Puerto Rico

Vejigante masks. Carnival performers wear these garish apier mâché and coconut-shell masks, painted in bright colors and accentuated with horns and spiked teeth, to scare sinners into church (or scare evil spirits away). Look for these expressive masks at the mask-making cities of Ponce and Loiza, and in shops in Old San Juan.

Hammocks. Woven cotton hammocks in bright colors are a Puerto Rican specialty, reportedly invented by the Taino Indians of the island. Look for handwoven hammocks in the weekend craft markets in Plaza de la Darsena and Paseo de la Princesa and in shops in Old San Juan.

Mundillo lace. Brought to Puerto Rico from Spain, mundillo (bobbin lace) is made by twisting and weaving thread-wrapped bobbins through intricate patterns of pins. Find mundillo-embellished linens, pillows, handkerchiefs, collars, and baby clothes in Moca, Puerto Rico's mundillo capital, the Folk Arts Center at the Dominican Convent in Old San Juan, or in the western towns of Aguadilla, Aguada, and Isabela.