The Sarape de Saltillo — a brightly striped blanket woven from wool — is one of the most recognisable craft products in Mexico, and Saltillo is where it originated. The distinctive geometric designs, radiating outward from a central diamond, were so influential that they spread across Latin America and into the American Southwest. You can find sarapes for sale throughout the city centre, but the Mercado Juárez, a couple of blocks from the Plaza de Armas, is the most concentrated place to look.
Quality varies considerably. The finest sarapes are hand-woven on traditional looms and expensive; machine-made versions are common and much cheaper. If you want to see the real thing, ask at the tourist office (located inside the Palacio de Gobierno) about visiting workshops in Tlaxcala neighbourhood, where a few families still weave sarapes in the traditional manner.