A Greek Islands shopping guide - where to shop and what to buy

Island shops are unique and colorful with delightful specialties like craft shops, traditional Greek jewelry or fresh fish and olive markets. Greece has a long and proud tradition of woven fabrics, pottery and crafts, ranging from t-shirts and souvenirs to high quality, locally crafted jewelry and antiques. Greek jewelry is well known for fine craftsmanship and classic designs. 

Mykonos

 

Though Mykonos can be expensive, the island is a thriving fashionista with unique and stylish clothing all over. Stores stay open late in the evenings here so there’s no need to worry about losing valuable beach time. The clothing stores range from souvenir t-shirts and international designer labels to handmade traditionally woven Greek fabrics. Designer labels can be cheaper here than international outlets and from August onwards there are regulated summer sales through all clothing stores. There are also many quirky souvenir stores selling handmade jewelry, traditional and iconic prints and distilled liquors such as Ouzo bottled in playful Greek sculptures

 

Crete

 

In the district of Heraklion is the square of Eleftherios Venizelos, providing some of the best shopping on Crete. Heraklion has an impressive variety of goods from designer label clothing to exquisite jewelry and fine antiques to high quality leather goods. Greece is famous for its stylized jewelry and its long tradition of leatherwork - both of which are evident by the unique goods on display here. Further west, the district of Chania has its own tradition of jewelry and leatherwork, but for those souvenir shopping, Chania also has a number of quaint streets selling handmade textiles, traditional pottery and eye-catching artworks. There are also weekly street markets that pop up across the town offering cheap clothes, fresh produce and a glance at local life.

 

Rhodes

 

Shopping in Rhodes New Town can be busy and chaotic but it offers everything from the most basic to the most extravagant. In this thriving commercial district you can find top brand clothing as well as smaller local boutiques with equally attractive merchandise. With a short walk into Old Town you can barter on traditionally made leatherwork in the form of belts, shoes, handbags and more. Alternatively, find the local street markets selling cheap fresh produce, clothing and souvenirs of all types. Rhodes has a tradition of a high standard craftwork at remarkably low prices. Styles in wood carving, fabrics and embroidery can differ wildly from the north to the south of the island, so be sure to explore.

 

Lesser-known islands

 

Some of the smaller islands offer unique finds that can’t be bought elsewhere. The seldom-visited island of Sifnos is historic for its pottery and the tradition survives today with modern aesthetics applied to this ancient craft and items surprisingly affordable considering their quality. Handcrafted one-of-a-kind jewelry can be found on the island of Patmos, where jewelry making is a historical tradition with local ancestors having bought gold and precious stones from pirates, crafting them into beautiful masterpieces exported all over Europe.