Pomaire

This town is a perfect daytrip that combines traditional food with shopping for the terra cotta dishes used all over Chile for serving soup, olives, and sauces. The greda is from the local hills near Pomaire, and though this is a tourist destination, you’re likely to find Chileans stocking up on pailas (greda bowls) for next year’s pastel de choclo (a local dish made of ground meat or chicken, studded with olives, raisins and pieces of hard boiled eggs, and topped with a creamy corn mixture before it’s baked).
Besides the terra cotta bowls, there are flowerpots, large urns, casserole dishes, candleholders and vases (some of these incised with patterns), piggy banks, and perhaps most famously three-legged pig figurines, which are supposed to bring good luck.
Pomaire is about an hour’s drive from Santiago, and there are great views of the Andes on the drive back in the afternoon sun. No trip to this town is complete without a hearty lunch, which you’ll note, is nearly almost served in one of the greda bowls.

Practical Info

Plan ahead to schedule a class with the local alfarero (potter) who can show you how to throw pots, and you can try your hand at the wheel as well.