The daily market in Chivay's plaza area is a good place to stock up on supplies before heading deeper into the Colca Canyon — and to get a sense of the valley's agricultural abundance. The Colca Valley is one of the most extensively terraced agricultural regions in the Americas, and the market reflects this: corn in a dozen colours, potatoes, quinoa, freeze-dried chuño, fresh cheese, and meat.
The market is liveliest on Sunday mornings, when producers come in from the surrounding villages. Look for the embroidered textiles and hats worn by women from different communities — each village in the valley has its own distinct pattern, a tradition that the Inca used to track populations and that has survived into the present.