A Pottery Pilgrimage to Ráquira, Colombia’s Capital of Ceramics and Handicrafts

After years of admiring the rustic charm of traditional Colombian pottery used for cooking and serving traditional specialties, I finally brought an empty suitcase to this South American country to bring home pieces of the distinctive tableware.

There’s something irresistible about the sleek, black sheen of Colombian clay cookware—equal parts art and utility. It’s not just how it looks, but how it cradles comfort food like ajiaco, the soul-soothing chicken and potato soup that tastes like a mother’s embrace. On my latest trip to Bogotá, I was finally ready to make some space in my life—and my luggage—for a set of my own.

At first, I figured it would be simple. After all, Bogotá is a hub for handicrafts from across the country. A quick Google search led me to a boutique that stocked the iconic black pottery known as La Chamba, named for the village in Tolima where it’s traditionally made. But before I could rush off on a city shopping spree, a friend of mine in Bogotá said, “I have a better idea. Let’s make a day of it and go to the handicraft capital of the country.”

Not to La Chamba, exactly—but to another pottery mecca: the town of Ráquira, four hours north of the capital. Pottery has been made in this region since pre-Columbian times, and Ráquira has earned a reputation as Colombia’s ceramics capital. While it’s not the only center for pottery in the country—La Chamba is famous for its smoke-blackened cookware, while towns like Carmen de Viboral specialize in colorful hand-painted tableware—Ráquira wins hands down for being one of the prettiest small towns.

Beyond the battlefield, Boyacá is known for its charming colonial towns, such as Villa de Leyva, Tunja, and Ráquira. Each offers a unique window into Colombia’s past—Villa de Leyva with its cobblestone plaza and preserved whitewashed buildings, Tunja with its rich colonial architecture and scholarly legacy, and Ráquira with its vibrant pottery traditions and colorful facades.

A Land of Tradition

It was a holiday weekend, and Ráquira was bursting at the seams. The town’s cobbled streets and brightly painted colonial buildings were draped in woven hammocks, along with ceramic planters and lanterns dangling from the balcony overhangs. In the main plaza, a fountain featuring a cheeky ceramic boy modeled after Brussels’ Manneken Pis stood surrounded by ceramic statues depicting traditional pottery-making scenes. The entire town felt like a celebration of clay.

Vendors lined the streets demonstrating their craft. For just a few pesos, our 11-year-old daughters, Kinley and Luciana, took a spin—literally—on a pottery wheel set up outside the expansive Todo Ráquira factory and store. With the instructor guiding her hands, my daughter pressed her thumb into the center of a clay lump as the wheel spun. Slowly, the form rose into a vessel. With a gentle flourish, he shaped the base, sliced it free with a wire, and handed her the wet creation balanced on a piece of cardboard. She and Luciana cradled their treasures as we wandered through the streets, dodging the crowds.

At Your Service

At last, it was time to choose my pottery. Stepping into the shops felt like entering an artist’s kiln with shelves overflowing with ceramic treasures in every shape and hue. There were sturdy red-earth clay pots, ideal for planting colorful flowers, and vibrant glazed decorative pieces painted in blues, greens, and yellows, each one catching the light like a jewel. Some were meant to grace a mantel, while others begged to be used daily—bowls for soup, platters for arepas, mugs for steaming coffee or hot chocolate. The sheer variety was both dazzling and a little overwhelming.

At Puente Palo, a shop on the main square, I found what I had been seeking: La Chamba-style cookware—yes, even here in Ráquira. I stepped over a bulldog sprawled lazily across the entrance and made my way inside. Toward the back of the store, the shelves were lined with blackened bowls, plates, and serving dishes, all with a rubbed smooth finish,the result of polishing with an agate stone before firing. I picked out a soup pot, six bowls, a serving dish, and a traditional pitcher for hot chocolate. When the clerk tallied it all, the total came to 210,000 Colombian pesos (USD 50). A bargain, considering I was leaving with both a complete set and the memories of Ráquira’s colorful traditions.

Home at Last

Now, back in my kitchen, the clay bowls wait patiently for their debut. I once took an ajiaco cooking class in Bogotá, so I’m familiar with the theory: three types of potatoes, corn on the cob, chicken, guascas (a kind of herb), and a dollop of cream with avocado and capers on the side. Whether I can pull it off is another question. But even if it doesn’t taste exactly like the favorite soup served in the Colombian Andes, at least it’ll look authentic in the earthenware bowls.  After all, part of the magic of Colombian cooking is in the presentation, with steam rising from a rustic black pot, a table set with care, and friends and family gathered together.

How to get to Ráquira:

Buses bound directly to Ráquira depart from the Terminal Satélite del Norte in Bogotá. The four-hour journey costs 40,000 Colombian pesos (USD 9).

More things to do in or around Ráquira:

Laberinto de Ráquira

Enter if you dare. This life-sized maze, bursting with vibrant colors, lures visitors through winding paths and tricky dead ends as they scramble to reach the center.

Casa al Revés Ráquira

This whimsical 245-square-meter house is built entirely upside down, providing a playful and immersive experience with plenty of Instagram-worthy rooms. Located just 10 minutes from Ráquira’s center, it features vibrant decor and a scenic viewpoint.

World’s Largest Piggy Bank

It took ceramic artists eight months to create what they say is the world’s largest piggy bank. Made out of clay and mud, it has a diameter of 32 feet and a height of 26 feet. It can be found at Finca Beraca, where you’ll find other oversized ceramics, plus a panoramic view of the Boyacá countryside.

Casa Terracota

Just a short drive from Ráquira, in the town of Villa de Lleyva, Casa Terracota is the world’s largest piece of pottery—a 5,400-square-foot house crafted entirely from baked clay. Designed by architect Octavio Mendoza, it seamlessly blends art and architecture into a utilitarian use.

Ajiaco Recipe:

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 skinned chicken breasts/pechuga de pollo

1 corn cob/mazorca de maiz

2 pounds (1,000 grams) creole potatoes/papa criolla

(There are hundreds of potato varieties in the Andes. This is a creamy yellow potato  commonly used in Colombia, but hard to find elsewhere. The closest substitute is a small Yukon Gold.)

1 pound (500 grams) arracacha

(This is a starchy root vegetable from the Andes. Substitute with cassava or yucca).

1/2 pound (250 grams) peas/arvejas

1 pound (500 grams) white potato/papa blanca

1 cup (340 grams) guasca

(Known as a weed called “gallant soldier” in the U.S., galinsoga parviflora can be substituted with spinach)Salt to taste

Garnishes:

cream/crema de leche

cilantroavocado

Directions:

– Bring 2 liters (approximately 8 cups) of water to a boil over medium heat in a large pot.

– Add the whole chicken breasts, creole potatoes, arracacha, and beans and boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

– Add the white potatoes, guasca, and salt, and continue to boil for 15 more minutes.

– Remove the chicken breasts and cut them into small pieces.

– Ladle the soup into bowls.

– Top with chicken and garnish with cream and cilantro.