This Cyprus shopping guide gives some hints on what to buy. For more specific regional information, including some interesting shops to visit, check out our Limassol and Paphos shopping pages. Whilst shopping you should enjoy a fine Cypriot meal at one of Cyprus's many great tavernas.

Cyprus Shopping Guide

Cyprus is well known for its handcrafted lace, quality jewellery and leather goods, mainly leather jackets, shoes and bags. Good quality spectacles cost less here when compared to prices in Europe and make a good buy.

Local specialities such as grape-based sweets like palouze and sujouko, and homemade honey make good buys, and are available at other villages in the mountains.

Cyprus Delight, a confection, ranks high on the shopper’s list. Take a tour of the workshops that prepare this delicacy, get to know the recipe and taste it for free. The delicious cheese of Cyprus, Halloumi, is another favourite.

The wines of Cyprus are enjoyed worldwide. The breweries and wineries of Cyprus allow tourists to visit their premises. Keo beer, Cypriot brandy, Commandaria (famed dessert wine), and Filfar (orange liqueur) are signature products of Cyprus.

In general, the local spirits including Zivania brandy (raki), good quality Cypriot Wine and Commandaria wine make a good buy, with their prices being lower than branded products.

You can also find many trendy boutiques and international chain stores like the Woolworth’s and Marks & Spencer (from Britain) in Nicosia. Mall culture is fast growing in Southern Cyprus and it is expected that each major city will have its own share of upmarket shopping malls. 

Handicrafts 

Lefkaritica lace is perhaps the most famous local product of Cyprus, and with good reason too. The delicate and beautifully crafted hand-made lace of Cyprus is an endangered craft since the craft does not have many young takers after this profession! In fact, there are cheap machine-made substitutes that are flooding the market but are nowhere near the real thing.

Obviously, the price of a genuine lace depends on the quality of the handwork, workmanship and the difficulty of the design. It is believed that this work so impressed Leonardo Da Vinci that he bought a handmade tablecloth to adorn the “Ayia Trapeza" altar at Milan Cathedral. Visitors to this village can see these villagers at work.

Jewellery is another fine example of Cypriot craftmanship. It is an artform that has been practiced since the Mycenean period, and silver is the main material used for making local jewellery. The artisans work to create both traditional and contemporary pieces. A traditional sign of Cypriot hospitality is their silver spoons and forks.

Shopping Hours

Before you begin your shopping expedition in Cyprus, check out the shop timings. Generally, shops remain closed on Sundays, Wednesdays and during the afternoon on Saturdays. Tourist spots are an exception to this rule. Shops at these locations stay open till late hours on weekdays and also on Sundays.