Shopping in Peru

It’s not easy to define Peru in one word. Its culture, nature, jungles, tombs, and what not. Peru is the embodiment of all things spectacular in a traveler’s mind. When it comes to shopping in Peru, you should expect nothing less!

You’ll find eccentric handicrafts, leather, clothes, shoes, rugs, and so much more in the bustling markets of Peru. The country Lima is popular for shoes and clothing shopping. Soles or Dollars are accepted as currency for payment at shopping centers. Also, master card and visa are accepted as method of payments. The shopping hours are from 9 am to 6 pm. Bargain is the way to go at any market in Peru.

If you’re looking for branded stuff, then head for Oechsle, Ripley and Saga Falabella. Here you’ll find branded and local clothes, shoes, perfumes, beauty products, electrical appliances, home decoration etc. Ceramics are found in the Pablo Seminario in Urubamba. Pre-Columbian style motifs are the show of this market.



Plazas in Lima

Plaza San Miguel is a medium sized mall which was opened up to the public in 1970s. It still exists today more modernized and extended. It is located in the largest city of Peru, which is Lima. You’ll find a lot of variety over here and fabulous dining options as well.

Besides shopping, you can also watch a movie, fill your car with gas, get a taxi etc. Sometimes, there are concerts going on in this mall too. The shopping is quite economical here and it’s even great for window shopping and just hanging out with friends.

Besides that, Centro Commericial and Jockey Plaza are also big malls in Lima. Centro Commercial is an extravagant indoor shopping center on Camino Real in Lima. Jockey Plaza is one of those upscale malls built in 1997. It is a huge complex with departmental stores, boutiques, movie theatres, bowling arena, and restaurants. It is in Santiago de Surco in Lima.



Souvenirs and Handicrafts

You can find great souvenirs in artisan markets in Minaflores and La Marina. You’ll find amazing handicrafts including silver jewelry, silverware, clothes made of alpaca, t-shirts, pottery, paintings, gem stones etc. Other places where you can find handicrafts are Chinchero, Pisac Sunday Market, Aguas Calientes, and Puerto Maldanado. The cheapest handicrafts are however available at Indian Handicraft Stores in Lima.

Pisac’s Crafts Market is extremely famous amongst tourists for its high variety of souvenirs and great prices. The vendors come in their local dress which itself is a fascinating sight to see. You’ll find local cultural clothes over here like Andean textiles, including rugs, alpaca sweaters, and ponchos.



Wool Fabrics and Textiles

If you’re looking for wool fabrics or silver jewelry in Cusco, you should head to Barrio de San Blas. The neighborhood of this market is full of artisans and galleries beyond compare. You can artists live in action in this market.

Isa Taquille sells the best textile in Peru. Embodied waistbands are wool stocking caps are more famous amongst tourists than anything else from this market. It’s a bit expensive than usual textile markets but it’s definitely worth it.

Have you gone shopping in Peru? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits: Fabric Shopping by Itenerant Tightwad/ Clothes by Itenerant Tightwad/ Shopping by comicpie/ Lima by Yotut

Shop till You Drop in Venezuela

Beyond political headlines and beauty pageants, Venezuela is in itself a country boosting with incredible tourist destinations and impeccable shopping options. Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, offers some of the most prudent shopping arenas in South America. Homegrown products such as chocolate, cigar, and gold are amongst the most shopped items.

1. Souvenir Shopping

If you’re planning to take some gifts back home for your friends, then souvenir shopping is done best at Centro Artesenal Los Goajiros and Casa Curuba. Centro Artesenal is known for its Orinoco crafts such as bags, caps, wallets etc. Casa Caruba offers a wide selection of carved hardwood products such as picture frames, boxes, bowls, miniature statues, dolls, furniture, and art. The dark wood souvenirs in Venezuela are especially popular amongst tourists.



2. Hammocks

Venezuela is popular for its hammocks since they originated from here. If you come to Venezuela and not buy one, it would not complete your trip. Hammocks are great for your garden where you can tie them and lie down on a summer day enjoying nature around you. The finest Hammocks are sold at Hannsi in El Hattilo. Besides hammocks, you’ll also find papier-mâché devil masks, and stuffed piranhas in Hannsi.

3. Gold

If you want to buy gold jewelry from the country, then head to Southern Venezuela. Some miners actually sell the gold they dug out themselves from the mines so you can be assured that it is real and of the purest form. You can also bargain on jewelry from miners. Edificio de Francia is the biggest gold shopping mall in Caracas with 100 jewelry stores.

4. Shopping Malls

• Centro Sambil is one of the high scale malls of the country. You’ll find all brands over here along with banks, internet cafes etc. It boasts itself as the largest mall in South America with five levels. It has 500 shops, restaurants, theatres, and amusement park rides.
• Central Comercial Ciudad Tamanaco is an upscale mall known for its cinemas, boutiques, fast-food chains. It is located in Las Mercedes in Caracas.
• El Recreo is a recent mall built in Bello Monte, Caracas which is popular for its amazing food court. It is open from 10 am to 9 pm from Monday to Saturday.
• San Ignacio mall is known for its hip nightlife and brands such as Guess, Swatch, Dockers, Merrel etc. It is located in one of the posh areas of the city, La Castellana. It has won several awards for its fascinating architecture.
• El Mercado market is an outdoor market where you’ll find everything you can think of. It covers almost 10 acres and sells a variety of goods from fruit to clothing

Other important things which you can buy from the country are chocolate and tobacco. They are locally grown and are available throughout the country. Venezuelan cigars are especially popular amongst tourists. Chocolates and cigars are also available on airports. Besides the ones mentioned above, other shopping options include Beco (camping), Dulces Criollos (Candy), Artesania Altamira (basket work), Centro Lido, Maquita (wood carvings), Corporación Verotex (camping), Metrocenter, Merida (handicrafts), Merida Prinicpal, etc.

Have you been to Venezuela? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): Caracas by Marcio Cabral de Moura