'flea market' Kuna and Embera crafts at Cristobol

[carmel]

I've been reading about a 'flea market' with Kuna and Embera crafts. I have some questions.

 

1) Is the market on the pier?

2) Is it easy to find - can someone give me directions as to where it is when you get off the ship?

3) Is it safe to walk there and shop?

 

Thanks!!!

[BillB48]

1. Yes, on a covered pier, there is even a few air conditioned spots.

 

2. When you get to the end of the gangway.... you're there!

 

3. Very safe to walk and shop, lots of things to stop and look at. and of course buy!

[carmel]

Excellent - thanks so much for responding. My girls are power shoppers so I wanted to get as much info about this as I could.

[JNCRUISEBUMS]

Is it the same at the Colon pier? Nancie:cool:

[VikkiGarcia]

This was the BEST shopping on our entire cruise. Had I known this before I would not have wasted time in Huatulco and Acapulco. A great combination of typical souveniers and handicrafts.

[logbook]

Is it the same at the Colon pier? Nancie:cool:

 

 

Good question. I would like to know too!

[Richard in Panama]

There are TWO piers used in Colon: Colon 2000 (usually called Colon) and Cristobal (usually called Cristobal although it is in Colon). Colon 2000, I believe, I partly owned by Carnival, and was built in 2000 and the best thing it has going for it is a Super 99 grocery store. Cristobal is older, but it does have all of these wonderful Indigenous vendors who are actually in the pier, just down the gangway. I have some Indian friends who are trying to negotiate with the Colon 2000 folks to sell crafts there as well, but for the moment, I believe the only crafts are those sold in the shops.

 

For more info see http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/cruising-to-panama/ which includes a map showing which port is where. The crafts vendors are only at Cristobal when a ship is actually there, and I'm not sure if it's possible to get onto the port if you are from another ship. I will check it out next time and let you all know.

 

Regards, Richard

[Nancyquilts]

Oh, dear. I do hope Princess goes to Cristobal instead of Colon 2000. I love the market on the pier. Beautiful molas.

[logbook]

Darn, we are Colon! :(

[Grego]

Oh, dear. I do hope Princess goes to Cristobal instead of Colon 2000. I love the market on the pier. Beautiful molas.

I do too. My memory says that Princess does dock in Cristobol.

[uk-ladies]

I do too. My memory says that Princess does dock in Cristobol.

 

Yes it does, we were there last week. Great place but we did alot of our shopping for gifts at the Embera village while we were there (you'll also find some of their goods at the pier too).

[Grego]

Good to hear we are back in Cristobol. Hopefully we'll have time to do some shopping after we take the ferry boat down the canal.

[tgrllyct]

Yes it does, we were there last week. Great place but we did alot of our shopping for gifts at the Embera village while we were there (you'll also find some of their goods at the pier too).

 

How was your experience at the Embera Village? We are thinking about signing up for the tour through our Celebrity Cruise sailing next month. Is it worth going to?