Shopping in La Candelaria
- Handicrafts for sale near the Museo de Oro Transmilenio Station
Handicrafts
There are several handicrafts (artesania) stores and markets in and around La Candelaria. One market is just a few steps off of the Plaza del Chorro, in the alley leading to Hostal Fatima. There’s another, larger one, on the east side of 7th Ave. between 12th and 13th streets.
You’ll also find lots of handicrafts in the Sunday/Holiday flea market on Seventh Ave. and 24th Street, which has a bicycle parking lot convenient for Ciclovia participants.
Tienda Fibrarte
Tienda Cafe Fibrarte 11-24 3rd Ave. Phone: 286-9941 Mobile: 316-799-9164
Find this charming and beautifully decorated store on Third Ave. and 11th St., uphill and to the left from the Botero Museum. And enjoy a cup of healthful coca tea while you’re there. Chico the bulldog will say hello. (We also serve coca tea at Bogotá Bike Tours).
Lanatos/Palenkito – A small, friendly store on the corner of 15th St. and 2nd Ave.
Galatea, a store full of color
Just across the street and a bit downhill from Lanatos, find Galatea, which is full of artesania made by locals. 15-16 2nd Ave. Cel: 314-356-4684
You’ll also find more handicrafts stores along La Jimenez, also known as the Eje Ambiental (the broad avenue which Transmilenio runs along, with the water pools in its center). One is located between 4th and 5th Avenues, near the Olympica Supermarket, another at La Jimenez’s upper end, across the way from the police station.
There are also several reggae places, including Tienda Reggae, located right on the northeast corner of La Plaza del Chorro.
X
Telonius Artesania Shop 3rd Ave. and 15th St.
The Copper Museum's store, on the Plaza de Rosario
Telonius, handicrafts, paintings and post cards – 15-95 3rd Ave. , beside Villa Candelaria Hostal. Tel: 203-9790. Yes, it’s named after jazz immortal Thelonious Monk.
X
X
X
X
You’ll find many beautiful artworks in copper and bronze for sale in this 52-year-old shop on the Plaza del Rosario (alongside the Museo de Oro Transmilenio Station. ) Below the shop is the Copper Museum. 14-38 6th Ave. Tel: 234-8630.
Clay products from Chamba, Tolima
XX
Artesanias de la Chamba Tolima – 3-47 Jimenez Ave. Tel: 342-2268 Clay bowls, plant dishes and other products made traditionally by residents of the Chamba region of Tolima Department.
x
x
x
x
x
In the Kaspa Colectivo
The Kaspa Colectivo at 14-52 Carrera 3 sells unique, fashionable jewelry, handbags and clothing.
x
x
x
X
X
X
X
La Casona del Museo
Cafe, restaurant, as well as handicrafts and emeralds.
Located just north of the Gold Museum
5-24 16th St. Tel: 243-9628
La Forja – 2-90 12th St. 341-3377 / 336-0206 Fax: 243-5677 The Forge makes practical and ornamental iron works.
Pasaje Rivas furniture market La Candelaria Bogota
Pasaje Rivas Furniture Market – In this crowded, colorful market located in two alleys near the corner of 10th St. and 10th Ave. you’ll find lots of stuff made of bamboo. Good prices, too.
X
X
X
Go Flea Marketing!
There’s a flea market in the Plaza del Periodista a few blocks from our shop, and the larger San Alejo Flea Market on the Ciclovia, on Seventh Ave. and 26th Street (right across the street from the Torre Colpatria). That flea market has many antiques, coca leaf products, clothes and, best of all, a bicycle parking area during the Ciclovia (7 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Fruits and Veggies
A cycle touring family in the Mercado de Egipto, above La Candelaria
Colombia has a huge variety of exotic and delicious fruits and vegetables. Have you tried a pitalla? A granadilla? How about a zapote or a tree tomato? If you leave Colombia without tasting them, you’ll have missed out! You can find and taste some of them at the Mercado de la Concordia, up the hill between 14th and 15th Streets, more of them up, up, up the hill at El Mercado de Egipto, or Rumichaca, on the Ave. Circunvular and 6th Street (but be cautious in this area and do not venture into the Egipto or Belén neighborhoods, which are high-crime areas). We often visit fruit markets on our bike tours!
On Sunday market day, examining veggies inside the Concordia Market
The Mercado de la Concordia
El Mercado de la Concordia (also known as el Mercado de los Milagros, thanks to the mural work done for a soap opera) is located on 13th St. and 1st Ave., two blocks uphill from Hostal Fatima and a block south of La Plaza del Chorro.
The handsome, century-old market contains handicrafts, fruits and vegetables, a lunchery and general stores. On Sundays, campesinos bring in their products and also prepare traditional Colombian foods such as ajiacos.
A group of cyclists in the Palo Quemao Market.
You can find even more fruits and veggies (as well as meats, eggs and everything else) in the big Mercado de Palo Quemao on 19th Street. Sunday, when campesinos (peasants) bring their production in, is the best day for all of these markets.
Also on Sundays, the Palo Quemao market’s parking lot fills up with flower sellers. Very beautiful.
Emeralds
Colombia is the world’s largest emerald producer, although many of the stones are mined in atrocious conditions. Illegal informal mines can collapse, turning into graves for those working inside.
The blocks between Fifth and Seventh Avenues and 12th St. and Jimenez Ave. are La Candelaria’s emerald district. You’ll see lots of shops with emeralds and other gems in their windows. On the southwest corner of 7th Ave. and Jimenez, you’ll also see lots of men gathered in little bunches, talking intensely and studying pieces of paper in their hands. Those papers’ creases hold tiny green emeralds. If you do buy emeralds, be cautious – some sellers disguise the stones’ defects, and back home you might find you don’t have what you paid for. The emerald sellers also have their own museum.
Wine: There are several small wine shops on the south side of La Jimenez, just east of La Plaza de Lourdes and the Museo de Oro Transmilenio Station. Don’t expect much Colombian wine, though. The nation is known for different sorts of mind-bending. substances – although not necessarily more damaging ones.
Groceries
There are several small, independent groceries in La Candelaria, including two on 10th St. between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, another on the corner of 3rd Ave. and 15th St. and yet another in La Concordia, near the Torres. You’ll also find fruit and vegetable shops and bakeries (panaderias) on 13th St., between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
Supermarkets: There’s a Ley Supermarket on 7th Ave. between 11th and 12th Streets and an Olympica on Ave. Jimenez across from the police post, between 4th and 5th Streets.- one on 7th Ave, between 11th and 12th Streets, and another, Olympica, on La Jimenez between 4th and 5th Avenues.
Photography
Near 7th Ave and Jimenez you’ll find numerous photo places which sell film and some digital camera supplies and make prints. Foto Japon, at 7th Ave. and 19th St. also sells cameras. But if you want to get a decent, inexpensive camera you’ll probably want to visit one of the San Andresitos markets. They don’t have the best reputation, so be careful, and it’s said that many of their products are brought in in money laundering schemes. But you can get decent new stuff cheap. Be sure that Sony’s a REAL Sony.
If your camera needs repair, there are several shops in the area around 6th Ave. and 22nd St.
This cyclist wants all of those emeralds.
