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The Barichara Paper Workshop (Taller de Paper Barichara) is a small paper factory in Barichara, one of Colombia’s Heritage Towns (Pueblos Patrimonio). They make paper out of several different types of plants.
Visiting the Barichara Paper Workshop
Admission is COP$8,000 per person (as of April 2024). Visitors can get a tour of the factory and a demonstration of the paper making process. It’s located just a few blocks from the main plaza and run by the San Lorenzo Foundation (Fundación San Lorenzo).
Making Paper
The tour starts with a demonstration of the paper making process. First, we got to see how the plant fibers are prepared. One step is literally beating them to a pulp against a stone table.
Next, we were able to use a mold to scoop out fibers and create our own sheet of paper. After taking the frame off the mold, we slapped the gooey fibers onto a piece of cloth.
The guide covered the cloth and took it to a press. I turned the press as tight as I could, and the result was a thinned-out piece of paper without any water. The guide took the newly-made paper and hung it on a line to dry before showing us how the finished product would look.
From there, we watched a group of women creating objects from the paper, and then popped into the gift shop to see some of the crafts they had already made.
Garden
Finally, we took a walk through the garden behind the building to see some of the plants used to make paper at the factory. In the first section, we saw aloe, papyrus, plantain, and sugarcane.
In the second section, we saw pineapples, corn, fique, marijuana, and coca.
Conclusion
Overall, we really enjoyed our short tour at the Barichara Paper Workshop. It was entertaining and informative, and we were happy it was a hands-on experience. It was one of the highlights of our stay in Barichara.
