Atlantis Books
Atlantis Books
5
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
New, secondhand, and fancy books in several languages. After recent relocation, we are now on the cliffs of Firostefani, Santorini, Greece. Welcome. Open noon ‘til night.
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See what travelers are saying
- paularempleCanmore, Canada17 contributionsSincerest Experience in OIA!This was our favorite stop in OIA. We were already charmed by the shop by the friendly (no pressure) young man at the desk and the owner snoozing on “the nest”. I had decided to buy a book he recommended after telling him we had been in Crete on “No” day because it was already worth the Euros for the experience. Since I usually prefer historic fiction I wasn’t prepared for how absorbed I would be in the the book “The Cretan Runner”. It showed me just how astute he was in making a good reader match! I’ve been further charmed by the inclusion of a booklet about how the store began. I wish all stores recognized it’s so much more than being lured in to make a sale, it’s about feeling connected by an experience while travelling. Well done Atlantis Books! I wish you and your book store many more happy years and customers in a tourist destination that is in need of sincere experiences like the one we had. Thank you!Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 13, 2023
- mrmateyLondon, United Kingdom45 contributionsStill open, just relocated! A must visit in Santorini!For anyone hoping to visit this amazing shop, yes, the store in Oia is now closed but do not worry…they have just relocated. They are now in Firostefani! I don’t know what the address is I just know that if you follow the walk between firostefani and Fira you will stumble across the shop. It is directly opposite Volkan bar & cafe. The day we visited they were still building shelves and setting up but they were still welcoming and we were able to purchase a couple of books Fantastic place and whilst sad we never got to see the old shop in Oia we were delighted to find they were still open!Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 7, 2024
- Zara KMumbai, India99 contributionsBeautiful bookshop.Oh my goodness what a lovely little shop. Beautiful artsy editions of books, an impeccable location overlooking the volcano, good music. The kind of place that is more about the love of books than pushy consumerism.Visited September 2024Traveled soloWritten September 14, 2024
- Laura C17 contributionsPossibly the best bookshop in the worldThe most gorgeous, truly interesting bookstore. There is an excellent selection of books of all languages but what’s really special here is the rare books and first editions lovingly curated by the staff. The handwritten notes and recommendations are really charming (and entirely hilarious!). My husband picked up a particular Great American Novel™️ that he was meaning to buy for ages and the staff member helping us had some insights that were, again, super charming, very insightful, and so so fun. If you’re a bookworm that loves truly quirky and interesting bookstores, staffed by passionate (and not at all snobby - you get that in bookstore sometimes) this is the place to visit 🥰 (Also, there are GORGEOUS children’s books, rare and otherwise. I was THIS close to taking home a first edition of Matilda. You HAVE to go!)Visited September 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten September 14, 2024
- Grace M5 contributionsHere’s How to Find it!It is a bit hard to find using the maps but if you go to the Nomikos Conference Centre in Fira and go through the tunnel, you can find it. It is the terracotta red coloured building, hope this helps! The photos I’ve taken are from the Atlantis Hotel for perspective 😊Visited September 2024Traveled with friendsWritten September 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Popular mentions
5.0
445 reviews
Excellent
379
Very good
45
Average
10
Poor
4
Terrible
7
Adam S
Los Angeles, CA1 contribution
Jun 2021
It's sad that I have to leave this review, I visited this bookstore with my girlfriend in June, and between the two of us, we spent almost 3 grand on books. I bought an amazing copy of Dante's Divine Comedy illustrated by Gustav Dore. The book was massive and I didn't think I could fit it in my suitcase to travel back to LA, so I asked Craig (the bookstore owner) to ship it, which he agreed to do. I paid almost 1600 dollars for this book and shipping. Well...it's almost October, and Craig has not shipped the book. I spoke to him 3 times over the phone and he said he was having trouble with his local shipping place, but that it was getting resolved and he would "send me shipping info shortly". That was almost 6 weeks ago, and all my follow-up calls and emails have gone unreturned. This is a great bookstore with lots of cool books, but I guess don't order anything that needs to be shipped. I'm trying to challenge this charge on my credit card at this point, because Craig won't respond to me at all.
Written September 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristy R
Denver, CO68 contributions
Jun 2021
Tried visiting today during the posted hours from Google maps and found them closed. Another traveler posted the shop appeared “abandoned” one week earlier. Not sure if they’re still operating. Things look a bit dusty and unkempt, but the exterior is adorable.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
asadjaf
Bahrain36 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Really loved this quaint little bookshop in Oia. The guys who run this place are helpful and chatty. They have a nice tradition of offering to ink stamp the books and they give you a little souvenir post card to use as a bookmark.
Written August 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura C
17 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
The most gorgeous, truly interesting bookstore. There is an excellent selection of books of all languages but what’s really special here is the rare books and first editions lovingly curated by the staff. The handwritten notes and recommendations are really charming (and entirely hilarious!). My husband picked up a particular Great American Novel™️ that he was meaning to buy for ages and the staff member helping us had some insights that were, again, super charming, very insightful, and so so fun. If you’re a bookworm that loves truly quirky and interesting bookstores, staffed by passionate (and not at all snobby - you get that in bookstore sometimes) this is the place to visit 🥰
(Also, there are GORGEOUS children’s books, rare and otherwise. I was THIS close to taking home a first edition of Matilda. You HAVE to go!)
(Also, there are GORGEOUS children’s books, rare and otherwise. I was THIS close to taking home a first edition of Matilda. You HAVE to go!)
Written September 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Geoff H
Sissinghurst, UK17,481 contributions
Jun 2022
Was recommended to go to Atlantis Books for its choice of books and calm atmosphere amidst all the hustle and bustle of Oia. However, when we got there it was closed and no sign of when it was opening. Such a shame as the outside looked so interesting.
Written July 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grace M
5 contributions
Sep 2024 • Friends
It is a bit hard to find using the maps but if you go to the Nomikos Conference Centre in Fira and go through the tunnel, you can find it. It is the terracotta red coloured building, hope this helps! The photos I’ve taken are from the Atlantis Hotel for perspective 😊
Written September 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AdventuresofNomNom
Saint Louis, MO397 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
We stumbled across Atlantis Books in Fira. We fully intended to visit, but for some reason thought it was in Oia.
The shop is small, but in a cozy and charming way. Books in many languages, and some older printings if you're looking for something special.
My favorite part were the cheeky and funny things scribbled on the walls and windows.
The shop is small, but in a cozy and charming way. Books in many languages, and some older printings if you're looking for something special.
My favorite part were the cheeky and funny things scribbled on the walls and windows.
Written October 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ruarih
London, UK42 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
Bookshops, as anybody who has read Marx on their kindle knows, are nekulturny and should be replaced by something of cultural importance like Starbucks.
Wanting to crush the little upstart which tried to befoul my holiday with its eccentric charms I strode in and besmirched my eyes upon their shelves. Clearly run by idiots, as I noticed they were out of Fifty Shades of Grey. Where were the literary greats? Lee Childs, John Grisham, Dan Brown all absent.
I finally arrived upon a Confederacy of Dunces, a fitting tribute to the owners, but found it was a whole 50p more expensive than Amazon. At which point in my despair I whipped one of the minion servers, spat on the floor and exited (pursued by bear).
Wanting to crush the little upstart which tried to befoul my holiday with its eccentric charms I strode in and besmirched my eyes upon their shelves. Clearly run by idiots, as I noticed they were out of Fifty Shades of Grey. Where were the literary greats? Lee Childs, John Grisham, Dan Brown all absent.
I finally arrived upon a Confederacy of Dunces, a fitting tribute to the owners, but found it was a whole 50p more expensive than Amazon. At which point in my despair I whipped one of the minion servers, spat on the floor and exited (pursued by bear).
Written April 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
juniemoonie
New York City, NY222 contributions
Oct 2011 • Solo
Traveling light, I don't like to carry more than one book at a time. So, I often find myself searching for English language books. What a joy to discover in Oia, down the steps, a treasure trove of fine literature. I spent a delightful hour looking for just the right book for my relaxing Santorini stay. Most of the books are second hand. The mood in the bookshop is terrific, and, I believe, there are selections in many different languages.
Written November 3, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Soul4ger
Pittsburgh1 contribution
Jun 2015
This is a neat little store. I wish I could recommend a visit, but the owner doesn't come across as very friendly. It's a shame. Places like this are disappearing, and to find one in a tiny town like Oia in the middle of the Mediterranean is something that should be applauded. They have an impressive inventory considering the obvious obstacles.
Unfortunately, my wife and I had a really insulting experience and I feel the need to warn everyone, which is something I don't normally do. The shop has a sign out front encouraging bibliophiles to support it. We went in one night because I wanted to do just that. This was the second consecutive night we stopped by. I wanted to get a few things in an effort to fight the good fight, and to have a couple keepsakes from our trip to Santorini. I picked up a small, 5€ map that the owner himself produced, describing interesting places on the island. I was certain I wanted this. I also wanted to get a few books about Greek history and the Greek language, but I wanted to ask the owner for his recommendations, if he had any. He was currently in the midst of a conversation with other customers, so I stood behind them by the register, holding the map, patiently waiting for them to finish.
Of course, as she always does, my wife needed to pee. We waited for a few minutes, but when she has to go, she has to go. We still had a day left on the island, so we agreed to go back to our villa for the night, and return to do our shopping the next day. As we were leaving, one of the other customers motioned to the owner to let us check out, and he told them something to the effect of it wasn't worth his time for a sale of only 5€. Well, if you ever greeted us or just acknowledged our presence at any point, maybe you'd have known that I was going to buy more. Even if I was only going to get the map, as an owner of a small, independent store, you'd think a businessman would still be grateful. I was really appalled with his attitude, and if I was the other customers, I would've been turned off, as well. Whatever. For such a pretentious dude, a self-identified book lover, you'd think he would at least know about D'Aulaires' wonderful, cherished illustrated kids books without having to Google them. I guess he already pegged us as not worth his time when we didn't buy anything the previous night.
Unfortunately, my wife and I had a really insulting experience and I feel the need to warn everyone, which is something I don't normally do. The shop has a sign out front encouraging bibliophiles to support it. We went in one night because I wanted to do just that. This was the second consecutive night we stopped by. I wanted to get a few things in an effort to fight the good fight, and to have a couple keepsakes from our trip to Santorini. I picked up a small, 5€ map that the owner himself produced, describing interesting places on the island. I was certain I wanted this. I also wanted to get a few books about Greek history and the Greek language, but I wanted to ask the owner for his recommendations, if he had any. He was currently in the midst of a conversation with other customers, so I stood behind them by the register, holding the map, patiently waiting for them to finish.
Of course, as she always does, my wife needed to pee. We waited for a few minutes, but when she has to go, she has to go. We still had a day left on the island, so we agreed to go back to our villa for the night, and return to do our shopping the next day. As we were leaving, one of the other customers motioned to the owner to let us check out, and he told them something to the effect of it wasn't worth his time for a sale of only 5€. Well, if you ever greeted us or just acknowledged our presence at any point, maybe you'd have known that I was going to buy more. Even if I was only going to get the map, as an owner of a small, independent store, you'd think a businessman would still be grateful. I was really appalled with his attitude, and if I was the other customers, I would've been turned off, as well. Whatever. For such a pretentious dude, a self-identified book lover, you'd think he would at least know about D'Aulaires' wonderful, cherished illustrated kids books without having to Google them. I guess he already pegged us as not worth his time when we didn't buy anything the previous night.
Written June 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir,
I want to begin with an apology.
I remember you, your interested questions, and your wife. I remember your question about D'Aulaires, I thank you for the introduction to him, and I'm sorry to you and to my customers it had taken me this long to encounter his work. It was a real oversight in my knowledge of Greek-interest children's literature and I look forward to appreciating and sharing them.
I don't for a second question that I was impolite to you. That night, as most nights and days of the past month, was largely a blur, for reasons I'll explain in a second.
In your review of your experience with me at Atlantis, you mention that I said "something to the effect of it [your custom] wasn't worth my time for a sale of only 5 euros."
If that's truly what I said then I'll take the hit like a gentleman, suck it up, learn a lesson and try to do better. However, if I actually said something more like "they can wait a minute, this is more important" - which is what I vaguely recall having said with absolutely unjustified snark - please allow me to explain myself.
I'm not sure if you noticed the sign hanging over the door as you exited the bookshop. I wouldn't be surprised at all if you didn't notice it, as you likely made haste on your way out of the shop after having being treated the way you were. But the sign read:
"May 26, 2015 - Dear Friends and Family of Atlantis Books: This morning our landlord informed us that he has accepted an offer to sell this building in which we have resided for ten years, and that the incoming owner intends to use the building for a business of his or her own. We have been given until Friday, 19 June to match the 1 million euro offer or else prepare to be evicted in five months. For reasons you might imagine, this would likely spell the end of our venture. We humbly seek help. Your ideas, advice, and resources will keep us alive, as always. Thank you."
Now if I was having a silly conversation with the other customers and ignored you for petty reasons, then again, please disregard all of this letter. But since that Tuesday morning in late May when I was informed of the news above, I have been thinking, talking, and working on very little else than trying to find a miracle to obviate this terrifying reality that looms for the bookshop, which is not only the business I've dedicated my short life to but is also my house - I sleep in the mezzanine bed that is in the back room , across from the kids' books section. More importantly though, this bookshop is much more than me. I could never have made this place on my own. It is the work of a group of friends who gave their sweat and hearts and minds to building this shop over a decade. We exchange our labor for the right to sleep in the beds above the shelves and take cash from the kitty to cook in our communal kitchen while we're here. The bookshop founders and builders are now teachers in Oakland, a public servant in New Orleans, a graphic designer in London and a carpenter in Edinburgh. I'm the only one still here full-time but this is not just my shop, it is ours, as well as the literally hundreds of people who have stayed here for days or months or years adding themselves to this edifice. I suppose you must have thought, on your way out of the shop, "how can such a scumbag have built a place like that?", and the truth is that he didn't. He just had an idea 13 years ago and had the good fortune to have an incredible group of creative geniuses surrounding him. The jerk at the desk was me and the rest of the shop is them. I'm embarrassed as hell both for my actions and for my colleagues right now.
If I was actually having a conversation explaining our troubles to those customers, or my to my lawyer, or if I was picking their brains and listening to ideas and scheming with them, and I said something, in the midst of a train of thought, like "they can wait a minute, this is important", then I hope you might understand that it had nothing to do with the purchase price of the map that my buddy Will and I spent hours and hours designing and printing. It was likely that I was only fully fixed on the fate of the shop, to the point that I was being childishly oblivious to anyone else's needs, no matter how simple or immediate.
In no way am I trying to justify my rudeness to you. I apologize for it. Lord knows I've had regrettable moments in which I've disrespected others for selfish or self-centered pettinesses. And lord knows I've been unnecessarily abrasive, fallen flat in my sarcastic attempts at humor, or simply been an oblivious idiot in my interactions with customers and with humans close to me and those I've only met fleetingly. I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings and your wife's. You deserved far better. I will learn from this.
I'm available any time at +30 22860 72346, or by email at: craig at atlantisbooks dot org , and please do not hesitate to be in touch.
With a final apology,
Sincerely
Craig Walzer
Written August 12, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Are you gonna be open on May 21 ?
Thanks for replying
Bye
Written February 21, 2021
Do you have Wuthering Heights in english or french Thanks
Written November 30, 2020
Hello I'm vert inerested by your shop and another one nearby
Earth Vibes'n spirit Mystic Gates (hidden spiritual gems). Could you tell me if you'll be open on April 2021 and if the other shop is near yours ?
Thanks a lot
Written November 27, 2020
HI! I'm looking for a copy of Wuthering Heights. It can be in English, Greek, etc. Do you have this title?
Written June 9, 2019
Are you guys open on Sundays in September?
Written September 5, 2018
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