Visit the Chilean village of Pomaire, known for its artisan ceramic production, on a relaxing seven-hour day trip from Santiago. Find clay pots and cooking vessels in every shape and size imaginable as you stroll through this picturesque little town with your guide. Stop for lunch (own expense) and bargain shop for souvenirs among the stalls that line the sidewalk. You’ll learn about the centuries-old art of shaping, drying and decorating each earthenware piece, and the Chilean cuisine that makes Pomaire pottery famous!
After 10am pickup by your guide from your hotel in Santiago, drive for about an hour to the quaint ceramic-producing village of Pomaire, famous for its cooking pots that contribute to so much of Chilean cuisine. When you reach Pomaire, follow your guide on foot down the town’s main street to find an abundance of locally owned shops.
Enjoy a relaxing time strolling amid the many street stalls and shops that sell all types of cooking vessels, from the classic olla (pot) to pitchers, water jars, plates, bowls and casserole dishes. Hear from your guide about the village, which has produced handcrafted earthenware pots for centuries – beginning with the first indigenous tribes that settled the area in the late 1500s and started working the local clay, which today’s artisans dig from a mountainside not far from town.
Learn how the inexpensive pots – used in the oven or directly over a flame – hold heat and contribute delicious flavors to any culinary dish. Halfway through your day trip, your guide will take your group to one of the many family-owned restaurants for an enticing traditional lunch (own expense). Enjoy such delights as fresh salad with tomatoes, palm hearts and avocado; casuela (traditional soup); parilla (barbecue); homemade empanadas and homemade bread. If you'd like, your guide will help you order traditional Chilean dishes like pastel del choclo (corn stew) or pastel del jaiba (crab stew).
After lunch, continue your search for pottery and other handcrafted Chilean souvenirs along the narrow sidewalks of Pomaire, where you’ll find artisan shops packed with everything from wind chimes and woven straw products to lapis lazuli jewelry and leather pieces. Your guide will help you find bargains such as a sombrero or poncho before taking your group back to Santiago, with drop-off at your hotel by 5pm.
