On the island of Crete you will find that most of its products circulate freely and will show up in tourist shops almost everywhere.  The island is very well known for its beautiful fabrics, though formerly wool was carded and spun by hand.  Indeed, nearly every Cretan village still has several looms for turning the basic material into cloth.

The actual grade of the material runs from very fine to the coarsest goat hair.  It is made into an enormous range of articles, clothing, bedspreads, pillow covers, curtains and brightly coloured Greek shoulder bags.

Another excellent buy is the hand knitted sweaters.  The basic while “seaman's” pullover, always associated with Greece, has a distinctive square neck and short sleeves.

There is no doubt, that if you wander around a Cretan village you will see countless ladies dressed in black.  They sit in front of their whitewashed houses and produce endless bands of lace.  In some places you are able to buy direct from these ladies, Fodele being just one  beautiful area and normally at a lower price than in the shops.  Tablecloths and blankets are mostly handmade and can be a bargain.

Boot making has been raised almost to an art form here in Crete, particularly in the west city of Chania you will find boot makers who will do made to measure shoes and boots with all the work done by hand.  They do tend to be sturdy rather than fashionable!!

You will find the Gold and Silver very inexpensive in comparison to the UK.  The gold is fourteen and twenty one carat with all jewellery you will find very unique designs.