WHAT TO BUY IN CARTAGENA
MOCHILAS Brightly coloured or neutral toned natural fibre handwoven bags with striking geometric patterns. They hail from indigenous artisans from La Guajira and in the jungles and mountains near Santa Marta. Prices vary depending on quality and style and also whether they've been embellished. The cotton, coloured mochilas prices can be bargained down to as low as $25 in the street and up to $200 or more in certain boutiques with quality often reflected in tighter, finer weave the number of colours used and the intricateness of the pattern. Cheaper prices are often also an indication the bags are not authentically from the indigenous wayuu women of La Guajira. The indigenous communities of Arhuacas, Wiwas, Kogui and Kankuamo living in the mountainous region of the Sierra Nevada use wool and the natural plant fiber, fique, to weave their mochilas. These bags are rarer, more time consuming and tend to have a higher price. We would encourage using your buying power to support Colombia's indigenous groups
BIKINI As Colombia's and much of Latin America's beach-side playground, Cartagena is also home to some of the most innovative and beautiful beachwear designs. I think one of the brightly patterned, sometimes bejewelled bikinis would make an awesome souvenir. Or for the men, the tropical kitschy bermuda shorts are completely rad. I love Ondademar for hippie chic beachwear, Touché for monochromatic classics, Agua Bendita for exotic patterns and bedazzled adornment, brand new Entreaguas for macrame weave and tie-dye, Maaji Swimwear for sportier options that won't slip or slide while getting water active available in incredible reversible patterns (Louis Vuitton group have recently acquired this Colombian label after seeing the international appeal and quality). Specialty boutiques such as St. Dom and Agua de Leon also feature some beautiful independent swimwear labels worth checking out.
FASHION Colombian designers have been at the forefront of international fashion for some time with names like Silvia Tcherassi, Johanna Ortiz and Pepa Pombo winning hearts of those in the know. This reputation for creative, quality designs just continues to strengthen each year with more and more Colombian designers reaching the heady heights of global acclaim: Esteban Cortázar, Mercedes Salazar, Lia Samantha, Adriana Castro, Carlo Carrizosa, Adriana Santa Cruz, Lina Cantillo, Haider Ackerman, Hernan Zajar etc etc For the widest offering of Colombian fashion designers we recommend St. Dom and the nearby Agua de Leon. You can also visit Silvia Tcherassi stand-alone store. Newcomer Maygel Coronel has incredible resort-wear pool to cocktail bar designs that you are bound to love and you can visit her secret space by appointment (let us know). Ughh.. we're getting carried away! [Definitely need to write a post dedicated just to Colombian fashion.. watch this space] We also do custom shopping tours which can focus on this while you are accompanied by a local fashionista
HATS Panama hats in every colour under the rainbow, the traditional black and white weave of the Vueltiao hat or one of Planeta Champeta's urban cool gorras.. you are challenged to stop at just one!
ANTIQUES By now you're sure to have noticed all the incredible doorknockers adorning the historic houses here. Why not buy one of your own? El Arcon Anticuario sells replica doorknockers together with other amazing artefacts.
ART We love buying art when we travel and have purchased some really special pieces throughout our time in Cartagena. For visitors, to be honest, it's not that easy. A lot of the art on the street is template-based mass-produced stuff, and then the galleries have incredible works that run in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollar range.. not that much is so far available in the middle range. We have a few artists featured in the BUY ART section in the drop-down menu above. Also try popping in to Casa de la Presentacion, one of our favourite spaces ever, for gallery space that often features more affordable works.
HOMEWARES The handcrafts available in Cartagena are staggering in their beauty and diversity. Woven decor from caña flecha, fique, straw and other natural fibers. Hand carvings, hammocks, decorative sculptures, werrengue bowls, hand-painted ceramics from Carmen de Viboral Check out Artesanias de Colombia, El Centro de Artesanos, Casa Chiqui
EMERALDS Colombia is responsible (according to Wikipedia) for 70-90% of the world's emeralds. The mines are mostly located outside of Bogota in Boyaca.. but the stores and workshops in Cartagena are the most famous retailers. Gem traders come to wield deals on the sparkly shiny stones with their haul valued at considerably higher prices in the US and European markets. So potentially you can pick up a bargain.. Mostly though I just think they are super pretty. Check out Lucy Jewelry, Elia Jewelery and the amazing designs of Paula Mendoza.
CIGARS There's something so evocative about smoking hand rolled cigars in Cartagena combined with the illegality of Cuban cigars in the States and I can definitely see why this might make a good purchase. First off however, you should be made aware that if you're purchasing "genuine" cuban cigars in the streets, they are most probably fake. I mean, they are real cigars, but probably not authentically cuban, so whilst they are quite likely to be wonderfully hand-rolled Colombian cigars, the price should not be close to the Cuban cigar price. To purchase genuine Cuban cigars go to the best in the business, La Cava del Puro. The owner is an absolute character; full of incredible stories and very generously will pour you sample Colombian rum while you listen to his tales and smoke.
MUSIC Remember dancing your nights away by purchasing some of the musical mixes from Cartagena - salsa, champeta, cumbia, porro, merrengue, reggaeton. There's dozens of street vendors who can't wait to load you up with ripped versions of all the classics and you will totally be making their day. As far as properly licensed music, we're not really aware of any music retailers - but you can definitely find many of the artists on Spotify.
LINEN Nothing says vay-cay like linen. Holidaying Colombians take great delight in wearing a wardrobe strictly comprised of white linen when they come to Cartagena. Blend in and stock up on this luxe staple. Special occasions and weddings call for a Guayabera; a tailored-button-up shirt. Check out the leaders in linen Ketty Tinoco, Edgar Gomez and Jon Sonen.
FOOD Bring back some freshly roasted Colombian coffee straight from the source (good options are Cafe del Mural, Epoca, Boundless, Ábaco and Cafe San Alberto). Dark Colombian chocolate is among the best in the world. A block of guava paste will be delicious on your cheese platters and make a good conversation starter back home. Sweeten your life with unrefined panela and win over any homesick Colombians you know. A bag of Colombian candy like Supercoco (caramel coconut candy) or the coffee candies available in most supermarkets might make a fun present to share around school.
ALVIPOP + YOLI ARRAZOLA The brilliantly bright designs of Alvipop, who takes the stereotypical tourist souvenirs of the palenque fruit woman and the statue of catalina and then paints them in fluroscent make-you-happy colours. Or the beloved Maria Mulatas of artist Yoli who works with craftspeople in the islands of Baru and Tierra Bomba converting sculptures and carvings of the locally revered bird to colourful eye-catching artworks to decorate your home.
BIKINI As Colombia's and much of Latin America's beach-side playground, Cartagena is also home to some of the most innovative and beautiful beachwear designs. I think one of the brightly patterned, sometimes bejewelled bikinis would make an awesome souvenir. Or for the men, the tropical kitschy bermuda shorts are completely rad. I love Ondademar for hippie chic beachwear, Touché for monochromatic classics, Agua Bendita for exotic patterns and bedazzled adornment, brand new Entreaguas for macrame weave and tie-dye, Maaji Swimwear for sportier options that won't slip or slide while getting water active available in incredible reversible patterns (Louis Vuitton group have recently acquired this Colombian label after seeing the international appeal and quality). Specialty boutiques such as St. Dom and Agua de Leon also feature some beautiful independent swimwear labels worth checking out.
FASHION Colombian designers have been at the forefront of international fashion for some time with names like Silvia Tcherassi, Johanna Ortiz and Pepa Pombo winning hearts of those in the know. This reputation for creative, quality designs just continues to strengthen each year with more and more Colombian designers reaching the heady heights of global acclaim: Esteban Cortázar, Mercedes Salazar, Lia Samantha, Adriana Castro, Carlo Carrizosa, Adriana Santa Cruz, Lina Cantillo, Haider Ackerman, Hernan Zajar etc etc For the widest offering of Colombian fashion designers we recommend St. Dom and the nearby Agua de Leon. You can also visit Silvia Tcherassi stand-alone store. Newcomer Maygel Coronel has incredible resort-wear pool to cocktail bar designs that you are bound to love and you can visit her secret space by appointment (let us know). Ughh.. we're getting carried away! [Definitely need to write a post dedicated just to Colombian fashion.. watch this space] We also do custom shopping tours which can focus on this while you are accompanied by a local fashionista
HATS Panama hats in every colour under the rainbow, the traditional black and white weave of the Vueltiao hat or one of Planeta Champeta's urban cool gorras.. you are challenged to stop at just one!
ANTIQUES By now you're sure to have noticed all the incredible doorknockers adorning the historic houses here. Why not buy one of your own? El Arcon Anticuario sells replica doorknockers together with other amazing artefacts.
ART We love buying art when we travel and have purchased some really special pieces throughout our time in Cartagena. For visitors, to be honest, it's not that easy. A lot of the art on the street is template-based mass-produced stuff, and then the galleries have incredible works that run in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollar range.. not that much is so far available in the middle range. We have a few artists featured in the BUY ART section in the drop-down menu above. Also try popping in to Casa de la Presentacion, one of our favourite spaces ever, for gallery space that often features more affordable works.
HOMEWARES The handcrafts available in Cartagena are staggering in their beauty and diversity. Woven decor from caña flecha, fique, straw and other natural fibers. Hand carvings, hammocks, decorative sculptures, werrengue bowls, hand-painted ceramics from Carmen de Viboral Check out Artesanias de Colombia, El Centro de Artesanos, Casa Chiqui
EMERALDS Colombia is responsible (according to Wikipedia) for 70-90% of the world's emeralds. The mines are mostly located outside of Bogota in Boyaca.. but the stores and workshops in Cartagena are the most famous retailers. Gem traders come to wield deals on the sparkly shiny stones with their haul valued at considerably higher prices in the US and European markets. So potentially you can pick up a bargain.. Mostly though I just think they are super pretty. Check out Lucy Jewelry, Elia Jewelery and the amazing designs of Paula Mendoza.
CIGARS There's something so evocative about smoking hand rolled cigars in Cartagena combined with the illegality of Cuban cigars in the States and I can definitely see why this might make a good purchase. First off however, you should be made aware that if you're purchasing "genuine" cuban cigars in the streets, they are most probably fake. I mean, they are real cigars, but probably not authentically cuban, so whilst they are quite likely to be wonderfully hand-rolled Colombian cigars, the price should not be close to the Cuban cigar price. To purchase genuine Cuban cigars go to the best in the business, La Cava del Puro. The owner is an absolute character; full of incredible stories and very generously will pour you sample Colombian rum while you listen to his tales and smoke.
MUSIC Remember dancing your nights away by purchasing some of the musical mixes from Cartagena - salsa, champeta, cumbia, porro, merrengue, reggaeton. There's dozens of street vendors who can't wait to load you up with ripped versions of all the classics and you will totally be making their day. As far as properly licensed music, we're not really aware of any music retailers - but you can definitely find many of the artists on Spotify.
LINEN Nothing says vay-cay like linen. Holidaying Colombians take great delight in wearing a wardrobe strictly comprised of white linen when they come to Cartagena. Blend in and stock up on this luxe staple. Special occasions and weddings call for a Guayabera; a tailored-button-up shirt. Check out the leaders in linen Ketty Tinoco, Edgar Gomez and Jon Sonen.
FOOD Bring back some freshly roasted Colombian coffee straight from the source (good options are Cafe del Mural, Epoca, Boundless, Ábaco and Cafe San Alberto). Dark Colombian chocolate is among the best in the world. A block of guava paste will be delicious on your cheese platters and make a good conversation starter back home. Sweeten your life with unrefined panela and win over any homesick Colombians you know. A bag of Colombian candy like Supercoco (caramel coconut candy) or the coffee candies available in most supermarkets might make a fun present to share around school.
ALVIPOP + YOLI ARRAZOLA The brilliantly bright designs of Alvipop, who takes the stereotypical tourist souvenirs of the palenque fruit woman and the statue of catalina and then paints them in fluroscent make-you-happy colours. Or the beloved Maria Mulatas of artist Yoli who works with craftspeople in the islands of Baru and Tierra Bomba converting sculptures and carvings of the locally revered bird to colourful eye-catching artworks to decorate your home.