Spain offers today the best prices on many articles with some special discounts for tourists. Madrid and Barcelona are, of course, the major cities for shopping. Travelers to Madrid should spend time at the Rastro Market, where you can bargain hard and experience the full flavor of Spain's shopping fever. In Madrid you can find artistic products of rich and varied Spanish handicraft, rugs, tapestries, shoes, luggage, bags, coats, dresses, gloves, fans, cloaks, porcelain, ceramic ware, cast iron wooden statues.

Spain has a long tradition in making leather goods, clothing , embroidery and lace, gold and silver jewelry, ivory objects, blown glass, pottery and antiques. Some of the antique galleries in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville are among the best in Europe. Interior-decorating items like Lladro porcelains, irongrille designs, silver and other metal objects such as candelabra, trays, bowls, toys and musical Instruments including the best spanish guitars in the world.

Spain is also famous for producing high quality footwear from Alicante and the Balearics. For fine rugs and carpets you should make a visit to Cáceres, Granada or Murcia where these are widely made. Bargains are everywhere.

Fajalauza in Granada has some of the loveliest varieties of pottery in Spain. The pottery is made with primitive techniques and forms and its blue, green and purple glazes are of Moorish origin.

The excellent sherries, wines and spirits produced in Spain make excellent gifts.