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 store sells some stylish straw hats in both men's and women's styles.