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The Sacred Valley is well known and highly prized for its beautiful textiles, hand-woven with alpaca and sheep’s wool and using a variety of natural and mineral dyes. Many items come from expert weavers in small indigenous communities in the surrounding mountains and are brought down to Valley markets. Also of interest are fossil remains, gemstones, and popular handicrafts of wood and ceramics. In the 3 principal artesanía markets in the Valley you’ll find very similar items, but Chinchero is recognized for having some of the best and most authentic handmade products; very often the person selling the item is the very same craftsman (something you won’t find in Pisaq, Ollantaytambo or Cusco).
Pisaq
The most famous artisans’ and antiques market in the region and one of the liveliest in Peru. Goods for sale include ponchos, tapestries, and musical instruments. The market occurs every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; Sunday, when there’s a Mass in Quechua and an appearance by town elders in the square, is by far the most popular and important market day.
Chinchero
The market at this unassuming highlands town (where the altitude is even higher than Cusco, so take it easy) is superb for browsing and purchasing authentic Andean textiles. The market is open every day but the best day to go is Sunday, when artisans from nearby (and not-so-nearby) communities bring their products. Chinchero is en route from Cusco to Urubamba, Ollanta and other parts of the Sacred Valley.
Ollantaytambo
One of the most fascinating and storied towns in the Sacred Valley, with a fabulous Inca stronghold and a living Inca old town, Ollanta also features a well-attended market. The market, aimed largely at bus-tour groups, is open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. To find more authentic and unique items, as well as have the experience of visiting a highligh community, Huilloc, which is just 25 minutes by taxi, or Patacancha, a bit farther out.
Awanacancha
This textile center is committed to keeping ancient traditional methods and techniques alive, using the wool of four varieties of South American camelids. Awanacancha is located along the route from Cusco to Pisaq, and it makes a rewarding (and free) detour.
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| QUICK LINKS |
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| Casa Andina Hotels in Valle Sagrado |
| Casa Andina Activities in Valle Sagrado |
| Cusco Travel Guide |
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More than 15 years of publications, including 220 books and guides about Peru and its environment. |
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More than 15 years of publications, including 220 books and guides about Peru and its environment, five encyclopedias and more than 1,000 articles in magazines in Peru and abroad. He is considered the most prolific publisher on ecological topics in the country in the last decade. Forest engineer, journalist, publisher, professional photographer and analyst of environmental topics, Wust is the only Peruvian to publish five articles in National Geographic magazine. Currently he is the director of Wust Ediciones. |
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Ten years crisscrossing Peru, producing 240 TV programs on diverse topics. |
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Ten years crisscrossing Peru, producing 240 TV programs on diverse topics. A journalist and writer, for nearly a decade he has directed and hosted the TV program Tiempo de Viaje, in which he travels throughout Peru (and occasionally other countries), documenting natural, historical and human scenes infrequently visited by conventional tourism. His perspective is not that of a tourist, but of a traveler, who immerses himself in what he finds and shies away from nothing in his reporting. He is also the author and/or publisher of an extensive series of books about Peruvian culture. |
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The author of 15 travel guides to cities and countries around the world, including 4 editions of Frommer’s Peru. |
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The author of 15 travel guides to cities and countries around the world, including 4 editions of Frommer’s Peru, and articles on subjects ranging from the travel industry to food and wine. A travel writer, journalist and photographer, Schlecht first traveled to Peru and trekked to Machu Picchu as a student in 1983, and he has returned repeatedly to Peru over the last two decades. He has also been a consultant on international development projects for the European Union and USAID, as well as a correspondent for a Spanish art magazine. |
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With nearly 15 years of travel experience, and having lived in different places in Peru. |
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With nearly 15 years of travel experience, and having lived in different places in Peru. Agronomist, theologist, and holding an M.A in Amazonian anthropology. He’s lived 7 years with the Aguarunan people of Alto Marañon; also in Huanchaco (Trujillo), Urubamba (Cusco), and Madre de Dios. Consultant in tourism, collaborator for several media resources and professor of Sustainable Tourism Diploma at Ruiz de Montoya University. |
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