Pottery from the town of Guaitil

When visiting our boutique bed & breakfast in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, you will probably want to purchase a locally-made souvenir to take back home. One of the oldest and most well-known souvenirs in the country you can purchase is a handmade piece of pottery from the town of Guaitil. Famous throughout Costa Rica, the tiny village located in Guanacaste in less than an hour away from Tamarindo. The people of Guaitil take great pride in their pre-Columbian Chorotega style pottery which is made using the same traditions and techniques of their ancestors. The entire village is dedicated to the production and trade of pottery, as the craft has been passed down from generations.

If you can take a visit to the village of Guaitil while you are in Costa Rica, you can find all sorts of different clay pottery including bowls, jars, vases, pitchers, animal figurines, and platters. The pottery is made by drying the clay first and then crushing it into a powder. Then the potters mix the clay powder with sand and water. Then the piece of pottery is formed, painted, and polished on a stone to make the piece shiny. Afterwards the pottery is allowed to dry and then put into a fire-burning oven.

We hope you are able to take a home an authentic piece of Costa Rican pottery with you after your stay at our bed & breakfast hotel!


Photo:KATHERINE STINNETT PHOTOGRAPHY
www.katherinestinnett.com