Right under my nariz

PicaPica Plaza opened on San Antonio’s South Side in December of 2012, so I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s taken me until now to visit this 130,000-square-foot shopping center with 300 independent merchants.

I can guarantee that PicaPica’s offerings won’t be found in your cookie-cutter malls that dot America’s landscape. For those who don’t speak Spanish, pica means spicy in English. Their wares are not milquetoast (aka bland)!

I dare you

Can you find a Fiesta crown in your run-of-the-mill mall? How about a bright red guayabera that will elevate any man’s closet? Lotería cards (sizes small, medium and large)? A half dozen Baby Jesuses to bake into Three Kings Cakes? Or chicharrones (fried pig skins) that you can spice up with Valentina salsa picante and Takis fuego seasoning? I don’t think so, and that’s what makes PicaPica a place for both locals and out-of-town visitors to enjoy.

I first heard about PicaPica from one of my former students at Palo Alto College who collects anime. I went, though, because I heard there was an on-site jeweler who could do while-you-wait repair. Turns out, there are two!

Something for everyone

I visited PicaPica on a Wednesday during the day, and it was chill. I imagine that it hops on the weekends. While strolling around, I found an Our Lady of Guadalupe rebozo (shawl/blanket)–a perfect gift for my mother–in the Om Gift Shop, which also sells adorable novelty purses.

I didn’t buy it, but I loved seeing a statue of a pregnant Blessed Mother that read “Virgen de La Dulce Espera” (Virgin of the Sweet Wait/Interval). The only other pregnant Mary statue I’ve ever seen is in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Seems like La Dulce would make a great gift for a pregnant friend.

Make it a day!

PicaPica, whose slogan is Eat. Shop. Play., is located at 910 S.E. Military Drive between Flores and Roosevelt. Its hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Follow PicaPica Plaza on Instagram to stay in the loop for all of their special events, like seasonal dances, Lotería and free Zumba classes, taught by one of my former students. (Shout out to Rose!)

Bonus: San Antonio’s UNESCO World Heritage Site missions are nearby, as are several of my favorite thrift shops: Texas Thrift, Salvation Army and Community Thrift.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June 2010. Follow facebook.com/SanAntonioTouristso that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!