Tuchin

The sombrero vueltiao is the black and white hat that functions as a national symbol of Colombia, and it is made by Zenu people here from cana flecha, a cane whose fibres are stripped, boiled, dried and dyed - black with mud and plant dye, white left natural - then plaited into narrow braids that are sewn into a spiral. Quality is counted in vueltas, the number of fibre strands in the braid: a quinceano at fifteen is coarse and cheap, twenty-one is standard, and the finest run to twenty-seven or more, taking weeks and flexible enough to roll up and spring back. The patterns woven in are Zenu designs with names and meanings. It holds a protected denomination of origin.

What you actually see

• Hats graded by strand count - fifteen to twenty-seven and beyond.
• Cana flecha stripped and dyed - black with mud, white left natural.
• Zenu patterns with names - woven into the braid.
• A protected denomination of origin - registered for the hat.

When to go

December to April. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Cheap hats sold elsewhere are often machine-made or low-count imitations - the count is the thing to ask about. Buying from weavers directly pays them far better than resellers. The town has minimal services. Heat is heavy.

Nearby

San Andres de Sotavento is close; Monteria is west.