Greece is often seen as the birthplace of much of Western culture, and that includes literature, so it should come as no surprise that the Greek Islands have some fantastic literary spots, here arranged in the most convenient order for those ferry-hopping from Athens onwards.
Το Λογάρι / LOGARI
Start off your island-hopping with a ferry from Athens to Andros, where you will find To Logari (or, as it’s written in Greek, Το Λογάρι). Located at the port of Gavrio, it has a nostalgic quality, with warm lighting in a white-walled interior and rows of wooden shelving. That sense of nostalgia is only topped off by an old-school jukebox with a selection of 200 songs.
Logari offers not only Greek and multilingual books, including English, German, and Italian, but also a wide range of gift items such as stationery, mugs, blankets, toys, and more.
Address: Gavrio, Gávrio, 845 01, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 10AM – 11PM
Antilalos
For a taste of what a Grecian book café is like, head to the island of Tinos and step into Antilalos. This bookstore and café/bar offers a selection of both Greek and English books, plus a unique ‘blind date book’ section—mystery-wrapped titles where you, the reader, get to be surprised by potentially your new favorite book.
Antilalos gets a lot of praise for being health-conscious and attentive to guests with allergies, so you can be at ease if you stop in for a bite after settling on a good page-turner for the road.
Address: Αφεντούλη, Paxamadi και, Tinos 842 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 9AM – 1:30AM
Vivliopontikas
On a picturesque cobbled street in Ermoupoli, Syros, you can find Vivliopontikas, a small and welcoming bookstore filled with literature, poetry, and children’s books in Greek. This shop is especially beloved for its kind and exceptional service, with an owner who’s always happy to help a bookworm find what they need.
It’s an overall beautiful shop, with lots of little surprises, like an alcove with a pseudo-window peeking into a medieval fairy tale. It also sells stationery and gorgeous handmade crafts.
Address: Androu 10, Ermoupoli 841 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Friday: 9:30AM – 2:30PM & 7PM – 10PM
– Saturday: 10AM – 2:30PM & 7PM – 10PM
– Sunday: 7PM – 10PM
Municipal Library of Syros and the Ermoupoli Cultural Centre
Founded in 1926, the Ermoupoli Cultural Centre is a neoclassical building with beautifully detailed tiles and is home to the Municipal Library of Syros, located on the first floor. Its book collection started with 2,000 volumes and now holds over 45,000, including rare editions and local archives dating back to the 19th century.
Today, the Cultural Centre serves as a hub for exhibitions, cultural events, and educational activities, enriching locals and visitors alike.
Address: Plateia Miaoyli, Ermoupoli 841 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Thursday: 9AM – 2:30PM
– Friday: 9AM – 2:30PM & 8PM – 10PM
– Saturday & Sunday: Closed
The Bookshop Art Café Sifnos
The Bookshop Art Café in Sifnos is bright and inviting, combining a multilingual used bookshop with a cozy café and art gallery. Visitors can explore books in multiple languages (primarily Greek, English, French, German, and Italian), browse international newspapers, and view unique artworks from local Greek artists.
The café also happens to serve some of the best coffee on the island, which you can sip at your leisure in the outdoor seating area.
Address: Kamares, Sifnos 840 03, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 8AM – 11PM
Kimolos Open Lending Libraries
On the island of Kimolos, you can find four unique, open-air libraries known as the Kimolos Open Lending Libraries. These free-standing bookshelves are placed near different beaches and filled with secondhand books for visitors to borrow freely. Each is a different repurposed, hand-painted boat with a simple environmental message.
This unique project was launched by the volunteer group Kimolistes and is supported by the SeaChange foundation.
Address: Ψάθη 840 04, Greece
Opening hours:
– 24/7; visit whenever
Atlantis Books
This independent bookstore set on the cliffs of Santorini is a favorite of locals. It has an artistically rustic vibe, with no eclectic bit of decor out of place, and everything coming together to create a symphonic slice of literary culture.
Its book collection holds new, used, and rare volumes in multiple languages, focusing on modern classics, art, poetry, and all things Greek.
Address: Nomikos Conference Centre, Firostefani 847 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 10AM – 10PM
Amorgos Bookstore
Serving locals since 1996, Amorgos Bookstore welcomes visitors with a wide arched entrance framed in blue. It offers books in Greek and several foreign languages with a vast variety of genres, from poetry and new novels to classics and children’s picture books. You can also find an assortment of stationery, educational toys, postcards, and other gift items adorning its shelves.
Whether you’re looking for a friendly smile or just a good book, this shop is a perfect place to drop by.
Address: Κατάπολα 840 08, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 10AM – 9:30PM
– Sunday: 10:30AM – 9PM
O Kapetanios Bookstore
Though originally an online store operating out of Athens, CaptainBook.gr opened its very own physical shop on Naxos called O Kapetanios Bookstore. It offers a diverse collection of literature in multiple languages, with an emphasis on Greek and English titles. It has a particularly good selection of local culture and Greek mythology, featuring a goodly number of authors living right on Naxos.
For a small part of the year, from August to October, O Kapetanios also hosts Friday poetry nights. If you’re planning your trip in the fall, be sure to stop by!
Address: Platsa, Apirathos 843 02, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 10:30AM – 10:30PM
Papyrus
Papyrus is packed with books, selling over 15,000 secondhand volumes in Greek, English, German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Italian. The shelves are organized by language, making it easy to find what you’re looking for. It also sells beautiful and unique handmade jewelry in both contemporary and traditional designs.
Travelers can buy, swap, and even return books for partial refunds, meaning you can trade old reads for new treasures and keep your luggage light.
Address: Naxos 843 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 10AM – 2PM & 6PM – 10PM
– Sunday: 6PM – 10PM
The Old Bookstore
A favorite among locals, the Old Bookstore is anything but outdated. The interior is spacious, white, and clean-cut, with vibrant red trimming around bookshelves and window frames. The owner is knowledgeable about literature and eager to help customers find a book that will suit their interests.
The collection is well-stocked in Greek and foreign languages such as English and German. There’s also a nice array of toys and stationery, and the store is animal-friendly, to boot!
Address: Παλαιά Αγορά Νάξου, Naxos 843 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 9:30AM – 11:30PM
– Sunday: 11AM – 11:30PM
Levakis Konstantinos “Mediterraneo Bookstore”
Located in Chania’s Old Town on the island of Crete, Mediterraneo Bookstore proudly markets itself as an international bookstore, and it truly delivers. Not only does it specialize in travel books and maps, its collection holds titles in 12 languages, including English, German, Dutch, French, and more.
But it’s not only about travel, though. It also has a decent selection of cookbooks and subjects like local history, especially concerning Crete and Chania/Hania.
Address: Akti Kountourioti 57, Chania 731 31, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 10AM – 9PM
– Sunday: Closed
Akadimia Bookshop
While many Greek Islands boast bookstores with multiple languages, non-Greek speakers will find that Rhodes has pretty slim pickings. Luckily, Akadimia Bookshop has a modest but well-curated selection of English-language books, making it a sort of oasis for English-speaking bookworms on the island.
Most of the English-language volumes are geared towards a female audience, but there are tons of Greek books and also a fair amount of stationery to choose from.
Address: Amerikis 93, Rodos 851 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Friday: 9AM – 2:30PM & 5PM – 9PM
– Saturday: 9:30AM – 3PM
– Sunday: Closed
Rhodes Central Public Library
Established in 1947, Rhodes Central Public Library is housed in the historic Castellania building in Rhodes Old Town. This architectural gem was originally constructed in the 14th century and looks like a low, sturdy outpost with worn brickwork and wide, arched doorways. Over the centuries, it has served as an administrative office, a courthouse, and an impromptu lecture hall.
Today, it stays true to its role as a library, with wooden bookshelves filled with ancient texts nestled against the brick walls.
Address: Aristotelous 1, Rodos 851 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 8:30AM – 2:30PM
– Wednesday: 10AM – 6PM
– Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Koukoumavla
Jumping over to Patmos, Koukoumavla is a bookstore and art gift shop with a lot of flavor. It catches the eye with its vibrantly colored walls and checkered floors, displaying an abundance of paintings and decor that make the interior pop.
It’s an especially great place for families with young kids, as it has plenty of children’s books and hand-crafted art objects—many created by local artists. It’s the kind of place where a single visit can inspire creativity and a love of reading in anyone.
Address: Patmos 855 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 9:30AM – 2PM & 6PM – 10:30PM
Atrapos Bookstore Café
To get to the next destination, you’ll have to return to Athens and board a bus to Volos, where you can find a ferry to Alonnisos. There, you’ll find an idyllic book café called Atrapos. The bookstore side has a nice selection of titles, both new and secondhand, mainly in Greek with some translated works in English and a few other languages.
Meanwhile, the café mainly has its seating outside in a cobblestone courtyard, surrounded by lush trees, where you can snack on fresh fruits and a variety of beverages.
Address: Αλόννησος 370 05, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 8:30AM – 1:30AM
Argostoli Public Library (Korgialenios Library)
Head back to Volos and book a cross-country bus to Patras, where you can sail to the island of Kefalonia and the home of the third-largest library in Greece. Argostoli Public Library, also known as Korgialenios Library, was founded a century ago and now houses over 60,000 volumes—including old, rare manuscripts, with the oldest being from 1499.
Though the building was destroyed in a 1953 earthquake, it was rebuilt faithfully 11 years later, marked by a bare, white-barked tree on its stone staircase.
Address: Pilarinou, Kefalonia 281 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Friday: 9AM – 12:30PM
– Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Plous Books & Coffee
Plous Books & Coffee is a vintage book café with wine-red walls and warm lighting, decorated with retro furniture and posters that give the place a distinct style. It keeps a curated selection of Greek literature and pieces translated into different languages (notably Italian and English).
The café also has a small, outdoor area with its own rustic charm in the aged walls that allow a sense of close-knit privacy while you enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee.
Address: Nikiforou Theotoki 91, Kerkira 491 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Friday: 10AM – 10PM
– Saturday: 10AM – 3PM & 7PM – 10PM
– Sunday: Closed
Corfu Public Central Historical Library
Our final destination is the Public Library of Corfu, Greece’s oldest public library. Established in the mid-18th century, its collection has expanded exponentially over the years thanks to donations and acquisitions during Venetian, French, and British rule. Nowadays, it encompasses over 75,000 volumes, including rare manuscripts.
The library remains a cultural and academic center, with its historic archives open to researchers and visitors.
Address: Corfu 491 00, Greece
Opening hours:
– Monday to Friday: 8AM – 2:50PM
– Saturday & Sunday: Closed
