In summer months when weather and sales are good, shopkeepers in Marmaris tend to keep there shops open even longer!

Our Marmaris shopping guide below will tell you all you need to know to get the best deals and best places to shop in Marmaris-Datca. If you get hungry during your shopping spree, enjoy a great Turkish meal at one of the many Marmaris restaurants. Our Turkey shopping guide will give you some more shopping ideas on your Marmaris holiday.

Mamaris Shopping Guide

In summer months when weather and sales are good, shopkeepers tend to keep there shops open even longer! On Marmaris Peninsula this practice is not different than in other places along the Turkish coast. This is a revelation for many travellers coming for the first time to Turkey.

"If you want to shop for local products like home, we saw at 0:30 past midnight lots of Turks with caddies shopping, like here at 12 noon. In our city supermarkets are closed at 20hrs. The shops of Marmaris, the sparkling hot city, are open after midnight! nice..."

So in most cases during your ‘aprés sunbathing' you don't have to rush to the shops for all your neccesities. Keep calm, drink your long drink at ease, enjoy a tasty snack or starter first and then finally get on your bike for shopping. Good Luck !!!

Marmaris Grand Bazaar 

If you like shopping try the grand bazaar in Marmaris. This is a very big shopping centre all under one roof in the old part of town. It's very close to the harbour and the main street. A labyrinth of shops, coffee houses, barbers and restaurants; you can buy literally everything you will need there for a reasonable price.

"A visit to the Bazaar is a must. It is a large rabbit warren of shops of all descriptions. You can buy anything your heart desires in the Bazaar, custom made shoes, clothes and jewellery. The tailors are very good and will make garments in a couple of days. Treat yourself to a custom piece of jewellery, it does not take long, and the craftsmanship is excellent. Prices are much cheaper than other countries and the workmanship is terrific..."

Turkey is shopaholic's dream come true. With a wide variety of handicrafts ranging from carpets to jewellery, ceramics and leather, shopping here is indeed a pleasure. There are shops that range from the smaller less expensive ones in the bustling bazaar and markets, to the modern boutiques that stock exclusive brands. The smaller shops offer close imitations of originals found in the bigger boutiques at places like Netzel Marina. But rest assured, these imitations are also of superior quality. Also, do remember to bargain in the markets and bazaars. It is an accepted practice, and you will be pleasantly surprised to find bargaining very enjoyable. If you are astute, you can cut costs by almost 30%!

Carsi Market, Marmaris

Just near the Ottoman Castle, right in the centre of Marmaris, is the Old Carsi Market. It is a labyrinth of shops where you can get lost quite easily, both literally and figuratively. If you would like to revisit a shop, take care to mark its location in your mind with some clue! The goods in the Carsi Market are usually of very good quality and you are sure to get your money's worth here. From clothes to shoes, jewellery, handicraft, imitations of famous brands and even mundane spectacles, you can find them all here. The most unique aspect of shopping at Carsi Market is that you can get items customised to your requirements. If you like the design of a pair of shoes, then you can have them made then and there to fit you perfectly. If there is a piece of jewellery that catches your fancy there are excellent craftsman who will make it for you right away at prices that are lower than those in other countries, and if it is a dress that you have spotted, voila, the tailor will have it ready for you in a day. What is more, should you need more of the same later after you have got home, drop them a line and they will make it for you.

The Carsi market plays host to a flea market every Sunday when there are more than 200 shops on display. If you want to shop in peace, however, the best time is between 11 am and 4 pm on weekdays. Of course there will be some noise during the lunch hour and some hassling by wayside vendors, but take them in your stride and do visit the Carsi market. It is old Turkey at its best.

Thursday Market in Marmaris (the Popular Friday Market)

Every Thursday there is a market at G. Mustafa Muglali Caddesi between 8 am and 6 pm. The market has on sale anything and everything from fruits and vegetables to clothes, fabrics, household items, table and bed linen. While the market is famous for its sportswear, you also get casual street wear, imitations of designer brands as well as couture left over from the previous season.

The tourist office at Iskele Maydani 2 provides information on Marmaris. Step into this office anytime between 8 am and 7.30 pm, for any queries regarding Marmaris. You could also call them at 412 1035 for any assistance.

Datca Shopping Guide

There are a lot of small shops in Datca where you can buy everyday necessities. Further more you can find good carpet-shops, local handicrafts and shops with the best natural products of the region: almonds, honey, laurel and thyme. Shopping in Datça is fun.

"Datca has an abundance of eateries! Lokantas (tavernas), Restaurants, bars, Ice cream parlours, tea houses, Patisseries etc. So take your pick! The market offers opportunities for grazing, as the stall holders (especially the dried fruit, lokkum (turkish delight) and nut sellers will offer you free samples".

The Weekly Market

The Weekly Market is an attractive open market on the streets of Datca. Open every Saturday The Weekly Market in Datca gives the traveller an excellent view of rural live on the Western Peninsula as well as an overview of local agricultural products. Famous are the almonds, olives, olive oil, honey, thyme and laurel; products which are considered to be among the best of the country. Most agricultural output  in the region is organic and that's one of the reasons food in this part of Turkey is so tasty. Every week a growing number of Greeks from nearby Simi Island visit this market because of the low prices compared to their european economical standards. 

Bargaining in Turkey and Mamaris-Datca

There are places where you don't and places you have to bargain to get the products you want.

The rule is that pharmacies and groceries generally do not bargain. Also State operated shops like Tekel Liquor and cigarettes shops have fixed prices. If you don't trust the seller ask for the price list ("fiyat listesi"). If he won't show better go to another shop. A lot of modern style fashion shops work with fixed prices, but here you can also try to bargain. Maybe you'll get it a little bit cheaper (because all Turks still like the system of bargaining).

In touristic places like Marmaris you must bargain hard. And you must take your time. In less touristic places like Datca bargaining is an easy job. Traditional products like almonds, honey and herbs are almost always offered at local prices. But always try to get it a little bit cheaper. Turkish carpets and leather items are always and everywhere harder to obtain for the real price.

How to bargain hard in Marmaris

1) Most of the shopkeepers along harbours in tourist locations have one or more shops in the big metropolis like Izmir (5 milion inhabitants), Ankara (8 million) and Istanbul (10 million). Stock they can't sell in the big cities, they bring to the tourist areas. Nothing wrong with that or with their products, and it means they are already willing to sell them cheaper.

2) Don't accept anything to drink on your arrival in a shop. The key is refuse, refuse, refuse and after that if the shopkeeper still offers you something, refuse again. Accepting a drink, even a small cup of tea, leaves you with a sense of obligation that weakens your bargaining position! It's better to drink something before you go into the shops and afterwards.

3) You really should take care of the quality offered. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you want to buy it talk about the mistakes or poor quality. It should bring the prices down.

4) If you want to buy a good carpet, please be an expert. If you want to buy a midrange or cheap kelim or carpet, bargain as hard as you can. Keep in mind which price you want to pay. But first you must learn the market. The real prices! Take in mind that the real price for a leather jacket and a normal kelim or carpet is around one third of the price first mentioned by the seller. So start with one fourth. They will smile at you, not taking you serious. Try to neglect that denigrating smile. It's just a sign that they notice that you are near the right price! So smile back at them in a same way. Bargaining is a game. The seller wants to know what the buyer knows about the product! So play the game with them. Walk away. Go to another shop. Bargain hard again. Walk away. If the shopkeeper comes behind you he is interested. Lower your price. And in the end always say "I'll think it over"! Try for some hours to learn the prices of leather jackets, kelims, carpets, leather bags, etc, whatever you like to buy. Return after 2 or 3 days and start all over again. There is a great chance that the shopkeepers don't remember you anymore, they have had so many foreigners in there shop and since they think that tourists all look the same: blond hair and blue eyes! If they remember you, say that you have thought it over, but that you don't remember anymore which carpet, kelim, leather bag, etc you liked some days before. Then you can start more or less all from the beginning, but now you know what is a reasonable price.

The Shopping Fact File

Remember these words; they will help you a great deal while shopping!

Para - Money.
Chock Para - Too much money!
Chock Pahala - Too expensive!
Para Yok - I have no money!

Datca Traditional Shopping

The polite, helpful and friendly shop keepers of Datca provide a very welcome change from the somewhat crude and glib ones of Marmaris. Near the harbour you can find some small shops, but just around the road and up the hill there will be about ten of them selling some very interesting Turkish handicrafts. Here you will find ceramic ware, carpets, antiques, furniture, carpets and even a sweet shop. A visit to the sweet shop brings out the child in you and very soon you will find yourself buying different varieties, all of which are neatly bubble wrapped so as to withstand the rigours of the journey. And you cannot really leave Turkey without buying a carpet. While the carpet shopkeepers will insist that they are not tourist outlets, they see to it that you pick up something without your even realising it and even promise to ship it to any corner of the world.

At the other end there are shops that sell exotic spices, nuts, (both plain and salted), fruits, vegetables and what have you. There are leather wallets and bags, belts, watches and CDs, imitation watches, household and table linen and much more waiting to be bought. Do shop for the Lokkum or Turkish delight which is available in a host of flavours. It is a delightful experience to sample these before you buy them! The display of the vividly coloured vegetable and fruit stalls and the nuts and spices shops make up for a visual delight, so do carry your camera along. Bargaining and haggling is permitted, though the prices of some of the items are fixed. If you are buying more than one piece of any item then you could ask for a quantity discount.

It is fairly hot in the marketplace, and you must remember to cool off frequently with lots of water and a bit of rest in the shade.