Plaza de Armas de Andahuaylillas
Ringed by towering pisonay coral trees whose scarlet blossoms glow against the Andean sky, Andahuaylillas' Plaza de Armas is widely considered one of the most beautiful village squares in the entire Cusco region. Slow down, sit on a bench and let the town come to you.
A Living Colonial Stage Set
The plaza's centrepiece trees — pisonay, also called coral trees — are ancient giants whose gnarled trunks and crimson flowers frame the church façade in a way that no landscape architect could improve upon. Palm trees fill the gaps, giving the square a surprisingly lush, almost tropical warmth at 3,100 metres.
Cobblestone lanes radiate outward from the square past well-preserved adobe houses with tiled roofs, their walls the colour of dried earth. Walking these streets for even twenty minutes gives you a far more honest portrait of Andean village life than any tour bus stop.
Artisan Shops & Local Producers
Ringing the plaza you'll find artisan stalls and small workshops where Andahuaylillas' famously skilled silversmiths display their work — intricate pieces at prices that reflect village economics rather than Cusco tourist-district markups.
Look out for the Qewar craft workshop, a social enterprise run by local women that produces hand-sewn cloth dolls in traditional Andean dress. A few steps further, the Virgen del Carmen bakery sells corn-based snacks and breads baked fresh each morning — the ideal fuel before or after the church visit.
Best Time to Linger
Sunday mornings are magical: after the 10:30 am Mass, local families spill out of the church and fill the plaza, children in their finest clothes and elders in traditional dress. The atmosphere is warm, unhurried and entirely authentic.
The Fiesta de San Isidro Labrador on 15 May brings processions, Andean music and the ritual blessing of seeds — a blend of Catholic and pre-Hispanic agricultural ceremony that has been performed here for centuries.
Plaza de Armas de Andahuaylillas on video
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