20 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. There's another branch in Larcomar mall in Miraflores.

Ceramics, hand-painted or embroidered fabrics, and other handicrafts of Peru's Amazonian tribes decorate the windows of this small shop two blocks east of Parque Kennedy. It also has some Andean statues and retablos.

One of several shops in Miraflores specializing in alpaca clothing, All Alpaca sells sophisticated sweaters, ponchos, coats, and more.

This reputable antiques dealer stocks all manner of furniture, glass, and ceramic items. The store is frequently open during weekday business hours, but it's a good idea to contact the owners beforehand via WhatsApp to schedule a visit.

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 carries some interesting ceramic and silver figures. Hours are sporadic, but the owners live nearby and are happy to schedule appointments if you message them on WhatsApp.

Located in a tiny alleyway known as Pasaje El Suche in a colonial-style retail 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 upscale Jockey Plaza shopping mall and at Jorge Chávez 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 572 (next to the Country Club Lima Hotel), in the lobbies of the Swissôtel and the Miraflores Marriott, 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 boasts 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.

This store offers a mix of old and new, including antique paintings, ceramics, jewelry, and other collectibles.

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. Many 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.

Not a few limeños consider this the city's best bookstore. The labyrinthine shelves contain tens of thousands of titles—many of them in English.

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.

Located in a new retail complex called Mundo Alpaca Lima that doubles as an informative camelid-themed museum, this popular shop offers a colorful mix of alpaca clothing with lovely designs. The selection includes sweaters, shawls, coats, hats, and scarves. The chain also has branches in Larcomar mall, in the Casa Andina hotel in Avenida La Paz, and in the Amano Museum.