The Museo de Arte Indígena ASUR (Antropólogos del Surandino) is one of the best ethnographic museums in South America. It documents the two indigenous textile traditions of the Sucre region — the Jalq'a, whose dense black-and-red cloths swarm with phantasmagorical animals from the underworld, and the Tarabuco, whose finer, more orderly weavings tell stories of farming, ritual, and conquest. The contrast between the two cultures, who live within 100 km of each other, is striking.
The museum doubles as a workshop. Weavers from both communities work on backstrap looms in a sunlit room at the back of the colonial house, and you can usually watch them — and buy directly from them at fair-trade prices. ASUR is a non-profit that has revived several traditions that were almost lost, and the project has done as much for the communities as it has for the museum's collection. Located in the converted Caserón de la Capellanía at the foot of the Recoleta hill, the museum is an easy stop on the walk up to or down from the mirador.