Shopping in Cartagena, Colombia
Emeralds, handicrafts, hammocks and Colombian coffee are great buys.
Mar 31, 2009
Narrow streets with overhanging balconies and a leisurely pace is the ambiance within the walled section of the city but be aware that hustling is innate with the street vendors. Avoid all eye contact and keep walking...or escape into a shop.
What Cartagena Shops Sell Colombian Emeralds
Only purchase loose or set stones in a shop offering a written certificate of quality. Never purchase emeralds on the street. Joyeria Caribe in Boca Grande is both a small factory and a large store that offers the prestigious IQNET certification, which implies high quality. In the old town, visit the Emerald Center, a family-owned store, on the corner of Calle de las Damas and San Pedro Claver. Combine the emerald's history with a museum visit and a purchase at the Museo de la Esmeralda on Calle don Sancho where there's a small gift shop. The two-level Pierino Gallo Shopping Plaza has many emerald shops. Always ask for a discount and most personel speak English.
Juan Valdez and Colombian Coffees in Cartagena
Juan Valdez Coffeeshop has an old town location at Plaza de la Universidad and in Boca Grande at Ave. San Martin, Carrera 2 No. 7-17. A 12-ounce bag sells at an airport kiosk for about $14 but in supermarkets, such as Olimpica, it costs $4. Sello Rojo's 250g smaller bag costs $2. Street vendors pour small portions from a thermos for 25 cents. Ironically, they use Nescafe.
What Colombian Handicrafts are Sold in Cartagena
The best place for high-quality Colombian products is Galeria Cano. The family-owned store is located beside Plaza Bolivar. It sells the most accurate 24K gold-plated and 18K gold reproductions of pre-Colombian treasures. plus wonderful gold jewelry and semi-precious stones. Some hammocks are hand-woven and can be costly. The hats are the winners, ranging from wide brims to the hand-made Narino made from Palma de Iraca. The store's gourmet coffee can be purchased whole or sipped on the rooftop cafe. Los Bovedas was a dungeon centuries ago and is now 23 connected shops that sell Colombian handicrafts. You'll need stamina to visit all and the products are similar. In Shop Two, a San Jacinto de Boliva cotton-weave hammock costs about $42. A child's white dress with a mola embroidered bib costs $35 at Shop Seven. But it's Shop 23 that is the best and located at the end of the complex. The quality is excellent. Woven baskets made by indians from the querreque palm are so tightly crafted they hold water. Larger ones sell for around $150. Ceramic wall plaques by Rinaldo Lopez, one of Colombia's best artisans working with ceramic and oil. sell exclusively here. And the lacquer chargers, platters and coasters are first-class. Don't leave Cartagena without a stop here.
Colombian-born Botero has a Cartagena Presence
Fernando Botero was born in Colombia and locals are shameless about copying his work. If you want to see the real thing, visit Plaza Santo Domingo where Botero's "Gertrudis" statue, a gift to the city from Botero, is permanently displayed.
Cartagena Street Vendors
Most side streets and all squares in Cartagena's walled city are lined with street vendors. And they desperately want to sell you something. Products are jewelry, small leathergoods, scarfs, artwork, coconut milk, chopped fruit...you name it. They even offer to change your money into Colombian pesos. Don't do it. Although a nuisance, the vendors will eventually back off.
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