Coca Museum Cusco

Between contributions and controversies, this museum will teach you the history as well as all the secrets of the sacred leaf of the Incas. A visit to the store will make you discover a variety of products derived from the Coca leaf. Free visit on Sundays.

The Coca Museum is a private cultural institution that was born as a university thesis project inspired by a family tradition, fundamentally showing the importance, its properties and how this important coca leaf was used in the Andean world.

The museum has been opening its doors to all its visitors for more than 12 years, in which they explain the natural use of the coca leaf from a nutritional and medicinal point of view, its history and culture regarding Coca.

Also, some cultural ceramics, textiles, books are exhibited and you can even find a store with various coca-based products.

Where is the Coca Museum located in Cusco?

The Coca Museum is located in the traditional neighborhood of San Blas, in the city of Cusco, a few minutes from the Plaza Mayor of Cusco.

What to see and do at the Coca Museum?

The small museum exhibits different aspects of the coca leaf and its derivatives, it also shows its different rooms in which the pre-Inca cultural varieties are taught, which we will now detail everything you can find in the museum.

In one room they explain to us about the pre-Inca and Inca cultures, where we can see ceramics belonging to the Paracas culture with an impressive detail in which they show us that each of these ceramics has a bulge either on the right or left side of the face, alluding to the fact that they consumed the coca leaf.

Commonly in the Peruvian mountains, this process of chewing the coca leaf is known as "picchado" and apparently these ceramics did this process and serve as evidence that they produced the coca leaf and you can see it in their ceramics.

Likewise, the coca leaf was used in one of the ancient Inca traditions that is still maintained until now, which generally takes place in the month of August, we are talking about the payment to the earth or Pachamama in which a variety of products are displayed, including grains, sweets, and more.

They also show us a variety of elements that were used together with coca called llipta. Likewise, you will find the Andean bags or chuspas that the chasquis used to carry the coca leaves there, to have more energy, strength and to be able to travel more kilometers in the Inca empire.

They also show us the entire process that is carried out to make cocaine using different chemical elements until it becomes white powder, and the most curious thing here is that you can see a person called Javier who died at the age of 26 as a consequence of consuming cocaine, he also tells us that he is the main inspiration for creating the Coca Museum.

In this way, they intend to raise awareness that the misuse of coca can lead to this extreme of death, showing us in this way the negative side of coca and they expose it to students from both schools and universities.

Now we go to the products section where they display a variety of products all based on coca, such as chocolates, candies, coca flour, coca beers, quinoa, muña, among other drinks that you can find in this place.

If you want to try the coca leaf (natural) you can also buy coca leaves to snack on, medicines, rubs for joints, and the new thing is soaps, shampoos based on coca. In this way, all the uses that can be made with the ancient leaf of the Andes, Coca, are explored.

What did the coca leaf mean to the Incas?

The coca leaf was very important in the Andean world, and they used it for different things, and they attributed a series of qualities to it. History shows us that Coca was used by the amautas or wise Incas to be able to see the time, they could predict and see the omens that could happen in the future.

Coca was used in one of the most important rituals of the Andean world, in the offerings they made to their deities such as Pachamama. They also used it as medicine, for example it was used to cure toothache, stomach pain, being a primary element of the Inca doctors or shamans.

Museum hours and admission

Visiting hours for the Coca Museum are Monday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. There is an additional cost for foreigners and nationals.

Best Trekking and Tours in Peru

Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Peru, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.

If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.