In every region of Colombia, there is a place that offers a different experience, one of those is commonly called the wholesale market, which in Colombia is known as the marketplace. The meeting point between Colombian tradition and diversity. Start the tour with this guide!
1. Paloquemao Marketplace, "all of Colombia in one place"
Fruit and vegetable stall in the Paloquemao Marketplace in Bogotá.
With over 70 years of history, this marketplace, considered one of the main ones in the country, is very popular with local visitors and tourists. It has nearly 900 stalls dedicated to supplying fresh products such as flowers, vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, grains, herbs, crafts, among others, with which the Paloquemao Marketplace opens its doors every day in Bogotá.
The flower aisle, one of the most frequented in this wholesale market from early morning, is served by more than 800 vendors, many of them families who have maintained the legacy.
Tour of the Paloquemao Marketplace
If you love feeling the countryside in the city, you will enjoy touring the market to discover the diversity of fruits and vegetables that exist in Colombia, and try some of the typical pastries of Colombian cuisine through a private tour of the market, as well as visiting the largest flower market in Bogotá, where you will find the best flowers of Colombia.
2. La Perseverancia Marketplace, Bogotá's gastronomic attraction
Fruit and vegetable stall in the La Perseverancia Marketplace in Bogotá.
This marketplace, declared a Cultural Heritage of Bogotá, is one of the largest tourist and gastronomic attractions in the capital of Colombia, as it offers a variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy products, and grains, and is the meeting point for typical Colombian food.
On the second floor of the La Perseverancia Marketplace, there are around 40 stalls, 14 of which are restaurants run by cooks who prepare some of the best typical dishes of the region. One of them is Luz Dary Cogollo, the woman from the Colombian Caribbean Coast who appears in the series Street Food Latin America.
What is near La Perseverancia Marketplace?
Besides touring the market, you can also take advantage of the food festival held at the market on the last Friday of each month, where it offers a variety of Colombian cuisine and sales of exotic Colombian fruits and vegetables.
You can also tour the La Macarena neighborhood and immerse yourself in the bohemian atmosphere of this historic sector of the Colombian capital. Walk near emblematic places, visit art galleries, and enjoy a complete cultural offer.
3. Alameda Market, the paradise of 'caleña' cuisine
This market, located in the Alameda neighborhood of Cali, has captivated the attention of locals and tourists for 70 years. With more than 4,000 square meters, 100 stalls offering fruits, vegetables, and meats, and spaces for traditional and international cuisine, it receives thousands of visitors daily. At the Alameda Market, you can try traditional dishes such as tamales, rellenas, fish sancocho, and broths.
What to do at the Alameda Market?
Try the richness and diversity of fruits and vegetables from the Valle del Cauca region, as well as typical dishes of 'caleña' cuisine. For example, enjoy the famous 'cholado', try the chontaduro, a very typical fruit in Cali, and let your palate be invaded by the exquisite flavors of the Colombian Pacific.
4. Minorista José María Villa Marketplace, a very famous wholesale market in Medellín
This marketplace in Medellín has 36 years of history. It has more than 100 stalls where, in addition to finding fruits and vegetables, it is also possible to buy products such as meats, fish, and herbs, as well as clothing and footwear. It also has small restaurants where you can try the traditional Antioquian dish, the bandeja paisa.
Tour of the Minorista José María Villa Marketplace
You can take advantage of your visit to Medellín and tour different marketplaces in the city, for example visiting others like the Central Mayorista and the Placita de Flórez. Also, take a Graffiti Tour in Comuna 13 to contemplate the art, culture, and social urbanism of this part of the city.
5. Lorica Marketplace, a National Monument of a tourist destination in Colombia
Discover the wonderful Lorica Market on the banks of the Magdalena River.
This marketplace located in Lorica, a tourist, cultural, and gastronomic destination of the Colombian Caribbean, was declared a National Monument due to the historical, architectural, and documentary value of its building. Its marketplace is famous for its typical restaurants, especially because here they prepare the best bocachico sancochos in the country, a fish that is born in the waters of the Sinú River.
What to do near the Lorica Marketplace?
In addition to tasting the typical dishes of the region in this marketplace, take the opportunity to visit Santa Cruz de Lorica, considered a Heritage Town of Colombia. The town is distinguished by its cuisine and crafts. It is here where the traditional 'sombrero vueltiao' is made, as well as clay crafts, palm enea weavings, sandals or espadrilles, bags, and cane flecha weavings.
6. Bazurto Market, Cartagena tradition
This traditional market in the city of Cartagena is worth a visit. It not only offers fish, seafood, meat, and fruits but also some typical Colombian dishes, clothing, and art.
Touring the variety of food stalls in this local market will be like discovering one of Cartagena's hidden treasures. Indeed, the Bazurto Market has become a place of interest for international visitors.
What to do near the Bazurto Market?
For example, tour the Getsemaní neighborhood and discover the urban art of Cartagena through a Graffiti Tour, also, walk through the streets of the Historic Center to discover the colonial and colorful houses of this city. Also, visit the National Aviary of Colombia, considered the largest in America and the sixth in the world, a place that brings together 190 species of birds.
Continue exploring the best destinations in Colombia and enjoying the history that different places have to tell you.
