Chasing Bargains – Where Are The Best Flea Markets In Spain?

By Nancy Todd         Comments by:  Negu, The Blogdog

Your Scoopettes, Regina and I, love a good flea market for spending money in Spain.  We get up early, hit the bargains when the air is cool, have a delicious Spanish coffee and carouse.  The Blogdog doesn’t want to go.

Flea markets are big, especially in Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, and Seville. Bargains include: old chandeliers with frilly, frosted shades, watches – 12 euros, mounds of tangled zippers.

A vendor is yelling, “Cell phones, 15 euros” (we know those came from a pocket on the Metro).  Rolls of fabric, hammers, handerchiefs, Houdini dolls.  Sparkly scarves, saws and a stuffed fox. Bins of underpants, back scratchers, and barrels.   Mardi gras beads,  toys and trucks. My eyes blur with all the stuff, like a landscape through a train window.

A personal favorite is a stylin’ 1920′s yellow and white striped celluloid cigarette holder.  I don’t smoke but it would accessorize the mother-of-pearl opera glasses I can’t live without.  I would like to start a collection of aqua, green and blue heavy glass seltzer bottles, but I am not into collecting stuff.

There is definitely a run on Catholic memorabilia at the markets - a sociological indicator (based on Scoopometer statistics) if you ask me.  Holy medals guaranteed to bring good luck, a floral edged china plate with a mournful Jesus, rosaries (could make good earrings with those), and a bunch of crucifixes.  Used crucifix anyone?  One vendor had a bunch of wooden holy figures, all depressed, including Jesus with a thumb in his mouth.  Maybe the catholic church is unloading as a fund raiser.  I think they should sell Michelangelos Pieta and call it even–open up all those  schools they closed and pay off the abuse victims.

Here is the rundown on the big four:

1.  Madrid: El Rasto. In the medieval neighborhood, huge.  Sunday, 9 – 2.  Where:  Ribera de Curtidores, Plaza de Cascarro

2.  Seville: Mercadillo de Alameda.  Sunday.  Plaza Almeda de Hercules.  In the Macarena neighborhood.  Also sells crafts, fruits and vegetables.   Anther market, Mercadillo de la Alfalfa,is on Plaza de la Alfalfa.  Sells birds, dogs, chipmunks, pet food and pigeons.  Just what I wanted, a pigeon.  Sundays.

3.  Barcelona: Los Encantes, Glories Plaza.  Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday.  Bar with great coffee on the southside.  Changing rooms near the bathrooms with a grumpy attendant you tip.

4.  Granada: Plaza Larga Market.  Saturday and Sunday.  In the Albazin neighborhood with 15th century buildings.  Flowers, stuff and more stuff, fruits, vegetables, clothes, shoes.

Get there earlier than the published starting times.  Bargains sell fast.  Watch your wallet.

Negu, The Blogdog comments: “Flea markets?   No, no, no.  You must be joking.  Why would any self-respecting dog, especially moi, want to go to a flea market?”

What are your top bargains at a flea market?  Please answer in the comments box below.

Need a hotel?  Check out hotels in Barcelona, Seville,  Granada