What and where is Paloquemao?

Paloquemao is a marketplace for fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and flowers. It spans an entire city block in Bogotá . The market opens at 3:30 AM for vendors and suppliers and at 4:30 AM for the general public. Every day thousands of restaurant owners and consumers pass through the warren of stalls and vendors.

It is found northeast of the intersection of Calle 19 and Carrera 27, east of Calima Centro Comercial. I wish we had known about it sooner. It was only a 20 minute walk from where we were staying in Bogota.

Mercado Plaza de Paloquemao

Once we learned about the Paloquemao market, we went at our next opportunity. As soon as you step in off the street, you are greeted with an explosion of colors, smells, and sounds!

 

The following collection of videos were recorded in different areas of the market place. While many vendors sell some of the same things, you can also find all sorts of exotic fruits and items unique to Colombia. And the Colombians are very proud of what their country can produce. They will happily tell you all about the items they sell and the benefits they provide. You need to check it out when you are in Bogota if you want to see authentic Colombian offerings.

Having made the trip and seen the wonders, we couldn’t go home empty handed. And we were not going to be satisfied with some onions, potatoes, and carrots. No, it was time to experiment and try new things!
 
I thought we might have a little trouble remembering what it is we bought, so Karen asked the vendor and I recorded the answer. We bought guayaba, pitaya, granadia, lulu, and frijoa. They were all pretty good, some things were better than others. I just know if I lived in Bogotá, I’d want to be somewhere I could easily get to Paloquemao!