Where to Get Interesting Souvenirs in Lima
I love having a memento from my trip: something that captures my time there, the culture, or something about the country that I can look at fondly. But the average souvenir is, let’s face it, underwhelming. Another colorful magnet probably made by the same producer in China? If it looks like I could buy it in an airport, I don’t want it!
I also hate going to flea markets. It tends to be the same kitschy stuff (and now, lots of AI-generated art) that I could get anywhere in the world. If I am taking the time to buy something, I want to feel excited about buying it.
Luckily, Lima has many fantastic shopping options. Here’s what I bought (and a few that I wish I bought) on my last trip to Lima.
Where to Go: Barranco
Barranco is the neighborhood with the most shopping options by far. There are many shops on Avenida San Martín and near the Jade Rivera museum, where tour groups stop to buy paintings, Peruvian textiles, and alpaca wear.
Those are perfectly fine, but personally I would keep walking. Deeper into Barranco, there are also many indie shops where you can find souvenirs that are more interesting and less boilerplate.
These were my favorite shops.
Cautro en un Baúl
Peruvian food is maybe my favorite cuisine (at least top three) because everyone in Peru takes it so seriously. I came to Lima to take Spanish lessons in 2024, and instead of chatting about the weather or whatever, people would ask me before they even asked where I was from: "What Peruvian food have you tried? They always had suggestions for what to try next.
Lima has become a food mecca-even the local chains (I could eat La Lucha every day), and the mediocre restaurants are pretty good compared to other cities. So I wanted souvenirs that reflected this passion for food.
The obsession with food runs in the language. A lot of Peruvian slang is food-related. If something is easy, it’s papaya; if something is difficult, it is yucca. I found a lot of my Spanish lessons to be very yucca. This book of Peruvian slang by Rafael Lafranco, in the shop Cautro en un Baúl on Calle Cajamarca, covers all the slang you need to know.
The shop also has a lot of clothing items featuring Lafranco’s designs, as well as offbeat versions of regular home souvenirs like throw pillows, rugs, and furniture. Plus, I caught one of the employees napping on the merchandise.
Tienda Exquisito Perú
This shop is on the touristy side, but I don’t think that it should be discounted for that reason- at the end of the day, I was visiting there as a tourist, after all. I only wish more tourist shops put as much thought into their offerings as this one!
They offer tastings as well as a bunch of different kinds of Peruvian food-related souvenirs. I bought a “pan con chicharron” recipe magnet that I love. My only regret is not getting a chicha morada one, too. The illustrations are done by a local artist, and the recipes are available in tea towel and postcard versions, too.
I also bought a small bottle of hot sauce made with the local aji amarillo pepper. It was a little too heavy on the vinegar, and I realized I prefer the hotter rocoto pepper more than aji amarillo, but the bottle was very pretty. It would make a good gift for any foodie friends.
Fashion
Peru is the home of pima cotton, a softer and tougher cotton that makes wonderful clothes. Barranco is home to many small Peruvian fashion brands that use natural materials and put their own spin on things. I bought a pima-cotton pufferfish T-shirt from the whimsical Origen brand, located behind the +51 concept store. It’s ridiculously soft!
The +51 concept store offers more “cool older sister” options, sourcing vintage from around the country, as well as locally designed wooden-framed sunglasses and costume jewelry.
I also really regret not buying this Hercules atelier bag from the Onism Barranco store when I had the chance.
Next time!