Pomaire

A trip to Pomaire is a wonderful way to spend a day browsing their famous black clay pottery and enjoying local restaurants.

Just an hour from Santiago (and about $5,000 CLP in tolls) lies the town of Pomaire known for earthenware in all shapes and sizes, but mostly dishes and figures of pigs, chickens, fish and of course Pisco sour jugs and cups. They dig the clay locally and you will find streets lined with every type of pottery for your home. Don’t forget the three legged pig coin banks — there was a pig born years ago with three legs and thought to bring luck so it is now the sort of mascot of Pomaire.

I first went to Pomaire with my knitting club when we went to Taller Barros Pomaire over the course of a few weeks to make our own yarn bowls. You can find their workshop and storefront at Guillermo Barros 150. Of all the pottery in Pomaire I find theirs to offer the most unique designs and I love their use of colour. They have great pots for succulents, casserole sets and teapots.

The main street is Roberto Bravo (you can find parking lots along here too) and some of my favourite shops are along here. At 49 Roberto Bravo is a small shop with a large room full of great pieces for serving — small square or circular bowls or trays for appetisers and one of the few places where I have found a pizza stone.

Further down on the same side is Gredas San Vicente where you you can find a selection of everything. Especially the animal items, square bowls and mini animals on a string (which I use for my Christmas tree). My friend and I both thought the finish and quality here was really good and consistent.

On the opposite side of the street at 212 Roberto Bravo is a white building with a really good selection of animals as well. I bought a pouty fish serving dish here.

You can often find nativity scenes in Pomaire as well (called “pesebre”) but you need to ask and look around for them as they might not be out on display.

The best part about going to Pomaire is the wandering. Almost everyone is selling very similar items so just walk about, look for quality and see which you like the best.

For lunch in the town there are two places I really recommend. Fuente de mi Tierra (114 Roberto Bravo) has delicious Chilean meals and light lunches. You can also get a great mango Pisco sour here as well. For a Chilean BBQ that comes in an earthen pot, with layered meats over steaming coals then you must go to San Antonio (Roberto Bravo 320). The meat just fell off the bone and was delicious. Very filling!

The last time my friend and I went we actually went to Pomaire for 10 a.m. and then had booked reservations at Casa del Bosque for a late lunch. It is a rather roundabout way to go back to Santiago, but makes for a wonderful day trip and the back way (waze took us this way and avoiding the highway) from Pomaire to Casa del Bosque was beautiful! Really gorgeous scenery and after all the shopping, comparing pottery pigs and prices it was nice to end off our day with a long lunch and a glass of bubbles! You could also combine Pomaire with a trip to Pichilemu.