Lima Shopping Tips by AKtravelers

We shopped in two ditinct areas of Lima. The first was in the shops around the Plaza de Armas in downtown and the second was at the Inka Market and nearby shops in Miraflores. Many times, the same items were cheaper downtown than in Miraflores. Probably because Miraflores has more money.
Still, the Inka Market and other Peruvian malls in Miraflores have a greatyer variety and higher quality of Peruvian goods. We found an exquisite silver and coral necklace in Miraflors as well as an beautiful watercolor by an up-and-coming artist who wasabout to exhibit in Puerto Rico.
On balance, things were much cheaper than they are in the U.S. and the price difference is about 5-20 soles (2-7 U.S. Dollars). In the end, it's not much to worry about.
By the way, you should bargain for everything in these markets.



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Theme: Gifts

The Inka markets in Miraflores have a wide variety of products from the Andes that are excellent souvenirs of Peru. After a while, many of the stuff in the shops looks the same. Still, there are some interesting things to be had, and we made plenty of purchases. I bought Andrea an interesting alpaca cape/scarf combo for Valentine's day at the shop in this picture. Andrea later found some excellent jewelry and a nice watercolor. On the whole, the vendors are extremely friendly and Sarah ended up exchanging e-mails with one. That adds to the pleasure of shopping here.
Remember, you must bargain for everything. More than once, a shopkeeper muttered to me that andrea drives a hard deal.

What To Buy: Certainly, one should buy alpaca products, such as sweaters, capes and blankets-- they are very warm on cold damp nights. Silver is the local metal, and turquoise is also native of Peru, so look for jewelry with those combinations.


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Theme: Local Craft
Directions: A few blocks northeast of Park Kennedy is where the markets are located.