Kankan's central market is one of the most animated in Guinea and the obvious place to get a feel for the city's commercial energy. The covered section — entered through distinctive arched gates — sells cloth, clothing, hardware, and household goods. Around it, open-air stalls spread across several blocks dealing in produce, dried fish, spices, and the bright printed fabrics (lapa) that define West African dress.
The market is busiest in the mornings and on Saturdays. Look for locally made leather goods — sandals, bags, and belts — worked in the traditional Malinke style, and for the woven blankets and strips of kente-adjacent cloth produced by weavers who set up their looms in the surrounding alleys. Haggling is universal; start at roughly half the first quoted price and expect to settle somewhere in between.