Puerto Rico’s traditional crafts — including santos de palo (hand-carved wooden saint figures), mundillo lace, and vejigante masks— are still hand-made today, not mass-produced souvenirs. Look for these treasures at artisan markets tied to fiestas patronales, Ponce’s craft shops near Parque de Bombas, and cultural-center gift shops (like MAPR‘s) over airport or cruise-port souvenir stands, where mass-produced imports are common.
Santos de Palo
Hand-carved wooden figures of Catholic saints, a folk-art tradition dating to the colonial era. Family workshops in Orocovis and other central-mountain towns still carve them in the traditional style.
Mundillo Lace
A distinctive bobbin lace craft centered in Moca, on the northwest coast – one of the few places in the world where this specific lace-making tradition survives as a living practice.
Vejigante Masks
Papier-mâché or coconut-shell masks with exaggerated horns, painted in bright colors, made for Ponce Carnival and Loíza’s Santiago Apóstol festival – see Folklore for the tradition behind them.
See these crafts in motion at Festivals & Events, especially at the Ponce Carnival.