Organic Market in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
For those of us who are used to the organic options available to us back home, the lush tropics of Playa del Carmen can seem like a desert. Most major grocery outlets do not carry organic products beyond in-the-box items like nuts, dairy, or cookies. That’s why what Anja Schafer, Vicki Lyall, and Scott Lyall are doing at the Coco Beach Market is so important.
Started by Vicki Lyall and Anja Shafer as a means for locals to showcase their organic products between each other and to the public, The Coco Beach Market has grown over the last few months to include 6 regular vendors. “We don’t want to be 100% organic, just because,” Schafer says. “The philosophy is that food should be as natural or as organic as possible, it should be locally made, and we want to avoid repeating products without making it ridiculously expensive. Produce should be organic, of course, and actually we are spending a hard time to find those, but we don’t give up!”
The market isn’t only about food, either. Several vendors offer handmade products such as jewelry, children’s toys, and soap. Prices are fair and the quality is great. Shafer and the Lyall’s efforts to maintain variety really pays off, too, as all products for sale are unique and within a separate niche.
The Coco Beach Market is open every Friday, from 9 am – 11 am, at the Los Alizes Condominium Complex.
