Mercado Lucas De Galvéz

The Mercado Lucas De Galvez sits under a vast, corrugated metal roof that traps the scent of fresh habaneros and citrus against the humid air. It replaced a smaller open-air market in nineteen fifty-five to consolidate the city's chaotic street commerce into a single, concrete block. On the day the ribbon was cut, vendors famously refused to move their stalls inside because the new building lacked enough windows for ventilation. They stayed in the street for months until they finally surrendered to the heat.