42 Best Shopping in The Cyclades, Greece

One of the great bookshops of the world is an unexpected but welcome treat in Ia. Built into a cave, it is like something from Harry Potter, with handwritten notes, painted ceilings, and books crammed onto every surface. Mostly English language books are stocked, with a great kids section and some very desirable first editions. It is a wondrous place. Ask them to stamp your book with their famous logo for a great souvenir.

Katherina sells her masterful ceramics and Alexander sells his sensitive jewelry—all with fish or olive motifs. A couple of doors away is their impressive little art gallery.

On Market Street, look for the house with the beautifully carved Parian marble facade to find Paros's most elegantly designed shop. Here, Stelios Ghikas, Monique Mailloux, and daughter Ramona display their pottery from Studio Yria, as well as a carefully chosen range of stylish household items. You can also visit their workshop, perched on a slope in the village of Kostos, and see the beautiful and stunning original designs being made.

Tinos produces a lot of milk. A short way up from the harbor, on the right, this little store sells milk, butter, and cheeses, including sharp kopanistí, a Cycladic specialty that pairs perfectly with ouzo; local jams and honeys are for sale, too.

The AK Art Gallery, in a converted flour mill, is the oldest on Santorini and was founded by internationally acclaimed artists Christoforos Asimis and his wife Eleni Kollaitou. He specializes in ethereal images from his home island of Santorini, and her work encompasses elegant jewelry, sculpture, and ceramics. Just outside town is the AK Art Foundation, an impressive space that houses exhibitions and cultural events. There is also a small sister gallery in Ia.

A visit to the whitewashed studio and gallery of award-winning sculptor, mosaicist, and portrait artist Angelika Vaxevanidou is a glimpse into the world of a successful, internationally commissioned artist. The longtime local artist and resident is recognized internationally for her impressive, sensitive, and emotional large-scale colored-pencil portraiture, and on display are works past and present. The studio is open year-round.

Draped in blue morning-glory vines, this gallery showcases jewelry by Greek craftsmen with bold ancient and Byzantine motifs, but the bulk of the shop is taken over by statuary and island-made marble pieces and other objet d'art. The crowded shop is a delight.

Visit this little jam shop to sample natural jams and Greek fruit preserves, known as spoon sweets, handmade by Yannis Mandenakis; Mandenakis prides himself on only using three ingredients: fruit, sugar, and lemon. You may even catch him working his magic as he mixes, cans, and packages his in-season products right through the screened kitchen door in the shop.

Tinos is a rich farming island, and every day but Sunday, farmers from all the far-flung villages fill the square with vegetables, herbs, and kritamos (pickled sea-plant leaves).

On a little square near the very center of town, local Tinian fishermen sell fresh seafood. Meanwhile, the local pelican (a rival to Mykonos's Petros the Pelican) can often be found cadging snacks from them.

Designer Yiannis Galatis has outfitted such famous women as Julie Christie, Elizabeth Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, and Jackie Onassis, but now he focuses on his art gallery with many pieces made out of driftwood.

This shop and bakery is the local go-to for anything traditional and sweet. It's known for Tinian specialties such as almond paste candies called psarakia tinou, and cheesecake bites made with Tinian cheese called gliko tiropitaki tsibiti. You’ll find yourself walking away with little gift boxes filled with your favorites, but before you go, try their homemade ice cream featuring flavors like Greek yogurt raspberry.

Maria Maraki has been looming for decades, and if you're lucky, you may find her sitting at the wheel of her traditional silk and cotton weaving loom behind the shop window. Her creations—cotton table runners, curtains, placemats, and table covers—decorate every corner and wall of the shop. Maraki draws inspiration for her colorful designs from Greek history and her own imagination, but if she's in the shop, ask her to explain her designs.

Known internationally, this fine jewelry collection is based on ancient Greek and other designs but reinterpreted for the modern woman. With many of their earrings and necklaces as lovingly worked as art pieces, the shop is as elegant as a museum. New collections are introduced every year.

For a wide selection of handmade leather goods, head to Kampanas. It will be hard to choose from the array of sandals, purses, and belts for both men and women that line the walls. The color choices are wide, and the leather is top quality.

Many of Kostas's exquisite gold necklaces and bracelets take their inspiration from the art of ancient Thira and Crete. The shop also sells excellent wines from the family's Antoniou vineyards just south of Fira around Megalochori.

Manolis and Chara Kourtis sell antiques, ceramics, fabrics, jewelry, and clothes in a delightful shop below their Red Bicycle restaurant. Exploring their collection is a pleasure, with sea creature-painted plates a favorite.

There's a Greek exuberance to the work of Yorgos Kypris, accentuated in his gallery on a bright, airy perch high above the caldera. In his striking sculptural creations in glass, clay, and other natural materials, seabirds flock and fish swirl in schools; some designs are also available as jewelry and bowls.

The workshop of Nassos Papakonstantinou, on Old Town's main square, sells one-of-a-kind pieces both sculptural and delicate. His father was a wood-carver; Nassos has inherited his talent. The shop has no sign—that is Nassos's style.

A small shop, Nid D'Or showcases two lines: one is a collection by owner Aliki Meremetis, featuring rough-cut semiprecious stones; the second is by another well-known and respected Greek jeweler, Katerina Kotsaki.

Objets d'art are made from highly polished semiprecious stones and glow with color and form. Pantelis and Nikola Kaloteraki can also create jewelry in the stone of your choice. Vases, sculptures, and many other distinctive pieces also fill the shop, which has been a presence in Santorini for more than a quarter of a century.

Mykonos used to be a weaver's island, where 500 looms clacked away. Only a few active weavers remain today and Nikoleta Xidakis is one of them. She sells skirts, shawls, and bedspreads made of local wool, as she has for more than 50 years. Daughter Anna carries on the family tradition.

Maria Kouniou is a local artist and displays her own handmade and hand-painted woodcraft wall hangings in her little whitewashed shop. She's also proud to support other Greek artists and sells their fun, colorful jewelry and T-shirts that reflect the style and beauty of Greece.