4 Best Places to Shop in The North Coast and Northern Highlands, Peru

The tiny pueblo of Catacaos, 11 km (7 miles) southwest of Piura, is famous for being northern Peru's premier market for textiles, pottery, and silver and gold figurines and jewelry. Among the treasures available there are cerámicas de Chulucanas, folksy (and often humorous) clay vessels in the shape of well-fed criollo singers, chicha-bearing women, guitar players, female dancers, and more. The ceramics are made in a small village east of Piura and have been declared part of the national cultural heritage by the Peruvian government.

The market around Catacaos's Plaza de Armas, filled with street stalls and shops, is open daily until 6. Look around as much as you like, but to get the best price, only closely examine what you really want to buy. When it's time for a breather, the town has several good picanterías serving northern cuisine. To get to Catacaos, take the Pan-American Highway; a taxi costs about S/30 round-trip.

Once famed for its ceramics, weavings, and charms made by local curanderos, this indoor market now consists of a passel of clothing and specialty vendors—plus a cluster of food stalls in the back where you can enjoy a tasty chiclayano lunch on the cheap.

Beginning at the intersection of Avenida Balta and Avenida Arica, this vast and popular market sells fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit from local farms, as well as clothing, DVDs, handbags, and more. You can also ask any of the vendors to point you to the southwest corner, where you'll find an extensive mercado de brujos (witch doctor's market). As elsewhere in Peru, this is a place where dozens of herbalists, curanderos, and shamans offer their folk remedies, many of them made of dried animals like armadillos and llama fetuses. Wander around and enjoy, but don't lose your companions in the crowd, and keep a close guard on your belongings.