In Rhodes city, it's the Old Town that is most interesting to shoppers. (But be warned: Most of these shops close at the end of Nov and don't reopen until Mar.) You'll find classic and contemporary gold and silver jewelry almost everywhere. The top-of-the-line Greek designer Ilias Lalaounis has a boutique on Plateia Alexandrou. Alexandra Gold, at 18 Sokratous next to the Alexis Restaurant, offers stylish European work, elegant gold and platinum link bracelets, and beautifully set precious gems. For a dazzling collection of authentic antique and reproduction jewelry, as well as ceramics, silver, glass, and everything you'd expect to find in a bazaar, drop in at Royal Silver, 15 Apellou (off Sokratous).
For imported leather goods and furs (the former often from nearby Turkey and the latter from northern Greece), stroll the length of Sokratous. Antiquity buffs should drop by the Ministry of Culture Museum Reproduction Shop, on Plateia Simi, which sells excellent reproductions of ancient sculptures, friezes, and tiles. True antiques -- furniture, carpets, porcelain, and paintings -- can be found at Kalogirou Art, 30 Panetiou, in a wonderful old building with a pebble-mosaic floor and an exotic banana-tree garden opposite the entrance to the Knights Palace.
Although most of what you find on Rhodes can be found throughout Greece, several products bear a special Rhodian mark. Rhodian wine has a fine reputation, and on weekdays you can visit two distinguished island wineries: Cair, at its winery 2km (1 1/4 miles) outside of Rhodes city on the way to Lindo (www.cair.gr); and Emery, in the village of Embonas (www.emery.gr). Another distinctive product of Rhodes is a rare form of honey made by bees committed to thimati (like oregano). To get this you may have to drive to the villages of Siana or Vati and ask if anyone has some to sell. It's mostly sold out of private homes, as locals are in no hurry to give it up. Olive oil is another local art, and again the best is sold out of private homes, meaning that you have to make discreet inquiries to discover the current sources.
Rhodes is also famed for handmade carpets and kilims, an enduring legacy from centuries of Ottoman occupation. Some 40 women around the island currently make carpets in their homes; some monasteries are also in on the act. There's a local carpet factory known as Kleopatra at Ayios Anthonias, on the main road to Lindos near Afandou. In the Old Town, these and other Rhodian handmade carpets and kilims are sold at Royal Carpet at 45 Aristotelos and 15 Apellou. At Pazari, 1 Aristoteous and Dimokritou, you can watch carpets being made. Finally, there is "Rhodian" lace and embroidery, much of which, alas, now comes from Hong Kong. Ask for help to learn the difference between what's local and what's imported.
