Shopping in Cuenca Ecuador

Where to Shop in Cuenca

Shopping in Cuenca turned out to be really great, once I knew where to go. Below are the shops selling goods actually made by local families, the artisan market worth a stop, and the two museums to buy a real Panama hat from.

I was on a mission to find shops selling truly local made goods.  Unfortunately it can be hard to find as local markets in many countries get their “locally styled” goods from China for cheap and sell it to tourists.  At the end of the day you are still supporting a local shop owner or local that has a stand in a market so it is not terrible.  But it is important to us to try and support both a local store owner and a local artisan who made the product.

Shopping in Cuenca Ecuador took a bit more time and effort than I anticipated.  After searching online and on foot for many days, these are the best places I found…hopefully this will save you time on your trip.

Casa Yangoe

Casa Yangoe is my favorite shop in Cuenca and it has it all!  I mean it, you can pretty much find anything you would want as a souvenir or gift.  Everything is made by local families and the tag attached to the product has the name of the family that made it and how many hours went into crafting that particular item.

The leather goods were really high quality.  I actually bought that little black backpack in the photo below and I wear it daily.  It was $60 USD, easily would have been more than $100 in the US and it was hand made.  The variety of products sold far exceeded any other store I found.

In addition to clothes, leather goods, table runners, hats, etc., they also had their own label of essential oils, lip balms, chocolates, craft beer, and a nice selection of jarred food products.

They even served dinner in a cute courtyard at the back of their store, which you can read more about on our Cuenca Eats page.  Below is the sando Dawson had.

If you go to just one store in Cuenca, I highly encourage it to be this one!  It’s also conveniently located just a couple blocks from the main square.

www.casayangoe.com
Benigno Malo 508, Cuenca, Ecuador

Morfo

Morfo is owned by a younger local who designs all of the products in her store (that is her behind the plant in the photo below).  She is so nice and easy to talk to.  She also speaks fluent English if you don’t speak Spanish. You can find things like pillows, mugs, purses, shoes, clothing and jewelry here.

I picked up a few gifts and a color block sweater she designed.  A great store if you are looking for truly unique items.  It is located not too far from San Sebastian Plaza.

www.fairtrade.ec
Mariscal Sucre 14-96 Y, Cuenca 010111, Ecuador

This store had some pretty trendy items and a few funny items if you are looking for some humor.  It is a collaborative work space with areas for artisans to manufacture their goods.  They often have an artisan in the shop making their products for you to watch first hand and engage with.  It was a pretty interesting little shop, and unlike any other place I saw in Cuenca.  It is just a block or so off the main square, conveniently located if you want to stop in.

https://www.facebook.com/huma.colab/
C. Luis Cordero & Pdte. Córdova, Cuenca, Ecuador

AYNI

High quality hand made artisan crafts are sold at AYNI.  The shop looks a bit like a gallery and mostly sells pieces that would function as art in one’s home.   I ended up getting a nice woven basket here.  They are popular in the region and abundant in the markets but the baskets at AYNI seemed to be higher quality for not too much more cost.

https://www.facebook.com/AyniArtesaniasCuenca/
C. Luis Cordero 7-26, Cuenca 010101, Ecuador

Mercado de Artesanias Rotary

The Artisan market is located near the Mercado 9 de Octubre.  It is a smaller square with several locally owned stalls selling artisan crafts.  Cuenca is known for their woodworking and weaving so you will find many trinkets and goods in those categories.

I like to think everything at this market is locally made, but many times in larger markets like this they also sell locally looking products that are made in China.  I picked up some woven baskets and placemats here.  I am happy with the quality for the price.  These prices will be better than in a brick and mortar store and you can negotiate the price with the shop owner.  At the end of the day you are supporting the local who owns the stall, and getting a well priced souvenir.

Vargas Machuca 1127, Cuenca, Ecuador

Where to buy that famous Panama Hat

You can find the Panama style hat in many stores throughout the city as they originated here in Cuenca.  However, if you are looking for a single place with a lot of options, my suggestion is to hit one of the museums as they have a large variety of hats to choose from.

Homero Ortega Hats

This museum was our favorite of the two we visited, but it is closer to the airport and we needed to take a short taxi ride to get there.  It had a large onsite production facility and more information than the museum in the historic center (more on that one next).  The above photo is the seamstress room where they make alterations and add the finishing touches to the hats.  We purchased our hats here and are very happy with the style and quality.  You can read more about our full experience at this museum and the next on our See & Do in Cuenca page.

www.homeroortega.com
4254+JR3, Av. Gil Ramírez Dávalos, Cuenca, Ecuador

Shopping in Cuenca With Kids

Almost every shop on this page sits within a few blocks of the main square or San Sebastian Plaza, so the whole thing works as one walk instead of a day of taxis. That matters more than it sounds when you are the one carrying the bags and the youngest is done.

If you only have the patience for one stop, make it Casa Yangoe. They serve dinner in the courtyard at the back of the store, so the shopping turns into a meal without anyone walking another block, and you can read about that meal on our Cuenca eats page.

Humā Colab is the one to save for a restless kid. There is often an artisan working right there in the shop, so there is something to watch instead of a rack of things not to touch. The artisan market on Vargas Machuca is the other easy one, because prices there are negotiable and it is a low pressure place to let a kid pick out their own souvenir.

For the Panama hats, pick your museum based on the day you are having. Homero Ortega is closer to the airport, so it takes a short taxi ride, and it is the better stop if anyone is genuinely curious about how the hats are made. Museo Del Sombrero De Paja Toquilla is right in the historic center and free to visit, which makes it the easier choice with a tired kid. Both are covered on our things to do in Cuenca with kids page.

Before you go, our Cuenca travel tips page covers the money side of shopping here, and the Cuenca with kids hub has the rest of what we learned.

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