30th is another fruit and vegetable stand. But you will probably find the new air-conditioned mega-supermarkets in Playa del Carmen — Sam’s, Walmart, Mega, and Soriana’s — better one-stop shopping for all your grocery needs.

Mexican produce Health tip

Wherever you purchase your fruits and vegetables in Mexico, this is a very important health tip. Be sure to soak your fruits and vegetables in an anti-bacterial solution before eating. Just a capful in a large pot of purified water for 15 minutes should be fine.

The anti-bacterial solution you will find in the Riviera Maya comes in a blue plastic bottle. You can find a small one in the Chomak. Ask Charlene there for help; she speaks English. In Chedraui, you will find a medium sized bottle in the produce department. In Sam’s you will find a large bottle near their produce section.

If you want more to read…

• Akumal Tip #002 - Top Ten Mayan Riviera Souvenirs for $10 or Less

• Akumal DVD Introduces Akumal to the World

• Akumal Tip #034 - Wines in Akumal “para llevar”

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