For avid bookworms around the world, holidays officially begin the magical moment when they find a beautiful corner to curl up in and dive into the pages of a book, inhaling the distinctive smell of printed paper mingled with the sea breeze.

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Believe me, I speak from experience. In fact, many of us have decided what our summer reads will be months in advance, have them in our library and are stoically waiting for the big moment to come. However, no matter how much we manage to carry to the island, no matter how much space we sacrifice from our suitcase, it’s completely impossible for us to say no to a visit to a wonderful bookstore or another unique read. Other people might underestimate their bookworm skills and they might find themselves in the middle of the holiday without something to read. For all of these occasions and so many others I’m probably leaving out, we’ve gathered the most charming and well-informed bookstores on the Greek islands, compiled a list and are sharing it with you.

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Photo: Facebook (To Logari)
Photo: Facebook (To Logari)

Logari – Andros

A meeting point for the book lovers of Andros and beyond, the Logari bookstore can be found since 1993 in the port of the island, Gavrio. Initially, it started out selling mainly stationery and a few books. In 2010 it passed into the hands of Mr. George Apostolidis and his wife, Mrs. Eva Polydoropoulou. The two of them renovated it and turned it into a modern, vibrant multi-purpose space dedicated to the promotion of literature. Beautiful and, above all, very modern, Logari now offers a wide range of books for young and old, by Greek and foreign authors, scrapbooks, graphic novels, special gifts and vinyls. In addition, in Logari you will find foreign-language books – mainly in English and French, but also some in German and Italian – while interesting book presentations and exhibitions are often held.

Androu, 84 501 Gavrio, Andros Cyclades

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Photo: Facebook (Antilalos coffee, books & attic)
Photo: Facebook (Antilalos coffee, books & attic)

Antilalos – Tinos

A beautiful book-café in a very Cycladic style in the heart of Tinos, Antillalos opened in 2017 and since then it has gained a fanatic following, bibliophiles and non-bibliophiles alike. Its shelves – inside and outside the shop – are full of mostly old books, literally picked one by one, and a few new ones, all of which are for sale and can be leafed through while enjoying your coffee and breakfast. The owners, Christina and Sophia Koraki, combined their love at first sight for the island and their passion for second-hand books and created this wonderful space, which in addition often hosts seminars, painting exhibitions, children’s art workshops, literary nights, yoga retreats and even some movie nights in the fantastic attic located on the first floor.

Afentouli & Paximadi, 84 200 Tinos

Vivliopontikas – Syros

In a picturesque cobbled street bathed in bougainvillea blossoms, in beautiful Ermoupoli, somewhere between the port and the town hall, lies – since 2006 – one of the most beautiful bookstores you have ever visited. Modern and very up-to-date, the small Cycladic bookshop is full of books and small works of art. Welcoming and stately like its birthplace, the space that houses Vibliopontikas is very unique, exuding that unspoken charm of small bookstores and a warmth that wins you over immediately. Here you will find a wide variety of books, very carefully selected titles, handmade cards and bookmarks, several children’s books, as well as Greek poetry and prose translated into various foreign languages.

Androu 10, 84 100 Syros

Artion – Schinoussa

The tiny island of Schinoussa may not have much else, but it has one of the most beautiful bookstores in the Aegean. Housed in a fantastic space – a former tavern – with an amazing balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea, Artion has been open since 2005. It started as a newspaper agency, but slowly the owner Mr. Yannis Vgontzas started adding some book titles. Today, its shelves host unexpected surprises, books that you can search all year round in the biggest Athenian bookstores without results, but also the greatest masterpieces of Greek prose writers and poets translated mainly in Italian and French, but also in German, English and Spanish. Once you have chosen your next reading, you can sit down to enjoy it on the lovely balcony of this excellent bookstore. You can even find a wide selection of books and educational toys for children, handmade jewellery and very tasteful gifts that are chosen with great care.

Schinoussa, Cyclades 84 300

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Photo: Facebook (Atlantis Books)
Photo: Facebook (Atlantis Books)

Atlantis – Santorini

It has been on the lists of the most beautiful bookstores in the world for years and not without reason. Its history is as follows: Twenty years ago, two young American visitors to the island of Santorini devoured the books they had brought with them sooner than they expected. Searching in vain for a bookstore on the island to buy new ones, young Craig and Oliver decided to open one themselves. It took them about two years, but they finally succeeded and in 2004 the now famous Atlantis was born. You can follow the exact timeline of the story of the truly handmade bookstore’s history etched into its walls. So in this unimaginably beautiful bookstore overlooking the Caldera you will find new and used books in so many languages, as well as some rare, old books and collector’s editions dating back almost 100 years.

Oia, Santorini 84 702

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Photo: Facebook (Sikinos)
Photo: Facebook (Sikinos)

Simatologion – Sikinos

Mr. Stelios Rogakos’ love for Sikinos, books and Odysseus Elytis led him to create this extremely stylish bookstore on the small Cycladic island of simplicity. Located in the heart of the island’s Hora, Simatologion features gems of Greek poetry and prose, selected with great care, as well as excellent translations of these in English, aimed at foreign visitors to the island. Opened in 2016, this highly aesthetic bookstore operates seasonally and sells books only. Apart from the name of the bookstore, which clearly refers to Odysseus Elytis’s homonymous collection of sayings, the works of the Nobel Prize-winning poet also occupy a prominent place within the space, while you can also find harder-to-find books.

Sikinos Kastro, Sikinos 84 010

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Photo: Facebook (Plous Bookstore)
Photo: Facebook (Plous Bookstore)

Plous – Corfu

A beautiful bookstore from another era, a meeting point for book lovers, where you can find books of all kinds – historical, scientific, philosophical, children’s books, essays, poetry, literature, scrapbooks and some foreign language books. Plous is the first bookstore to ever open on the island, in the heart of Corfu’s old town, in 1987, in a former pharmacy – one of the oldest on the island – by the bibliophile Mr. Michalis Tsiriogotis. In 1992 it passed into the hands of Ourania Metallinos, became a meeting point for intellectuals and embarked on a pioneering cultural activity, hosting book presentations and tributes to writers, poets and artists such as Theo Angelopoulos, Eleni Karairindrou, Vassilis Rafailidis, Alkis Zei and Freddy Germanos. In 2008, under the ownership of Mrs. Metallinos’ son, Demosthenes Kalakos, it moved to its current location and acquired a beautiful café-reading space inside the shop, as well as a small courtyard at the back.

Nikiforou Theotoki 91, Corfu

Book and Art – Mytilene

Since November 2013, a small bookstore in Mytilene, with a wide variety of books on its huge shelves, welcomes bookworms with open arms, always willing to satisfy their thirst for good literature. Book and Art is located in a small cobbled street of Mytilene, in a very beautiful space and is literally hyperactive. In its eight and a half years of operation it has already held over eighty book launches and many other events. Here you will find a very wide range of books for everyone, young and old, toys, but also very special, selected gifts.

Komninaki 5, 81 100 Mytilene

Read also:

Schinoussa: A lilliputian island full of gorgeous, isolated beaches

Syros, the jewel of the Cyclades

Get lost in the old town of Corfu, one of the most idyllic places in the Ionian Sea