Located only five blocks from the main square in Cusco, visiting the market of San Pedro is a splendid introduction to the day-to-day life in the city. I’ve visited the market three times and I can attest that the area will keep you entertained (and fed) for hours. By strolling the stalls, you’ll learn a lot about the Andean culture and you’ll be distracted seeing a lot of strange things for sure.
The market has a small section with touristy gifts, but most of its sheer size is dedicated to food: rows and rows of fruit juice stalls (with the women literally screaming for your attention), about twenty shops dedicated to chocolate, roasted cuy (guinea pigs) sold from baskets, exotic products from the Amazon, herbal remedies, piles of coca leafs, a large chicken soup section, the heavy smell of cheeses, offal sold on the counter, a huge corner with prepared meals such as ceviche, pollo a la brasa, lomo saltado and accompanied by chichi morada to wash it all away, and the sight of the sacrificed baby llamas and flowers in between. It feels as if this market is as authentic as Peru comes. Above all; it’s fun to see the women – often with their babies on their backs in typical blankets – who sell it all!
