la cancha

I understand that not everyone likes markets, but I find them absolutely fascinating. La Cancha is an amazing place to see all kinds of people and to buy anything you could possibly imagine. When I lived in Cochabamba, I would come at least once a week. My favorite sections were the ones that sell produce, clothes, kitchen items, and school supplies. There are also lots of food vendors selling tasty snacks.Of course, as in any market, it is possible to get robbed. Just be aware of your surroundings and don't bring valuables. I never had any issues. The main negative aspect for me was that it is often very difficult to get a trufi (local bus/shared taxi) from La Cancha. They usually fill up quickly, so I would always walk a few blocks so I could get a seat more easily.

We went only briefly to La Cancha, for perhaps an hour or so, to visit the souvenirs section. Having been warned by friends who live in Cochabamba, we took no purses or cameras, just stuffed some change and a cell phone in our pockets. We felt pretty safe the whole time there, though it's obviously a place where you must keep your 'travel smarts' on: don't look lost, keep moving, don't carry purses or wear anything valuable, dress conservatively (jeans + tshirt), be aware of where you are and how to get back. With those in mind, La Cancha is a great place to visit! La Cancha is a massive, 5-mile section of Coch, so it's not really something you 'do and get done.' It's more of an experience...and what a great experience! Granted, we only shopped at two stalls - a souvenir one that had been recommended to us, where we were treated very fairly, and a sunglasses stall, where we definitely paid more than street value...but the seller was very nice as he was ripping us off! *grin* Part of the experience...We went to the bus terminal, then walked down the main road that goes straight out from the bus terminal (if you are standing with your back to the terminal). We walked about 2-3 minutes until on the left there was a big covered area with many, many stalls -- there is one long aisle in there full of souvenirs. Maria Louisa, in stalls 34C & 35C, was great to buy from. We also went on a Thursday, so the bustle was there but not as crazy as a Wednesday or Saturday, the 'market days.' If you're up for a unique and non-Western experience, and you're comfortable using those travel smarts, definitely check out La Cancha!

Looking for cheap clothes, shoes, food, books, home appliances, meat, computers, phones, ducks, eggs, milk, DVDs, souvenirs, etc, etc, etc, etc, ... then go to La Cancha. Fashion and trendy things can also be found over there... the quality varies a lot...the basic rule: "the more expensive, the higher the quality". The second rule: you have to bargain the price and ask at least in three places for the same product. You will see that the price gets attractive after a few minutes of negotiation. Third rule: do not use any jewelry that could "invite" some people to take it, also your wallet should be in your front pocket... otherwise, it is very safe.There are no signs to find your way in La Cancha. You have to ask the locals where you should buy specific things. Even if the whole place looks very messy, there is some sort of "order". La Cancha cannot be visited in just one day... it is really one of the largest open markets in South America. It started to eat some streets in direction to the city centre. The deeper you get into La Cancha, the cheaper the products.Wednesday and Saturday are known to be the "shopping days" in La Cancha. Do not miss them since you will get the full experience.

We were warned about our safety and were advised to take off all jewelry and keep everything close. I loved the experience and came home with inexpensive trinkets. People watching is brilliant here, and the hustle and bustle of the market goers is a well spent afternoon. Use your travel sense, and see one of the largest markets in South America!

Not what I would have expected.. went there to shop for artesan goodies but had to quickly get out of there as I was warned by a merchand to mind my bag...

We went to La Cancha, and it is pretty much as described in the guide books - that is a huge sprawling third world style marketplace full of every bit of useless tat under the sun. It is a typical South American market, and nothing special to see, and we began wondering what the attraction was when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a guy spat on the back of my neck to distract me in an attempt to mug me with his two burly and large Bolivian criminal cohorts. Not being villainous masterminds, we managed to scare them off by barging into them - this was only possible as they had not seen that I was with my girlfriend who was so angry at them, she almost knocked the three large men over - and she is only 5'3". They scattered so fast we felt they must have known what their escape routes would be had they successfully mugged me, and so it seems they have done this before. The stall owners looked on, impassive and uncaring, as though they had seen this play act out many times. The surrounding areas feel very threatening and as a tourist you might as well have a sign on your back, that says, "spit on me!" This tactic is documented in guide books, but if it happens to you, make sure it is not at La Cancha in Cochabamba by avoiding this market all together, until the local authorities can clean it up. Not worth being mugged over, but at least, for us, it could have been a lot worse.

La Cancha is like a huge labyrinth of stalls where you can get anything from coca leaves to flat screen TVs. You can walk around in it for hours without ever completely seeing all of it.This market does have everything, although I have no idea how the locals find what they are looking for! A lot of the salespeople are from the more rural surroundings, wearing traditional dress.There are a lot of food stalls peppered all through La Cancha as well, serving everything from the most basic soups to fancy piled up dishes. And don't forget dessert! (Big colourful cake slices for 4bs. each are hard to beat)It's very easy to get lost if you don't remember which direction you came from, but the street names of the main streets crossing through it will help if you have a map.There are a lot of trufis leaving to and from Cancha, so it's an easy ride away. It is possible to reach it from the main square by foot quite easily as well, it should take about 20 minutes.During daytime I felt very safe there, but after nightfall the area south of Av. Aroma where the market is located is generally not deemed safe for tourists.

De grootste markt van Zuid Amerika. Je kunt er makkelijk verdwalen, dus zorg dat je afgezet wordt op een plek die je weer terug kan vinden. En dan rondlopen. Misschien is met een grote camera niet handig, maar wij hebben ons nooit onveilig gevoeld. Zijn regelmatig teruggegaan, ook met de kinderen. De geuren, de mensen, de drukte, het is een belevenis.

Para quem gosta de andar, pesquisar preços e comprar.. Vá nesse lugar!! É excelente para comprar!! vc encontra REALMENTE de td! Porém, vc precisa ter um pouco de cuidado quando for comprar eletrônicos, pois em alguns boxes os objetos não são de qualidade e são vendidos por preços altos. Vc encontra muitos eletroeletrônicos no preço excelente e ainda consegue pechinchar com bons descontos! Alguns corredores, o chão é sujo de lama. Mas, isso é de menos!

お土産のお店があったり、日用品なども買えます。しかし場所によっては、現地の人でも近づかない場所もあったりするので、注意が必要です。

Unos cuantos minutos caminando desde la plaza 14 de septiembre y llegas a este enorme mercado que cuenta con secciones acordes a diferentes mercancías y servicios (Insumos perecederos, ropa, comida, artesanías, souvenirs, etc). Los pasillos están bien delineados y tus compras las haces con tranquilidad acorde a la ley del "regateo".Tips:- Como en tantos mercados de latinoamérica hay que tener especial cuidado con bolsos y carteras, especialmente si hay muchas personas en los pasillos.- No llevar ala vista cámaras y prendas u objetos ostentosos.- Tardamos algunos minutos en conseguir taxi de regreso.

Lugar muito bom para comprar de tudo um pouco. Relógios, perfumes, roupas, calçados, tudo com ótimo preço e boa qualidade. É o maior comércio a céu aberto da América Latina!

Para aqueles que buscam bom preços e tem tempo para compra, recomendo. Diversas marcas de roupa, eletrônicos entre outras coisas.

Aqui se pode comprar literalmente de tudo! Nas quartas e sábados há feira o que deixa as ruas extremamente lotadas, em compensação nesses dias a variedade de coisas vendendo pelas ruas e muito maior. Embora a cidade não seja muito perigosa tenha cuidado com pertences pessoais. RECOMENDO