There are many excellent value products to be bought in Cyprus and all the main towns offer busy shopping centres and bustling markets. There are also Cyprus Handicraft Centres in all the major towns, offering a wide selection of locally produced items. Shops are closed all day Sunday and on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. However, in the tourist areas, shops usually stay open late in the evenings and all day Sunday.
In particular, Cyprus is noted for its leather goods, especially jackets, handbags and shoes; for handmade lace, and for high quality jewellry. Spectacles are very good value, often being offered at substantially lower prices than in Europe. Visitors to the mountain village of Lefkara will be able to see the villagers hard at work making their traditional lace and filigree silver products. In the other mountain villages good buys include homemade honey and sweets such as sujouko and palouze, which are made from grapes.
Ceramics are also very popular, with potteries in all the major towns offering a wide selection of brightly painted pots, plates and other gift items. High on many tourist shopping list is the famous Cyprus Delight, and visitors can visit the many workshops around the island that produce it, for a free taste and to see how it is made.
Cyprus is also well known for its wines and many wineries and breweries offer tours around their premises. Specialties of Cyprus include Cypriot brandy, the famous dessert wine, Commandaria, the orange liqueur Filfar, and Keo beer. Many locally produced spirits are also available and are much cheaper than well-known brands.
Bargaining
It is not a regular feature of Cypriot life, except in the case of any souvenir purchase where price is not labelled. However, you should not expect the vendor to cut down the price more than twenty percent from their opening bid
Sponsored by: Paphos Hotels
Major Shopping Centers
- Alpha Mega – www.alphamega.com.cy
- Chris Cash & Carry – www.chris.com.cy
- Ermes Group – www.ermes.com.cy
- Orphanides – www.orphanides.com.cy
