Odos 1866 side-street cheese and herb stalls

The cheese and herb stalls of Odos 1866 occupy the narrow stretch of Heraklion's market street between Lions Square and Kornarou Square in the old town of Crete, Greece. This section is where local shoppers, not only visitors, buy graviera, mizithra, thyme honey, dried oregano, mountain tea known as malotira, and other everyday Cretan goods from stall holders who often know their regular customers by name. The stalls display wheels of cheese, jars of honey, bundles of dried herbs, olives, nuts and bottles of olive oil, and the mix of smells is part of the experience. Stall holders commonly offer small tastes of cheese and honey, which lets visitors compare varieties before buying, and many will vacuum-pack cheese for travel on request. A visit takes about 20 to 40 minutes, though browsing and sampling can stretch it. The stretch is busiest on weekday mornings, when locals shop, and it gets crowded when tour groups pass in the late morning and afternoon. Early morning is the best time for fresh produce and for photographs of the stalls without crowds. The best photograph angles are of the hanging herbs and cheese displays with the narrow street behind them. Prices are typically marked, and quality varies between stalls, so visitors who want authentic local products can ask where the cheese or honey comes from and compare a few stalls first. Typical market hours are Monday to Saturday from about 08:00 to 21:00, with many stalls closed on Sundays. The stalls are an easy addition to a walk past the Morosini Fountain and the Venetian Loggia, and the nearby cafes offer a place to rest afterwards.