Bahia has some of the country's best artisans and you can buy their folk art in the markets and shops of Chapada Diamantina. Best buys are jewellery, musical instruments, embroidery, earthenware, leather goods and silverware.

If you're looking for souvenirs, the Diamantina region is famous for semiprecious stones, which local craftsmen make into interesting jewellery.

This Chapada Diamantina Shopping Guide will tell you the best places to shop, as well as what to shop for. Check out our Brazil Shopping Guide for some general information about shopping in Brazil. See our Chapada Diamantina Restaurant Guide for suggestions on where to find a great meal whilst shopping for that perfect souvenir.

Chapada Diamantina Shopping Guide

In Lencois, Dois Irmãos, Praça Horario de Matos 3, on the main square -- open from 8am to 10pm daily, Visa and cash only -- stocks high-quality trekking and hiking gear: boots, backpacks, sandals, sleeping bags, and so on. A good jewellery shop is Casa das Pedras, Rua das Pedras 129. On the main square again, Calil Neto Fotografia; Praça Horácio de Matos 82, displays beautiful photographs of the Diamantina highlands. Open daily from 7 to 10pm. No credit cards.

Mercado Municipal on Rua José Florencio, town center is well known for in art/craft collections. For handicrafts, stop by the lively Mercado Municipal overlooking the river. Also check out the local souvenir shop owned by Taurino Sousa Alcantera at Rua das Pedras s/n, about halfway up the street.

Visit the workshop of Ronaldo Moura, a local artist who paints lovely t-shirts. The most beautiful ones are those of street lamps and of flowers, made with airbrush, a high quality work. His workshop is at 48 Urbano Duarte St. Souvenir shops sell cheaper t-shirts, but his are so much more beautiful - check them and see for yourself.

Here is a small list of local products:

- percussion instruments as the berimbau, with its legendary sound;
- bunches of silver fruits to hang at your home (to ensure good luck and abundance at table);
- ceramics;
- religious articles as Senhor do Bonfim ribbons (for good luck), and religious figures.
- very coloured handmade lace and embroidered clothing.

Besides these products, typically bahian, you can find other typical brazilian products as cotton hammocks, kangas, paintings, leather goods, jewellery, and so on.

Salvador

Salvador has many stores, many street vendors and some handicraft markets where you can buy typical local articles, but the best place to buy souvenirs and local articles is Mercado Modelo, at the city port, a three-story building, where you can even attend to lively musical shows and demonstrations.

Jewellery

Brazil is a great producer of gold and diamonds. And almost two thirds of the world's coloured gemstones are produced in Brazil. So, if you are interested in rubies, emeralds, sapphires, opals, amethysts, aquamarines, topazes, or gold jewellery or diamonds, consider buying them in Brazil. The prices are very inviting, and leading world jewellers as H. Stern or Roditi operate all over Brazil (at airports and some hotels).

Leather Goods

Another good shopping option is leather articles - shoes, bags, belts, and so on - mainly in Southern Brazil. The quality is high and the price inviting.

Kangas and T-shirts

T-shirts are sold everywhere, with colourful designs, at low prices. More brazilian yet, are the tiny bikinis or, better yet, the feminine kanga - a big coloured cotton piece that can be wrapped around the body in many ways.

Cotton Hammocks

Cotton hammocks are a typical brazilian product, sold everywhere at low prices. They are also very popular with the locals (they replace the common bed for many Brazilians in the North).