Cusco sits at roughly 3,400 meters above sea level, high enough that altitude sickness is a real concern for most visitors arriving from lower elevations, and San Pedro Market is where much of the city goes for one of the most common remedies: coca leaves. Most stalls in the market sell them, typically in bags of varying sizes, and any vendor can point you toward the coca section if it's not obvious.
Coca leaves have been used in the Peruvian Andes for thousands of years, considered sacred by the Inca and still a genuine part of Andean cultural identity today — not a novelty sold purely to tourists. Chewed raw or steeped as tea, they're commonly credited with easing altitude sickness symptoms, along with headaches and fatigue, and you'll find them sold just as readily in Cusco's supermarkets and hotels as in San Pedro Market itself.
San Pedro is Cusco's oldest market and sits just a few blocks — about a ten-minute walk — from the Plaza de Armas, which makes it an easy add-on to a day exploring the city center rather than a special trip. Beyond coca leaves, the market covers a huge range: fresh produce, juice stalls blending Andean and tropical fruits, prepared local dishes like lomo saltado and ceviche, and sections for herbs, textiles, and even items used in Andean spiritual rituals.
Timing matters here more than at a typical city market. The best stalls, especially for food and juice, open around 6:30am, and arriving between roughly 7 and 10am means fresher produce and thinner crowds — the market gets genuinely packed between noon and 2pm. Cash is essential, since many vendors don't take cards or can't break large bills.
If San Pedro Market is on your Cusco itinerary, treat coca tea as a practical first stop rather than an afterthought, especially if you've just arrived in the city — going in the morning, before the midday crowds, gives you both the best food and the calmest version of what is otherwise one of Cusco's more overwhelming, sensory experiences.
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