Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [85]
Quality pisco can be bought duty-free at the airport just prior to departure (see boxed text, Click here).
Handicrafts
Small shops selling crafts dot the major tourist areas around Pasaje de los Escribanos in Central Lima, and near the intersection of Ernesto Diez Canseco and La Paz in Miraflores. To buy crafts directly from artisans, see the Ichimay Wari collective in Lurín (Click here).
Mercado Indio (Map; Av Petit Thouars 5245, Miraflores) The best place to find everything from pre-Columbian–style clay pottery to alpaca rugs to knock-offs of Cuzco School canvases. Prices vary; shop around.
Feria Artesanal (Map; Av de la Marina, Pueblo Libre) Slightly cheaper is this crafts market in Pueblo Libre.
Centro Comercial El Suche (Map; Av La Paz, Miraflores) A shady passageway with a jumble of handicrafts, antiques and jewelry stores.
Agua y Tierra (Map; 444-6980; Ernesto Diez Canseco 298, Miraflores; 10am-2pm & 2:30-6pm Mon-Sat) A tidy shop that specializes in crafts from the Shipibo, Aguaruna and Asháninka cultures from the Amazon.
Dédalo (Map; 477-0562; Sáenz Peña 295, Barranco) A vintage casona houses this contemporary crafts store with a lovely cafe.
La Casa de la Mujer Artesana Manuela Ramos (Map; 423-8840; www.casadelamujerartesana.com; Av Juan Pablo Fernandini 1550, Pueblo Libre; 11am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Fri), at cuadra 15 of Av Brasil, is a crafts cooperative whose proceeds support women’s economic development programs.
A number of Miraflores boutiques sell high-quality, contemporary alpaca knits, among them:
Alpaca 111 (Map; 241-3484; LarcoMar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores)
La Casa de la Alpaca (Map; 447-6271; Av La Paz 665, Miraflores)
La Casa de la Llama (Map; 242-1177, ext 113; LarcoMar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores)
Local Markets
Both of these places get crowded; watch your wallet.
Mercado Central (Map; cnr Ayacucho & Ucayali, Central Lima) From fresh fish to blue jeans, you can buy almost anything at this crowded market close to the Barrio Chino.
Need a socket wrench, a suitcase and a T-shirt of Jesus Christ wearing an Alianza Lima soccer jersey? Then Polvos Azules (Map) is the place for you. This multi-level, popular market attracts people of all social strata for a mind-boggling assortment of cheap goods.
Shopping Malls
In San Isidro, Conquistadores street (Map) is cluttered with high-end boutiques. For the full-blown Peruvian mall-rat experience, try these two popular spots.
Jockey Plaza (Map; Av Javier Prado Este 4200, Monterrico) A huge, relentlessly upscale mall bursting with department stores, boutiques, movie theaters and a food court.
LarcoMar (Map; Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores) A well-to-do outdoor mall wedged into the clifftop beneath the Parque Salazar, full of high-end clothing shops, trendy discotheques and a wide range of eateries.
Camping Equipment
These shops sell specialized clothing, backpacks and a variety of other gear:
Alpamayo (Map; 445-1671; 2nd fl, Av José Larco 345, Miraflores)
Tatoo Adventure Gear (Map; 242-1938; www.tatoo.ws; LarcoMar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores)
Todo Camping (Map; 242-1318; Angamos Oeste 350, Miraflores) Sells fuel stoves and climbing equipment.
Electronics
You’ll find rechargeable and lithium batteries, as well as computer parts, supplies and replacements at CompuPalace (Map; Av Petit Thouars 5358, Miraflores), a block-long electronics arcade.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Lima’s Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez (code LIM; Map; 517-3100; www.lap.com.pe; Callao) is stocked with the usual facilities: public phones, snack bars, restaurants, sundry stores, a pisco boutique (see boxed text, Click here), a post office and a place to store luggage (Click here). Internet access is available on the 2nd floor. For information on