Santorini is famous for its white cliffside houses with a touch of blue. Santorini is the dream destination of many couples and countless tourists from all over the world. When I arrived here, I was also overwhelmed by the beauty of Oia town where I rented a room. But what made me linger in Oia town was an old bookstore located in the middle of those white houses like clouds.
The story of Craig and his friends
Craig, an American from Tennessee, and Oliver first came to Santorini in the spring of 2002 but could not find a single bookstore. They had a dream of opening the first bookstore on Santorini in the most beautiful village of Oia. They returned to their home countries and began the process of collecting their favorite books.
In 2004, from England, a group of 6 friends started driving their van full of books to Oia and started building a bookstore located under Oia castle called Atlantis Books.
A year later, due to business problems, Craig and his friends moved Atlantis Books to a store right on the central road of the island - where it caught the eyes of more tourists and gradually became famous when the New York Times, Nat Geo, and Vanity Fair reported on their unique bookstore.
What makes Atlantis Books captivate me?
I have visited the old bookstore in Porto city, bookstores everywhere in Saigon are also a choice for weekend strolls, so I have a little private affection for small bookstores, full of stories.
Atlantis Books may not be big, it may not be beautiful, but this place has endless stories to tell. Craig's story is so inspiring that it makes me think about what youth can do. The choices that make us no longer stay in the same place. 14 years in Santorini with the bookstore, it's a story that makes me admire.
This place also makes me laugh with its humor and sophistication. The bookshelves are divided into many sections with all kinds of topics. There is a counter with the word “SEX” written in big capital letters and a note saying “If sex interests you, take the time to read through to enjoy the good stories of these books”. Or the “For Suckers” bookshelf filled with erotic books. There are bookshelves with books that Craig and his friends especially love, and there are little yellow notes placed next to them to let us know what the books are about.
There’s even a sign outside the shop that says “Rent a cat 5 euros.” It’s a joke, because Oia is full of cats. The sign is there to make passersby stop, read it, and then enter, where they’ll be drawn into the maze of books.
The shop also has self-covered books like The Dead by James Joyce that I bought, each book has a different cover, each book will be carefully wrapped. And many of the books that Craig imports also have impressive covers. When buying, remember to stamp the shop's seal to know that the book was purchased at Atlantis Books. And we can't forget to mention the old books with first editions like The Little Prince, 1984, etc... which cost up to several thousand euros, giving you the feeling of being lost in a treasure chest.
And with the stories, the way of displaying lost in the maze of knowledge, the wonderful books, I left a piece of my soul here. The bookstore is another world in the heart of the beautiful village of Oia, where I can escape from the flow of tourists coming here and give me another reason to love this Greek island even more.
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