If you’re looking for a Saturday adventure in Cusco, consider making a visit to Baratillo, you can find just about anything you’re looking for, as long as you know where to look.
Are you looking for antique textiles? Used books? Hiking equipment? Used clothing? Musical instruments? Furniture for your house? Fresh traditional eats? Then make a visit to Baratillo, where you can find all of these things, and much more.
The Baratillo market is located near the San Pedro market on Prolognacion Pera street. If you ask a taxi driver to take you to “Baratillo,” they will all know the way.
It is also important to be aware that making a trip to this market is not a touristy thing to do.
Theft frequently occurs at the market, but if you take precautionary measures, there will not be a problem. My advice is to take only what you need to take with you, leaving valuables at home. Take only the money that you need, and keep it somewhere safe on your body away from the potential reach of pick-pockets. Also, hold your purses, and other valuables close to yourself away from peoples’ reach. Put your backpack on your chest, and not on your back.
On Saturday mornings, the streets explode with vendors and people. It can be an overwhelming experience to visit Baratillo, and is not for everybody.
You can find just about anything you’re looking for at Baratillo, and for much cheaper than you’d find at most stores. Though many call it the “smuggler’s market,” this is not usually the case. Most vendors are honest people who choose to set up shop at the weekly market in order to supplement their income from other jobs that they have during the week
You can find fresh fruits and juices that come from all over Peru.
You can also find high quality antique textiles. There are two streets dedicated just for textiles.
There are many food stands, and ceviche is especially popular.
You can find strange and unexpected things, such as these finger puppets.
If you are looking for books about ancient Peru and about archaeology, there are several weekly vendor who offer a variety of options. Unfortunately though, many of these books are illegal photocopies.
You can find rare sacred objects, such as these ancient stones used by Andean healers which are called “Chunpis”
Or you can find rare ceramics, such as these.
This vendor and his family make a living by making by hand and selling ceramic flutes which they design as imitations of real instruments that have been found at archaeological sites.
On Bellavista street you’ll find dozens of luthier shops where you can have high-quality instruments made for you by hand, for cheap
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