Parwa Weavers turn andean tradition into a Model of Sustainable Tourism

In the district of Chinchero, at 3,754 meters above sea level, the Andes mountains host one of the most remarkable community tourism experiences in Peru’s Sacred Valley. The Parwa Cultural Center, led by Estela Uscapi, brings together 35 families who have found in textile craftsmanship a way to generate income and preserve their cultural heritage.

The work is collective: women spin, weave, and dye, while men help with alpaca shearing, wool processing, and space maintenance. The shop attached to the center displays items ranging from 5 to 3,000 soles, including clothing, linens, home décor, and toys. Each creation carries the value of tradition and the symbolic weight of centuries of craftsmanship.

Natural dyeing and botanical practices

The entire process is manual and natural. The alpacas are raised on cold mountain slopes and fed with local grasses. After shearing, the wool is washed with “sachta,” a native root that replaces industrial soap and also serves as a natural shampoo —“better than any modern detergent,” says Estela Uscapi.

The pigments come from plants, flowers, bark, and insects collected in the region —including local species used to produce green, blue, yellow, purple, and red tones (nusque, quinsacucho, carqueja, conge flower, purple corn, cochineal powder). The dyeing process requires long boiling times (one to two hours) and combinations with lemon, alum, and volcanic stone (colpa), ensuring colors that, according to Uscapi, remain stable after many washes.

Commercialization and economic aspects

The products are sold in the center’s own store and distributed across cities throughout the country. Prices range from 5 to 3,000 soles and include garments, linens, decorative objects, toys, and utensils. The business model operates in rotating shifts: one week, certain families receive visitors; the next week, others take over —a cooperative system that sustains continuous production.

Community tourism and visitor experience

Visitors can observe several stages of the craft: feeding and shearing the alpacas, washing the wool, spinning, natural dyeing, and weaving. In addition to workshops and the shop, the community offers traditional lunches —Estela Uscapi mentions pachamanca and other typical dishes prepared and served for guests. This combination of services integrates cultural activity with local income generation.

Geography and heritage

Chinchero, known as the “Land of the Rainbow,” is only 28 km from Cusco, in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The town was once home to Inca ruler Túpac Yupanqui, and its streets still preserve original 15th-century walls and trapezoidal niches.

Nearby, Lake Piuray supplies water to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, serving as one of the region’s main natural reservoirs. Amid mountains and lakes, the Parwa Cultural Center stands out as an example of how craftsmanship and experiential tourism can move together toward social and environmental sustainability.

Report and photos: Mary de Aquino