A Traveler's Guide to Mediterranean Markets

If you want to understand a Mediterranean town quickly, skip the museum for a morning and go to the market. It's where the local diet, seasons and social life are all on display at once.

Go early

The best produce and the liveliest atmosphere are in the morning. By early afternoon many stalls pack up, especially in summer heat. Going early also means cooler temperatures and first pick.

Shop the seasons

Markets are a real-time guide to what's in season — and what's in season is cheapest and best. Tomatoes in August, citrus in winter, cherries in early summer. Eating seasonally is both tastier and lighter on the wallet.

Assemble a picnic

You don't need a kitchen to enjoy a market. Buy bread, local cheese, cured meat, olives, ripe fruit and a few tomatoes, and you have a better lunch than most restaurants for a fraction of the price. Many stalls will let you taste before buying.

Mind the etiquette

At produce stalls, it's often the vendor who picks the fruit — don't dig through the display unless invited. Have small change ready, bring a reusable bag, and a smile and a few words of the local language go a long way.

Beyond food

Many markets also sell flowers, spices, kitchenware and crafts. They're a good place to buy edible souvenirs — dried herbs, local olive oil, honey — that capture a region's flavour to take home.