Cusco is known for its amazing scenery and access to the incredible Macchu Picchu. While in the city, you can also do a little shopping.
Because the mountain air in Cusco is cooler than other parts of Peru, you may find yourself wanting an extra layer of protection. To meet this need, Cusco has numerous indoor/outdoor markets offering handcrafted knitwear. While waiting for the next phase of your trip, you can shop for unique sweaters, hats and scarves.
On day two in Cusco, I found myself wandering into a market stacked wall-to-wall with colorful handmade sweaters, scarves, gloves, hats and blankets.
Many of these garments are locally woven with Alpaca fiber. However, the origin and materials are not fully disclosed. Unlike your typical designer clothing products, these don’t have informative little tags inside. Most of them have no discernible brand.
I paid about 30 Peruvian soles for the sweater pictured. Shopkeepers are willing to negotiate and they’re eager to make a sale. If you’re traveling in a group, and everyone wants to get a sweater, make an offer to buy a few items and they’ll give you a good deal. If you have time, check out more than one shop before you buy.
Before booking the trip to Machu Picchu or the Inca Trail, every traveler needs a sweater to handle the cooler mountain temperatures.
The city has knitwear at every price point, from luxurious Vicuna to the affordable flea market Alpaca knits. For bargains, check out the Centro Artesanal Market located at the intersection of Avenida El Sol and Tullumayo. This enormous barn is home to many small overstocked dealers who are ready to make a deal.
Like all the big cities in Peru, Cusco has boutiques selling fashionable alpaca knitwear. These high end shops primarily cater to tourists around the Plaza de Armas. Sol Alpaca, for example, is one you’ll see throughout the country.
Center for Traditional Textiles
To shop for authentic woven garments made in the authentic Incan style, take a quick walk down Av El Sol to the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco.
If you’re lucky, you can watch a traditional weaving demonstration while shopping and learning more about this 2,000-year old craft.
By selling these quality products, the center is preserving a craft that was nearly lost to globalization. Exporters aren’t interested in these traditional styles; they demand simpler, trendier garments, which typically use synthetic fabrics and aniline dyes.
Products made here are one-of-a-kind. Watch the ladies work for a few minutes and you’ll better understand the effort, time and skill required to make a single hat, shawl, table runner or potato sack.
This Australian tourist did some shopping. Now he’s wearing a colorful woven hat.
Products made in the traditional method, selling at the local history museum.
Yankees fan selling knits from an open market in central Cusco, Peru.