Where to Find English Bookstores in Greece

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An English bookstore in Greece isn’t always easy to find. Whether you want some English books for a long stay in Greece or a summer read on the beach it can be a challenge to get them.

I often download books onto the Kindle app on my phone. I know a lot of people travel with their Kindle as it’s so much lighter than carting heavy books around.

But I spend so much time on my phone and laptop that it’s nice to read a real book. Reading helps me relax and it’s good to have a screen break, especially at bedtime.

On my travels, I’ve never seen a dedicated English bookstore in Greece. However, I’ve found a few places to buy or swap new and used English books. The ones I know of so far are below. As I continue on my quest to visit every inhabited Greek island I will add to this post when I find more.

Oh, also, your hotel or Airbnb might have a little library/swap shelf set up. If you can’t see one in any common area then make sure to ask. I’ve seen that in a hotel in Andros and in some of my Airbnbs.

English Books in Mykonos

I came across a mini-market in Mykonos town that has a little bookcase of English books. All my kind of stuff – thrillers mostly with a couple of beach reads too. It’s a bit tucked away in a narrow alley (like many places in Mykonos!) But it’s close to the port so really convenient.

Santorini Book Shops

Atlantis Books

Atlantis Books, the iconic Oia bookshop sells new and used modern classic fiction and non-fiction books. It’s on the main pedestrian path so you can’t miss it.

Prospect Books and More

This souvenir and book shop has a good selection of English books. Based in Kamari it’s perfect for picking up a beach read in Santorini.

Souvenir Shop, Fira

There’s a souvenir shop in Fira that has quite a good selection of English books. It’s just a couple of shelves at the back by the magazines. I can’t for the life of me remember the name and it’s not on Google Maps. But it’s about 2 doors to the right of Bee Pharmacy on the square so you can’t miss it.

Books and Style

Books and Style also in Fira has a small collection of souvenir-type English books. I wouldn’t make a special trip. But if you’re passing pop in and see if they have anything that catches your eye.

Anafi Lending Library

On Anafi, there’s a lending library. Most of the books weren’t in English when I visited but I did see a few in there. I got a great find, the latest in a series I love. Not what I expected on a tiny island without much tourism!

It’s also a good place to leave any finished novels you don’t want to cart around with you. Find the bookcase outside the tourist shop opposite the post office.

Naxos – Papyrus Second-Hand Books

In Naxos there’s a really big second-hand bookshop just up from the port in Chora’s old town. It’s open year-round and has both English and German books of all types. You can either go in and buy what you want or they’ll swap you like for like.

Paros English Book Shop

International Press Shop

The International Press shop in Paros near the port in Parikia has a small selection of English books. It has some quite new releases and a good mix for the size of the selection.

Paros Used-Book Library Near the Airport

On the road between the airport and Parikia, there’s a bus shelter that’s been converted into a library. As you turn out of the airport road onto the main road there’s a garage just at the junction.

Over the road, the bus shelter is jam-packed with Greek, French and English books. I picked up a good one to read while I was ill and left a whole bunch of English ones I’d picked up in Athens.

Syros Book Shop – Selephaḯs

On the main shopping street in Syros, there’s a little bookshop that has a small selection of English books. They may have more inside but I found what I was looking for on the bookshelf on the street outside. For a small section, they had quite a good variety of genres.

English Bookstores in Athens Greece

If you read all your books on the island beaches then restock in Athens for the flight home. Or if you’re spending some time in the capital during your island-hopping adventure here’s where to find your books:

Athens Airport

There are WHSmith shops at the airport with a wide variety of English books. I’m a sucker for them whenever I’m passing through. If you’re the same, stock up!

Public

There are branches of Public all over Athens including a big one at Syntagma. They have a couple of sections of books in English: literature and novels. I randomly grabbed a book off the shelf that was by the author of one I got at Book Garden. Ended up being a good choice.

Book Garden

This second-hand bookshop has a variety of English and Greek books. They’re all a bit mixed together. But there were a good few shelves of novels in English.

A lot of the books seemed old and very well-read. It wasn’t my favourite place to choose from, it felt a bit old and musty. But I got two good reads that kept me going on the metro.

Swap with others in Your Area

If you’re in one part of Greece for a while it can be useful to join a Facebook group for the area. Usually you can post about things like doing a book swap when you’ve finished with some of yours.

Buy English Books Online in Greece

If you’re in Greece for a while and have somewhere to receive parcels/post then you can order from these places:

• Book Depository
• Awesome Books
• Amazon.de (limited English books)

So there you go, some alternatives to an English bookshop in Greece. As I said, I’ll keep updating this post as I discover new treasure troves on new islands. In the meantime, I hope you find what you’re looking for on the islands I’ve already listed. Happy reading!