Weaving cooperatives
Dye, spin, weave.
GeraldFoster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Melissamarzo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · milan gonzalez from Lima, Peru — CC BY 2.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chuck Moravec — CC BY 2.0
An Andean town on a high plateau between Cusco and the Sacred Valley, about 3,760 metres up, looking out on distant snowy peaks. The Inca emperor Túpac Inca Yupanqui had an estate here, which left wide farming terraces and stone walls beneath the colonial town. Chinchero is known for its traditional weaving: in its cooperatives, women in red traditional dress show how they wash alpaca wool with plant roots, dye it with colours from plants and insects, then spin it and weave it on hand looms in patterns handed down through generations. On the old square stands a colonial church built on Inca stone foundations, and every Sunday villagers hold a market selling vegetables and textiles. From the Inca terraces below the town there are wide views over mountains and valleys. Most Sacred Valley tours stop here on the way from Cusco. Buying from the cooperatives supports families directly; prices are higher than at the markets but for genuine handwork. The site sits at about 3,760 metres, so acclimatise for a day or two in Cusco first.
Dye, spin, weave.
Mountain views.
Produce and textiles.
Chinchero town, on the plateau between Cusco and the Sacred Valley, about 30 km north-west of Cusco
Handwoven alpaca and sheep-wool textiles from the cooperatives, where you see how they are made, so the money goes straight to the weavers.