Most people weave hats, baskets, party favors, and other items out of the fibers of a plant called bellota, Panama hat palm. Others carve soapstone figurines. Membrillo is the only place in the country with a soapstone mine. The topography of Membrillo and the surrounding area is rather severe. There is no flat land, period.
Hillsides are very steep and become impossibly muddy in the rainy season.