21 Best Places to Shop in Lima, Peru

Housed in a restored mansion on Barranco's stately Avenida Sáenz Peña, this Aladdin's cave–like tienda specializes in contemporary work, as opposed to the traditional handicrafts sold by most shops. It's packed with the colorful creations of dozens of independent artists and artisans, including an impressive selection of jewelry. The little café in the back garden is a pleasant spot to take a breather while traipsing around Barranco.

The tiny but charming La Floristeria, in front of the Pasaje El Suche complex, is filled with quality handicrafts from a select group of artisans: hand-painted trays, ceramic-figure-packed retablos ayacuchanos (decorative, portable altar boxes that depict religious events), jewelry, weavings, candles, and other colorful collectables.

Ceramics, hand-painted or embroidered fabrics, and other handicrafts of the country´s Amazonian tribes decorate the windows of this small shop two blocks east of Parque Miraflores, but it also has some Andean handicrafts.

One of several shops in Miraflores specializing in alpaca clothing, All Alpaca sells sophisticated sweaters, ponchos, coats, and more. There's a second shop at Avenida José Larco 1005.

This colorful store in the heart of Miraflores's shopping district has some lovely clothing, as well as a small selection of handwoven tapestries.

On a quiet street one block east of busy Avenida Grau, this shop is in the home of Mari Solari, who has been selling handcrafted goods and folk art for decades. She works with some of the best artisans in the Andes and Amazon basin. Ring the doorbell and someone will let you in.

Brooding saints dominate the walls of this small shop, which also has some interesting ceramic and silver figures. It's open only for a few hours in the afternoon and evening, but the owners live nearby and are happy to open the store at other times if you give them a call.

One of several small antiques shops in the Pasaje El Suche (a small, colonial-style complex), El Nazareno has an eclectic selection of antique statues and religious art, as well as handicrafts such as woven rugs.

It's unlikely you'll find gold jewelry elsewhere as distinctive as the pieces at H. Stern. The well-regarded South American chain specializes in designs influenced by pre-Columbian art. There are also branches in the Larco Herrera Museum, the Miraflores Park Hotel, and the airport.

If you're looking for silver jewelry, gifts, or household items, you can't do better than the chic designs of Ilaria, which also has small shops at Calle Los Eucaliptos 578, next to the Country Club Lima Hotel, in the lobby of The Westin, and at the airport.

On a quiet street in San Isidro, Indigo invites you to wander through at least half a dozen different rooms filled with unique items. There's a selection of whimsical ceramics inspired by traditional designs, as well as modern pieces. In the center of it all is an open-air café.

Lots of stores stock clothing made of alpaca, but Kuna is one of the few to also offer articles made from vicuña, a cousin of the llama that produces the world's finest and most expensive wool. The shop offers an excellent selection of scarves, sweaters, shawls, and coats in an array of colors and styles. Kuna has a second branch in the Larcomar shopping center.

Excellent-quality goods can be found at La Portada del Sol. In this miniature mall, the vendors show off their wares in glass cases lighted with halogen lamps. Some accept credit cards.

This open-air shopping center is one of Miraflores's big crowd-pleasers. It's built into the cliff at the end of Avenida José Larco, so it's almost invisible from the street. The dozens of shops, bars, and restaurants are terraced, and some of them have impressive views of the coast and ocean below.

Its official name is El Mercado Municipal Gran Mariscal Ramón Castilla, but limeños refer to this sprawling market as simply "El Mercado Central." Here hundreds of vendors display the ingredients of the city's varied cuisine, from hooks hung with slabs of meat to trays piled high with seafood. There are also wheels of cheese stacked above tubs of olives, open sacks full of dried potato chunks or ají peppers, and bundles of spices that double as natural remedies. If you want the see the real Peru, this is it.

Ask a local about the best place for handicrafts in Lima, and you'll probably be told to go to Mercado Indio. The selection ranges from mass-produced souvenirs to one-of-a-kind pieces, and since most vendors will bargain, you can often get very good deals.

Conveniently located on busy Avenida José Larco, this popular shop offers a colorful mix of alpaca clothing with lovely designs. The selection includes sweaters, shawls, coats, hats, and scarves. They also have shops in the Larcomar shopping center and in the JW Marriott Hotel