The central market of El Oued — the souk — sits a few blocks south of the main square and runs through a covered structure with overflow stalls in the surrounding streets. Every day brings dates, spices, leather, traditional textiles and household goods; Thursday is the big market day, when traders come in from the surrounding oases and the alleys are at their most chaotic.
The dates are the obvious thing to buy. El Oued is in the heart of one of Algeria's main date-growing regions, and the variety on offer at the souk runs well beyond what you can get elsewhere — different cultivars, dried, semi-dried, fresh, stuffed. The desert rose stalls — selling natural gypsum crystal formations dug from the sand around the town — are a more touristy purchase but cheap and easy to carry. Bargaining is standard. Early morning is the most active time.