La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico - Is the Cooperativa Huanacaxtle Sunday Market the best in the Bahía? Consider this; in two and a half short years, the La Cruz Market has become THE destination market for exhibitors (currently over 170) and visitors alike.

Boasting the best representation of goods and producers and the hands-down best venue (the palm-lined Mercado del Mar with the gorgeous Marina Riviera Nayarit and the entire Bahia de Banderas as a backdrop) this Sunday Market is must for every visitor to the Banderas Bay region.

Since late November of 2010, the Cooperativa Huanacaxtle Sunday Market has grown and flourished in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Originally held in the main Plaza, the Market rapidly outgrew that location and moved to its current home on the sprawling grounds of the Mercado del Mar at the Marina Riviera Nayarit half way through its first year.

This highly successful market currently draws vendors and visitors from throughout Nayarit and Jalisco, some making special trips from Tepic, San Sebastian, Ajijic and Guadalajara!

The move to the Mercado del Mar at the Marina not only allowed the Market to expand but also to have better control over the presence of non-member "resellers" (merchants who buy from wholesalers and sell to the public rather than produce the goods themselves). Cooperativa vendors are held to strict guidelines; original production of goods being the guiding principle.

With a serious nod to environmentally sound, organic and sustainable goods, and promoting local culture, the Market directors have had their hands full with a growing waiting list of providers/exhibitors eager to gain entry to the now-limited Mercado space. Many of these vendors are only able to "rotate in" once a month because of the high demand.

The abundance of artisan food; sauces/salsas, dips, organic fruits and vegetables, farm eggs, peanut butter, freshly made dressings, gourmet and country breads, jams, honey, croissants, cookies galore, local and national coffee (ground or beans from Chiapas, Veracruz, Jalisco & Nayarit) and food stalls featuring paella, sausages and hams, empenadas, tamales, smoked marlin, wood fired pizza, Spanish Tortillas, quiches, waffles, freshly squeezed juices and licuados is the highlight for many happy and hungry visitors, but this culinary bonus is just the start.

New and returning visitors also delight in the abundant selection of Artisan paintings, postcards, flowers, leather goods and fashions, rugs, pottery, watercolors, sculptures, Huichol handicrafts, several new fashion dress designers, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, feather pendants and all manner of jewelry, wooden bowls & handicrafts, original designer leather bags, embroidered and silk-screened T shirts, huaraches, Talavera pottery, local organic honey, organic Greek style yogurt, pet food and pet supplies, cigars, coconut oils and products, soaps and shampoos. With new vendors each week, the selection and variety is always a pleasant surprise.

If the proliferation of delectable food, extraordinary merchandise and impressive venue doesn't captivate you, then maybe the music will. Every Sunday features a handful of diverse musicians, bands and performers entertaining throughout the grounds. What a pleasant way to "take a load off."

If you haven't had a chance to visit this astonishing Market, you've missed one of the highlights of our fair pueblo and the entire Riviera Nayarit/Puerto Vallarta region.

Is the Cooperativa Huanacaxtle Sunday Market the best in the Bahía? We think so in a big way. You be the judge, but hurry because the La Cruz Sunday Market closes during the low season (at an as yet undetermined date after Semanas Santa and Pascua) but will return late Fall. If you need directions to the La Cruz Market, email landon(at)insidelacruz.com and I will be happy to provide them for you.