Hualhuas

Hualhuas works in sheep and alpaca wool, and unlike the backstrap weaving of the Cusco highlands the looms here are large - upright frames and Spanish-derived pedal looms that produce broad cloth, so the output is ponchos, blankets, rugs and wall tapestries rather than narrow belts and mantas. Families run workshops from their houses along the main street, spinning, dyeing with cochineal, walnut, eucalyptus and other natural sources alongside synthetics, and weaving to order as well as for sale. The tapestries often carry Andean scenes or geometric designs and can be large. Watching the process from raw fleece through to finished cloth is straightforward here because the workshops are set up for it, and prices are lower than in Cusco for comparable work. It is one of several Mantaro craft villages and combines easily with San Jerónimo.

What you actually see

• The pedal looms - large frames producing broad cloth, ponchos and rugs.
• The dyeing - cochineal, walnut and eucalyptus alongside synthetic colours.
• The tapestries - wall pieces with Andean scenes and geometric designs.
• The workshops - families working and selling from houses along the street.

When to go

May to September. Two to three hours, combined with San Jerónimo de Tunán or Cochas. Weekdays are when workshops are working.

Honest expectations

Some goods sold are synthetic or made elsewhere - ask about fibre content. Workshops are homes with irregular hours. Little English is spoken. At 3,250 metres.

Nearby

San Jerónimo de Tunán is close; Huancayo is south down the valley.