Chinchero is best known for its talented weavers and visiting is one of the best things to do in Cusco!

A visit to Chinchero usually takes you to a weaving demonstration. This is where women dressed in the traditional Chinchero round red hats, black skirts and embroidered red jackets show you how they make textiles.

Erlinda and her daughter Karen let me take photos of every step of the process. This is almost exactly what you’ll see in any good weaving demonstration in Chinchero.

I’m not spoiling anything here. The experience in person is so cool that no amount of photos and explanation in this blog could ruin the experience for you. You really do have to go see it for yourself. Chinchero is in the Cusco region, less than an hour from the city of Cusco. Supporting these talented artisans, who are preserving their ancestral weaving techniques, is one of the best ways travelers can help keep their indigenous culture alive.

Contact them at +51 999 544 051 to arrange a weaving demonstration with Erlinda & Karen!

You’ll see dishes with leaves and all kinds of things used to make natural dyes. There’s always a cactus with little bugs called cochineal that leave a white powder all over the cactus. A woman will pick a bug off the cactus, roll it in her hand to get the white powder off, then squish it and show you the deep red stain in her palm.

I’ve seen that demonstration at least a dozen times since my first visit to Chinchero in 2013.

It’s just as fascinating every time and I always have more questions. I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve visited Chinchero in the past ten years. It has so much more than textiles – though that’s what it’s most famous for.

Chinchero has a fantastic market, a beautiful and historic church, Inca ruins, is the trailhead for Poc Poc waterfall and one of the trails to Huchuy Q’oqso.

The kitten

I really tried to pay attention to Erlinda’s explanation of how to use a back-strap loom. She taught me the names in Quechua of each part of the loom. All I remember is that the tool made from a llama’s bone is called rooq’i. The kitten was just too distracting!

When you’re in Cusco, you’ll often see women with llamas, alpacas and lambs who pose for photo with tourists. The women with round, red hats are from Chinchero.

Many women are from Quispicanchis or Paucartambo and they have flat hats with fringe hanging down around the edges. These are all models and they accept tips for posing for photos. I always give s/5 PEN (less than $2 USD) to each woman when I take their photos.

Chinchero is on a high plateau between Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

That’s why it has the best view of the mountains that frame the opposite side of the Sacred Valley. There’s a couple spots along the road from Cusco right before you get to Chinchero where you can stop for mountain views. If you’re driving past Chinchero, stop at the Machu Qolqa archeological site, which also has fantastic views of the mountains and the valley.