The World's Coolest Farmers' Markets Slideshow

A feast for every last sense, La Boqueria Market is as historically significant as it is adored by food-lovers from around the world. Officially opened in this sanctioned space in 1853, La Boqueria is on the travel wish list of every chef and gastronome who has yet to discover it; it's filled to the brim with the brightest and freshest products you can find, with fish stalls, wine shops, butchers, and fresh produce vendors lining every wall.

When London's best purveyors of artisanal food and drink products and the clever owners of a nearby coffee house come together in a small, hidden away gated side street in the city, they make for great things — namely, Maltby Street Market. Back in 2009, Monmouth Coffee opened the doors to their warehouse on Saturdays to curious public and now they're joined every week by local artisans like Neal's Yard Dairy, Kernel Brewery, and Fern Verrow's fresh fruits and vegetables.

Hosted by the same people who turned Brooklyn Flea Market into a weekly, rousing success, Smorgasburg is an all-food flea market. Filling the Williamsburg Waterfront every Saturday are local Brooklyn and New York City food vendors like DuMont Burger, Blue Bottle Coffee, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Dough (serving piping hot dougnuts), and Brooklyn Oyster Party (pictured) who bring their best for Brooklynites and the tourists that flock there. What started mere months ago has become a venerable food destination.

There is no better place to see Richmond, B.C.'s melting pot culture than at the Summer Night Market. From dumplings to Dragon's Beard candy and bubble tea to barbecue duck wraps, a multitude of cuisines are represented at the market, which showcases British Columbia's sizeable Asian community. Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese foods are all on offer here with a side of Italian food, and plenty of Latin dancing and singing to round out the group.

On Oahu's North Shore, you will find the state's self-proclaimed greenest farmers' market: the Hale'iwa Farmers' Market. It's small, but packs a punch. Held every Sunday, the market brings nearly 50 vendors together who offer freshly caught fish, homemade breads, colorful fruits and vegetables, and local treats in a zero-waste environment. Many of the vendors' stalls are solar-powered and all of them have stunning views of the mountains nearby. 

Over 60 years ago, the Ningxia Night Market housed only clothes and accessories vendors. Coming to its senses, it is now top-to-bottom food. From 4:30 p.m. every afternoon, the market buzzes with locals and visitors looking for a generous array of Taipei's mouth-watering street foods like dumplings, bamboo shoots, sweet peanut soups, and oyster omelets. Walking through the bright lanes of food stalls, each with colorful signs and foods on display is a fully sensorial experience.

What could be more romantic than strolling through the charming Southern town of Charleston on a Saturday morning toward the Farmers' Market? Stop to fill your basket with cheeses from Giddy Goat, meats from Meathouse, fresh pasta from Rio Bertolini, and fresh berries from Hickory Bluff Nursery and Berry Farm. Everything, including the jewels and crafts, showcase the talents of local purveyors.

At its most active on Saturday mornings, Castries Market is an open-air market that truly lets visitors soak up the island lifestyle. One guy at the end of the brightly colored marketplace will slice open a coconut for you to enjoy the juice and coconut meat, while a woman on the other end will guide you through her collection of spices and herbs. Vendors also sell local treats like sweet potato pudding and banana chutney.

Boasting one of the best views in the city of angels, Yamashiro is a well-established Japanese restaurant tucked up in the Hollywood Hills. Now every Thursday evening, they've offered up part of their parking lot as the Yamashiro LA City Farm where vendors and food trucks come to serve throngs of Angelenos the best of their wares. CoolHaus ice cream (pictured) mingles with Bolani Afghan Food, and Brothers Hummus hangs out with Global Soul Food, while the Yamashiro Grill serves short ribs, miso-sake glazed black cod, and Thai chicken satay.

The Sicilian city of Palermo is home to many food markets that attract home cooks, local chefs, and visitors, but perhaps the best known and most bustling is Capo Market. You enter through the old city's gates and experience the sights and smells of Italian food at its simplest. Think Italian blood oranges, artichokes, freshly caught fish, and homemade breads filling the small, winding streets around you.