Market · Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)

Mercado de Abastos

Tucked a short walk from the train station, the Mercado de Abastos is where Aguas Calientes residents actually shop and eat — a refreshing contrast to the tourist-priced restaurants lining the main avenue. Squeeze in between stalls piled with jungle fruit, sacks of dried herbs, and the intoxicating smell of something simmering on a gas burner upstairs.

Two Floors, Two Worlds

The ground floor is a working provisions market where locals buy their daily vegetables, meat, and dry goods. Produce here is more expensive than in Cusco due to the remote location and train-only access, but the atmosphere is entirely authentic and unhurried.

Head upstairs and the energy shifts: the second floor is lined with small food counters run by local women serving set lunches (menu del día) of soup, a main course, and a drink for around 8–10 soles — less than three US dollars. Dishes rotate daily but typically include fried trout from the Urubamba River, lomo saltado, or a hearty Andean potato soup.

Several juice counters squeeze fresh tropical fruit to order, and a handful of coffee and sandwich stalls open early enough to fuel you before the first Machu Picchu bus departs.

Eating Like a Local

Freshwater trout is the star ingredient in Aguas Calientes, sourced locally and appearing on almost every counter upstairs — grilled, fried, or in a citrusy ceviche. Pair it with a glass of chicha morada, the sweet purple-corn drink that is Peru's unofficial national refreshment.

The market is not designed for tourists, which is precisely its charm. You are unlikely to find an English menu or glossy photographs on the wall, but a smile and pointing at whatever looks good in the pot works just fine.

When to Go

The market is busiest and best-stocked between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Arrive before 9 a.m. for the freshest produce and the most counter options upstairs. By mid-afternoon many stalls begin to wind down.

It is an ideal first stop on the morning of your Machu Picchu visit — grab a quick breakfast of fresh juice and a sandwich for a fraction of what the hotel buffet charges.

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