Specialty shopping in Ecuador
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A
Barranco
This old hat factory has an interesting museum where you can see how panamas were made over the years and witness them being made in the present. Upstairs there’s a nice café and a cheesy exhibit where you can dress up as a chola cuencana – hat, skirt and all. Plenty of hats are for sale, and you can even custom order a panama (especially important if you have a big head).
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Hat Shopping
Cuenca is the center of the panama hat industry and one of the best places to buy straw hats. Cuenca's hat tradition - and its haberdasheries - can be roughly divided into two types: hats for export (panama hats) and hats made for and used by local indigenous people.
Visit one of Cuenca's traditional hatters on Tarqui and you'll see hundreds of refurbished white straw hats, tagged for their owners and hanging everywhere. They usually have a few top-quality hats for sale, too. Other hat shops are tourist oriented.
Check out: Casa del Sombrero Alberto Pulla, Sombreros Don Migui (Tarqui near Calle Larga), Barranco, Homero Ortega P & Hijos, and La Paja Toquilla, This small…
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B
Casa del Sombrero Alberto Pulla
The hats of Cuenca’s most famous hatter, the charming 81-year-old Alberto Pulla, have graced the noggins of presidents, celebrities and hundreds of local indigenous women. In the early days he worked with chemicals that damaged his throat and has since lost his voice, but he still welcomes visitors into his shop with a smile.
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C
Galería Latina
This well-stocked handicrafts shop offers an excellent selection of high-quality items: tagua carvings, colorful Andean weavings, textiles, jewelry, sweaters and handmade items from across Latin America.
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D
Homero Ortega P & Hijos
More akin to a hat emporium, this is Ecuador’s best-known hat seller. The company exports around the world and has a huge selection of high-quality men’s and women’s straw hats.
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E
Sombreros Don Migui
A hatter that works more with the local market, this old place sells panamas from $15, including durable dobles, which are double woven.
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F
La Paja Toquilla
This small store sells some stylish straw hats in both men's and women's styles.
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