Shopping in Peru - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Peru is not the best place to shop. But there are many interesting handicrafts here. They are absolutely unique. Indigenous peoples have spent centuries improving their skills in making products made from llama, alpaca, and vicuna wool. Alpaca products are very warm and soft. This can be ponchos, Peruvian hats, scarves, various clothing, and gloves. Funny children's toys are also made of wool. The wool of a young alpaca (baby alpaca) is the most expensive, soft, and tender. It is obtained from animals up to 10 years of age. There are 22 natural shades of alpaca wool.

The vicuna is considered the ancestor of the alpaca from which it originated. Vicuna wool is very thin but strong and soft. Vicuna fur products are the most expensive. This is due to the fact that the animals were on the verge of extinction until recently. The locals have only recently learned to remove the fur from animals without killing them. The vicunas were practically exterminated by the 60s of the last century. Kuna boutique in Lima offers fine products made from vicuna wool.

Peruvian craftswomen weave bright and beautiful products: carpets, paintings, bedspreads, napkins, and even bags. A hand-made product will cost more than a machine-made one. Carpets can be with Inca motifs, patterns or images of the gods of the Incas. Silver is very cheap in Peru. Local jewelers create real masterpieces. Products with Coca leaves are worth noting from food souvenirs. It can be tea or even candy. It is not allowed to export the leaves themselves from the country. Pisco (Indian moonshine) will also be a good souvenir or gift to remember the trip. You can make a lovely hot chocolate from cocoa paste. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

You can find unusual chess with figures of conquistadors and Injuns in souvenir shops. Interesting textile dolls are made in Cuzco. They are dressed in traditional national clothes. Discs with recordings of Peruvian melodies are suitable for music fans.

You can buy the most interesting and original souvenirs and handicrafts in the markets. Everything is sold at the San Pedro Bazaar in Cusco: from exotic food to clothing made from Alpaca wool. In addition, you can have a great lunch here. The Inca market in Lima (Miraflores district) is a clean, well-maintained, and well-organized place. You can buy handicrafts and souvenirs here. Gamarra is a textile market. It offers cheap clothing shopping for locals. However, you can also find interesting items of national costume here. Modelo in Chiclayo is one of the most interesting markets in the country. It is divided into several sections. One of them is the witch market. You can buy whale bones, amulets, snakeskin, and hallucinogenic cacti there.

The market in Chinchero is more of a tourist attraction than a place to shop. Barter is still in use here. The locals are dressed in traditional attire. You can taste a great fresh ceviche at the Surquillo market in Lima. It is quieter and less crowded than the huge Central market, divided into sections depending on the type of goods sold. Terminal Pesquero de Villa Maria del Triunfo is a huge fish market in Lima. You can not only shop but also eat delicious food there.

The house-museum of Peruvian art in Lima is an unusual place to shop. The owner of the museum buys products of folk artists all over the country. All museum items can be purchased. The collection is really interesting thanks to the excellent sense of style of the hostess. You can visit one of the flea markets in Lima in search of unique items and antiques.

Stores operate mainly on a schedule from 9:00 to 20:00 in Peru. But they close for Siesta from 13:00 to 15:00. Large shopping centers are open without breaks. Larcomar is the largest and most popular shopping center in Lima. This is a unique structure, masterfully inscribed in the surrounding landscape. The center is located inside the rock. You may not notice it even if you are standing next to it. Stores of imported brands are mostly located in the mall. Real Plaza is a chain of shopping centers. They are located in Lima, Trujillo, Huancayo, and more than a dozen other cities. There are hypermarkets, food courts, cinemas, and gyms in many malls of the chain. Most stores sell imported goods. La Rambla in Lima is a luxury, new, modern shopping mall. There are Real Plaza, Centro Comercial Plaza Imperial, Centro Comercial Confraternidad, and several other shopping centers of different sizes in Cusco.

Sol is the official currency. But you can pay with dollars in some places, in markets, for example. It is not profitable to pay in euros. In addition, they are almost never accepted. You can try bargain in markets and small stores. However, this is not a good idea. Peruvians do not like it and do not welcome it. The maximum discount that can be achieved does not exceed 15%.