The Carriel – Colombia’s Gorgeous & Iconic Must-Have

Revised April 2022

There are so many blog posts out there about Colombia – everything from Medellin’s amazing public transportation system which includes outdoor escalators and cable cars, to information about touring coffee farms, visiting Guatapé, or hiking in Los Nevados to Valle de Cocora to see the taller than tall wax palms.

But I didn’t see much information about the carriel bags of Colombia. And that is what prompted me to pen this post (well “pen” might be misleading since I’m typing this on my phone, but you get the idea!)

On my travels through the beautiful and colorful country of Colombia, I stopped for a week in Jericó- a delightful small town of around 12,000 hard-working paisanos. This Pueblo Patrimonio (Heritage Town, a designation given to 17 magical villages in Colombia ) is located in the Antioquia region just 104 km (65 miles) from the bustling and modern metropolis of Medellin. At an elevation of 6200’ (1900 m) the weather there is mild and breezy.

There are coffee fincas (farms) in every lush verdant valley, and the coffee bushes are laden with ruby red berries bursting with the caffeine we all know, love and need! The coffee bushes are shaded by the ginormous leaves of the banana trees surrounding them, and papayas and aguacates (avocados) flourish on these ridiculously steeply sloped lands. For many of the residents there, coffee is their livelihood.

On a typical day in the Parque Central (the centro, or town square) you’ll find farmers in colorful Jeep Willys delivering huge sacks of coffee beans to the local cooperative ready for roasting and sale. Caballeros ride into the square on their stately horses while wearing beautifully handcrafted straw sombreros woven with intricate black and white patterns, 

and a traditional scarf-like fabric draped casually from one shoulder – both items (hat and scarf) used for protection from the warm southern sun of the equator.  These local hombres hang out casually drinking coffee or cerveza fria (cold beer) at the cafes that encircle the plaza, while tipping their chairs back and balancing precariously on the back two legs and chatting with friends. And something you’ll notice about many of these men? They’re proudly sporting carriels – traditional leather bags which are created in Jericó.

The carriel is used by the men in the coffee fields to carry all their stuff for the day,  leaving their hands free to work picking the shiny red coffee berries.

Carriels are shoulder bags or saddlebags/satchels. They are made of fine quality leather and cowhide; the leather is dyed a deep rich garnet red, inky black or a toasty warm russet.

The topstitching is often in vibrant red, green, and yellow threads and the trim, some of it patent leather, is cut in fancy scallops and punctuated with details in circles and ovals. The bag is expandable, with a soft chamois-colored bottom built like an accordion which opens to hold more than you’d expect.

The carriels originated in and are handcrafted in Jericó – in town, there are many open workshops in the leather shops where you’ll see artisan men and women plying their craft on ancient sewing machines or using strong needles to sew the cutwork together.

But the best part? The best part…besides the fact that the heavy leather is smooth as butter, aromatic and colorful and the design itself is outstanding and gorgeous…is the hidden pockets! The carriel has lots of “normal” sections with dividers – some zippered, some with snaps. But these leather flaps, which at first glance look like the inside lining of the bag, lift up to reveal additional secret pockets! I’m told it’s where the campesinos (countrymen) stashed love letters and sentimental photos (and probably pesos!) while traveling the countryside.

Not just for men anymore, carriels have made it into the fashion world around the globe. Valentino and Dior have appropriated the accordion style and the signature motif of the carriel’s flap to create modern versions for the high fashion world (not that I know anything at all about high fashion as a backpacker!😱)

Jericó is a charming, colorful, and mostly tourist-free pueblo. Wander up and down the steep cobblestone streets – you’ll find at least a dozen shops selling these beauties. Feel free to stop in, watch the leather workers as they cut, sew and create these beautiful bags, and bring home a few as gorgeous, unique, eye-catching and usable remembrances of your time in Colombia to remind you of Jericó.

 

 

If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.  ~ Rachel Wolchin