Food markets in Palma, Málaga and Alicante: three places to get a feel for local life

To understand how people live in a Mediterranean city, few things beat a morning at its food markets. Fish from the harbour, fruit from nearby market gardens and a counter for a drink between stalls.

Palma: Mercat de l’Olivar

In the heart of the old town, a short walk from Plaça d’Espanya, the Mercat de l’Olivar has fed Palma since 1951, when it replaced the stalls that once filled the Plaça Major. It is the city’s largest covered market and was renovated in the late 1990s.

This is where Palma residents buy their fish, cheese and sobrassada. Several stalls serve tapas and wine at the counter, so staying on for an aperitif is part of the routine. It is closed on Sundays. A few minutes’ walk away is Cor 39 in central Palma.

Málaga: Mercado Central de Atarazanas

Málaga’s central market stands on the site of 14th-century Nasrid shipyards. All that survives of them is the great marble horseshoe-arched gate that now forms its entrance. The current iron-and-glass building, inspired by Les Halles in Paris, was designed by architect Joaquín de Rucoba and opened in 1879.

Inside, look out for the large stained-glass window showing the port and the city, and the stalls selling fish from the Málaga coast. It opens Monday to Saturday, in the mornings.

Alicante: Mercado Central

Opened in 1921 on Avenida Alfonso el Sabio, Alicante’s Mercado Central is an eclectic building with Valencian Art Nouveau (modernista) details. Its roof lets natural light pour over the stalls.

It is the natural outlet for produce from Alicante’s market gardens, and its fish and seafood hall brings together each day’s catch from the coast. Many stalls offer tastings for visitors.

Tips for visiting food markets

• Go in the morning, when the produce has just arrived.
• Ask what is in season: the stallholders know their produce well.
• Bring your own bag or shopping trolley, as locals do.

Living here

Shopping at the market is one of the quickest ways to feel like a local. Taylor Wimpey España has new-build homes in central Palma, such as 6 Palma, on the Costa del Sol and on the Costa Blanca. Explore our homes on the Costa del Sol.