Going home from Medellín empty-handed is a crime. The city blends Antioquian craft traditions with artisanship from all over Colombia, and the souvenirs you can take back range from a bag hand-woven over a month to a fridge magnet that costs less than a coffee. Here's the local guide — what to buy, where, and how not to get overcharged.
The most typical Medellín souvenirs
Before you start shopping, know what's actually worth taking home:
- Wayuu bags (the queens of Colombian souvenirs)
- Hats: vueltiao, aguadeño, paisa
- Single-origin coffee vacuum-packed
- Botero figurines and art
- Chivas (the traditional colorful bus, miniature)
- Paisa leather crafts
- Locally designed t-shirts (illustrated here, not generic) — and the Colombia national jersey
- Magnets, keychains and pins — the souvenir under 10,000 pesos
Wayuu bags — the artisan jewel
The Wayuu mochila is hand-woven by Wayuu indigenous women from La Guajira. A single bag can take 15 to 30 days of work, which is why it's a unique piece — not an industrial product. Honest prices range from 120,000 COP (small) to 450,000+ COP (large with hand-woven kanasü strap).
How to spot an authentic one:
- Uniform, symmetric weaving with no loose threads.
- Long, thick, braided strap (not a thin cord).
- Tag from the artisan or her cooperative.
- Clear geometric patterns — not industrial copies.
We carry a curated selection of Wayuu bags at the MOVE Shop, sourced directly from La Guajira cooperatives.
Traditional hats (vueltiao, aguadeño, paisa)
Three classics you'll see across the country:
- Vueltiao: woven in caña flecha — the most recognizable Colombian hat. From the Caribbean coast but adopted nationwide.
- Aguadeño: woven in iraca, finer, typical of the coffee region. Elegant in warm weather.
- Paisa hat (a.k.a. uribito): wool felt, short brim, associated with the Antioquian farmer.
These are great gifts and rarely faked — the quality gap is obvious. Find several models at our shop.
Colombian coffee to take home
Coffee is arguably the best souvenir: light, lasts for months, and recreates the Paisa experience at home. Always buy single-origin coffee vacuum-packed, never industrial supermarket coffee.
At our Laureles HQ you can taste the coffee before buying at MOVE Coffee & Frappés. For the full deep dive, read our Colombian coffee in Medellín guide.
Botero art in miniature
Fernando Botero is Paisa pride #1. His "Boterismo" style — voluminous, rounded figures — is reproduced in small sculptures, printed paintings and decorative figurines. Perfect for your home or as a tasteful gift. After the Plaza Botero tour many travelers stop by the shop to take one home.
Chivas, magnets and small things
- Chivas: the colorful traditional bus. Wood or ceramic replicas from 25,000 COP.
- Magnets: Comuna 13, Pueblito Paisa, Plaza Botero — bestsellers.
- Keychains and mugs illustrated with city landmarks.
For a premium set, the Shop puts together custom bundles.
Medellín t-shirts: the souvenir you actually wear
There are two kinds of Medellín t-shirt. The airport-stall one, "COLOMBIA" in big letters, on fabric that won't survive three washes. And the one somebody from here designed with a specific piece of the city in mind.
Ours are the second kind: 19 original designs, illustrated by our team in Medellín, each in a men's and a women's cut, all at 60,000 COP (about 15 USD).
The ones about Medellín:
- Me-De-Llín — the name broken into three lines, with the metrocable built into the lettering.
- Skyline Medellín — the city skyline on the back, Plaza Botero on the front.
- Medellín Línea Fina — the cable car and the cathedral drawn in a single line. The most understated one; it works in an office.
- Medellín de Noche — black, with the city lit up.
- Medellín Ilustrado — the rooftops and facades in colour.
- Hecho en Medellín — "Made in Medellín", three words that mean rather more here than a place of manufacture.
- Medellín Script and Medellín Clásico — for anyone who just wants the name.
The ones about Colombia:
- Colombia Andina — coffee country and Andean wildlife, with a gold arch on the back. The only one that comes in six colours.
- Colombia Postal — a full illustrated postcard: cable car, plazas, colour.
- Sello Colombia — a circular "Made in Colombia" emblem on chest and back.
- Bandera Bold — the three flag colours in big type. The loudest in the catalogue.
- Mapa de Colombia, Colombia Urbana, Colombia Minimal, Colombia Tropical, Atardecer Colombiano and I Love Colombia.
And one on its own: Una Chimba Parce.
This one needs explaining, because it's the one people ask about. Parce means "mate" or "buddy" in paisa Spanish — short for parcero, and used about every third sentence. Una chimba means something is great. Together, "una chimba parce" is roughly how brilliant, mate. It's what someone from here says when they genuinely loved something.
An honest heads-up: the word chimba carries a vulgar meaning in other parts of Colombia and in other Spanish-speaking countries. Nobody in Antioquia reads it that way. Outside Colombia, depending on the company, it can land differently. Knowing that, it's the most fun shirt in the catalogue.
Three practical things before you buy:
- Sizes are Colombian and run small. Coming from Europe or the US, go one size up.
- Each design comes in a men's and a women's cut. Not the same garment in two sizes — two different cuts.
- They weigh nothing and don't crease. This is the gift that still fits in a full carry-on.
And the Colombia national jersey? We have that too, along with the centenary editions. It's a different thing: the national shirt belongs to the whole country and reads anywhere in the world; these 19 belong to this city and say something only someone who was here will get. They don't compete — they're for different people on your list.
They're all in Medellín t-shirts, and at our Laureles shop you can try them on before deciding.
Souvenirs under 10,000 pesos
There's a moment of the trip nobody warns you about: the night before the flight, when you remember there are eleven people in the office plus your nephew, and you cannot bring home eleven Wayuu bags.
That's what the other half of the shop is for:
- Basic magnet, handmade by local artisans — 6,000 COP
- Premium magnet, in relief — 10,000 COP
- Keychains, handmade paisa designs — 10,000 COP
- Pins — 10,000 COP
- Bracelet in the Colombian flag colours — 10,000 COP
- Premium bracelet — 25,000 COP
For 60,000 pesos — the price of one t-shirt — you walk out with ten magnets. It's the purchase that clears the entire office list in five minutes.
The most requested magnets are Comuna 13, Pueblito Paisa and Plaza Botero — the three places people recognise in the photo. They're in Medellín magnets and keychains.
One tip worth real money: buy these at the start of the trip, not the end. The last day always goes on something else, and what's still open at ten at night are the airport stalls, which is exactly where you don't want to be buying.
Paisa leather crafts
Antioquia has a cattle-ranching heritage and local leather is solid quality. Wallets, purses, belts and notebooks — all handmade. Honest price: a medium wallet runs 80,000–180,000 COP.
Where to buy without getting overcharged
Golden rule: skip airports and hotels. Prices there are inflated up to 3x. Best places to shop:
- MOVE Shop in Laureles (Calle 44a #70-79) — curated selection, fair pricing, no aggressive haggling. Open Mon–Sat 9:00 AM–6:00 PM.
- Pueblito Paisa: typical souvenirs, perfect after a panoramic tour.
- San Alejo market (Saturdays, Parque Bolívar): authentic local crafts.
Avoid stalls in Parque Lleras and tourist mall shops.
Take Medellín home with you
Combine shopping with the experience: book a MOVE tour, end at our Laureles HQ and pick your souvenirs at your own pace. For food gift ideas, also check our what to eat in Medellín guide — coffee and Paisa sweets travel surprisingly well.
Keep reading
Ready to take Medellín home? Visit the MOVE Shop or message us on WhatsApp for shipping: +57 350 4502929.
Get the souvenir without the runaround
At the MOVE Shop (Laureles) you will find original Wayuu bags, vueltiao hats and Medellín t-shirts — verified pieces, fair prices, shipping available.
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