Free Toquilla Straw Weaving Workshops Start April 20 — Here's How to Sign Up
Cuenca Expat Staff
The Workshops
Cuenca's Museo Municipal de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero — the municipal toquilla straw and hat museum — is opening up free hands-on workshops on the craft that Cuenca and the southern highlands are world-famous for. Four rounds of classes run from late April through mid-June, split between the museum itself and a second venue out in the parish of Ricaurte (source).
If you've ever looked at a fine Cuencano straw hat and wondered what actually goes into weaving one — this is the cheapest way to find out.
The Schedule
Four separate workshop rounds, each running about seven weeks:
Taller Básico – Opción 1
- Dates: "Del 20 de abril al 10 de junio de 2026"
- Times: "Lunes y miércoles, de 14:30 a 16:30"
- Venue: Museo Municipal de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero ("Rafael María Arizaga y Luis Cordero")
Taller Básico – Opción 2
- Dates: "Del 21 de abril al 16 de junio de 2026"
- Times: "Martes y viernes, de 14:30 a 16:30"
- Venue: Museo Municipal de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero
Taller Avanzado
- Dates: "Del 23 de abril al 13 de junio de 2026"
- Times: "Jueves de 14:30 a 16:30 y sábados de 10:00 a 12:00"
- Venue: Museo Municipal de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero
Taller Básico (Ricaurte)
- Dates: "Del 24 de abril al 19 de junio de 2026"
- Times: "Viernes de 14:30 a 16:30 y sábados de 10:00 a 12:00"
- Venue: "Casa Amiga del GAD Parroquial de Ricaurte"
How to Sign Up
The municipal notice confirms that "cupos serán limitados" — spots will be limited. To enroll, email:
That's the official contact on the announcement. No phone queues, no walk-ins — email is the channel.
A Quick Primer on Paja Toquilla
If you're new to Cuenca and you've been wondering why half the city seems to revolve around straw hats:
- The craft uses paja toquilla, a fiber from a palm native to Ecuador's coastal lowlands.
- The hats — what the rest of the world still stubbornly calls "Panama hats" — are actually woven in Ecuador, not Panama. Cuenca is one of the main production and finishing hubs.
- UNESCO inscribed toquilla straw weaving on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
- Top-grade hats can take months to weave and sell for thousands of dollars.
The Museo Municipal de la Paja Toquilla is worth visiting on its own. These workshops give you a reason to go back four days a week for two months.
What This Means for You
- Hands-on contact with a UNESCO-listed craft, run by the city. It doesn't get more Cuencano than this.
- Two venues, two schedules. If you live closer to Ricaurte than to El Centro, there's a Friday/Saturday option out there instead of the downtown weekday slots.
- Spots will go fast. With the announcement just published and capacity explicitly limited, expect the basic options to fill before the end of the week. Email early, not later.
- Bring patience. Weaving toquilla is slow, quiet work. If you've been looking for an excuse to do something with your hands that isn't a screen, this is it.
To reserve a spot, email meiniguez@cuenca.gob.ec and indicate which workshop option you want.
Source: El Mercurio
