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El Carmen de Viboral is the ceramics capital of Colombia. The ceramic pieces manufactured there are unique in the world.
Introduction to El Carmen de Viboral
El Carmen de Viboral was founded on April 13, 1752. Its main industry is ceramics, but it’s also an agricultural town. The major crops are potatoes, corn, beans, carrots, yucca, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, blackberries, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables.
Getting to El Carmen de Viboral.
El Carmen de Viboral is located about 90 minutes from Medellín via Rionegro. You can hop on a bus at Terminal del Norte in Medellín.
Where to Eat in El Carmen de Viboral
During our stop in town, we had time for a delicious lunch.
La Frisolera
If you’re looking for a great place to eat, I can highly recommend La Frisolera. It’s located on the northeast corner of the plaza next to the church.
They specialize in beans and meat dishes. I had a Boston baked beans dish and Marisol had a steak. The food was excellent and portions are massive. Upstairs, there’s a small retail shop selling a good variety of ceramics.
Main Plaza
The main plaza in town is a large open space with a small raised section containing trees and a statue of Simón Bolívar (1783-1830).
The plaza is surrounded by a mixture of modern and colonial buildings. There’s also an obelisk in the center that pays homage to the town’s ceramic industry. The top half is decorated with colorful ceramic tiles.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Nuestra Señora del Carmen), sits on the east end of the plaza. Construction began in 1964 and it was completed in the 1990s. The building replaced an older church damaged by a pair of earthquakes in 1961 and 1962. It’s got a modern design with a tall clock tower, and there are some beautiful stained glass windows inside. The clock tower stands 33 meters high.
Ceramic Street
Although there are several ceramic workshops and shops around town, many can be found on Ceramic Street (Calle de la Cerámica), which runs south from the plaza.
Ceramic Street is also the most scenic street in town. Several of the buildings are decorated with inlaid ceramic plates and tiles. Even the lampposts and trash receptacles contain ceramic tiles.
Institute of Culture
A couple blocks south of the plaza is the Institute of Culture (Instituto de Cultura). This cultural center surrounds a courtyard and contains art exhibits and a small museum. It’s open daily except Sundays and admission is free (as of August 2024).
The art exhibits contain some impressive pieces created by locals, including sculptures, drawings, paintings, and photos.
The museum tells the history and culture of ceramics in El Carmen de Viboral. On display are some of the most beautiful items ever created by local ceramic artists.
