Puno Shopping

Two blocks down from Parque Pino, on Arbulu Street, is the hectic city Market – a sprawling collection of people, goods, and local food. This bustling market is worth a visit in order to glimpse the wide collection of products characteristic of the highlands – such as the amazing variety of potatoes, ranging from the hard, freeze-dried papa seca that looks distinctly like dried fruit, to purple potatoes and yellow-orange speckled olluco tubers. The Puno region is in fact the proud birth place of the cultivated potato.

Located across the train tracks is the artisan’s section of the market, also a great place to browse through a number of Alpaca goods, such as thick colorful blankets, ponchos, and sweaters, which can be purchased at a considerably lower cost than in Cusco. Alongside these local specialities are miniature reed boats like those so abundantly for sale on Lake Titicaca.