Cretan olive oil, local wine and “tsikoudia”, “graviera” or other traditional Cretan cheeses, honey, freshly pickled olives, and beneficial Cretan herbs, as well as hand embroidery and hand-woven textiles, Cretan traditional instruments are few of the many local products one can take home as gifts for you, your family, and friends.

In Stagakis Cretan Lyra Workshop and Papalexakis Cretan Music Instruments store in the center of Rethymno you can learn about the history and observe the manufacturing of the Cretan “lyra”, a traditional musical instrument.

At Wood Art Workshop you can admire artist hand-carving wood, involving numerous methods and tools to turn the original raw piece into a finished work of art. You can also visit the Wooden Sculptures Museum in Axos Milopotamou.t.

Leather crafts such as shoes, purses & bags. You can find a traditional leather store in Souliou, Kallergi, Koroneou Street, where you can watch the whole process of leather making.

Woven crafts made on local looms are combined with the Cretan tradition, showcasing bright colors and playful patterns in the form of decorative throw pillows, personal accessories, and even tapestries. In Argiroupoli village you can find plenty of traditional hand-woven crafts (known as “yfanta”), and also inspired by local tradition woven cloths and accessories of high quality by “Klotho”.

Local Cretan handmade embroideries are very popular decorative items for multi-use. The art of thread and needle has been an ongoing and evolving process. Hand embroidery is now evolving with modern expressions. It has evolved from being a mere necessity to being a form of art. The village of Anogia is one of the major handicraft and cottage industry centers of Crete and the woven and embroidered fabrics produced have superb motifs which are unique to the village. It is interesting to visit one of the many workshops open to the public and observe fabrics being woven on large looms.

Knives were very important items for the Cretans, not only to use but also to display as status symbols and show their ability to defend themselves. Today Cretan knives are decorated with local poems (known as “mantinades”) on their handles. At Ethnikis Antistaseos Str there is an old barber shop that sells these traditional knives.

At his concept store, the artist Vaggelis Terzis uses metal, natural materials, and waste which he recycles to create his art.

Komboloi -a string of “worry” beads made by ivory, amber, silver, glass or wood- is one of the most typical symbols of the Greek easy-going mentality. You can find a workshop at Gerakari Str.

Natural Cosmetics and Soaps based on natural ingredients, honey, herbal extracts and essential oils of plants and flowers that grow in Crete, such as olive oil, carobs, avocado, and aloe. You can find a wide range of these products at the local shops in Rethymno.

Greek jewelry has a history of 6,000 years. The designer Chara Theodoraki at her workshop - showroom continues this art to this day.

You can find several icon workshops which still use the Byzantine traditional way of painting, yet the most famous onesis the Cretan School of painting. All the colors used for painting are natural, painted either on canvas or on olive woods.