There's a book-dominated sub-world in the village of Carvoeiro, on one of the streets that leads down to Carvoeiro Beach. At the store, more and more books are stacked on top of each other in the spaces between already densely stocked shelves, creating a unique scenery and atmosphere – perfect to get lost if you are a book lover and vivid reader.

As soon as you enter Algarve Book Cellar, you will see Raymond Compton's enthusiasm for the books he has thoroughly gathered over the past 22 years. After all this time, Raymond, the 81-year-old book collector, feels that it's time to start a new chapter in his life. This new chapter will still involve books, as he shared that he reads about fifteen books a month, but it will soon be only as a relaxing and passionate hobby.

That is why, in the upcoming month of September, Ray will put all his vast collection of thousands and thousands of books for sale, at a reduced price of €1 or €2 each copy.

This enormous book sale will begin on Tuesday, 3 September, and run the entire month, extending into the following months. After a previous attempt, to sell the bookshop with all the possessions, Ray has decided that this is a more suitable option which will benefit more people. There's a huge assortment of books along with PlayStation 2 games, CDs, DVDs, and even cassette tapes, which will be available for sale at cheaper prices.

About 75 percent of the books in the Algarve Book Cellar are in English, but there are also copies in Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, and French, among other languages.

In addition to a collection of 20,000 books which he brought with him from England when moving to Portugal, most of the other books have been donated over the years. In the beginning, when the bookshop had just opened, the owners of rental homes were faced daily with books left behind from tourists which they would donate to Ray’s growing business. As the bookshop owner clarified, "It was great donations like these ones which enabled the store to expand rapidly”.

Credits: TPN; Author: Sara J. Durães;

Affordable

Aside from his well-known love of reading, he "felt the need to provide people with books which were affordable," given that a copy costs, on average, fifteen euros in Portugal. Especially back then when the bookshop first opened, second-hand bookstores were not that common, Raymond explained when asked why he decided to start this business back in 2002. As he consequently shared, "The more you print, the cheaper they are, but sadly, not many books are printed in Portugal”. Furthermore, Ray added that "I've always enjoyed reading, and books have taught me a lot of things” mentioning that it is also crucial that kids learn to read as it broadens their perspective, and that’s why he has a section in his bookstore dedicated to children’s books.

Prior to moving to Portugal in 2001, Raymond and his wife would go on yearly three-week visits to the Algarve during Easter, which made him bring about twelve books from England, something he acknowledged "was not that easy". The fan of the American Crime book genre is now anticipating the visit of frequent customers, residents, and tourists so they can immerse themselves in this unique bookshop and ideally, depart not empty-handed since he is sure the visitors will find almost any book they may be searching for.

Credits: TPN; Author: Sara J. Durães;

Open from Tuesday to Friday, between 9.30am and 4pm, the Algarve Book Cellar is exciting enough to keep you busy searching for the perfect book for hours. Genres where you can peruse non-fiction books on subjects ranging from travel, art, and history to nature and even sports, and non-fiction copies of anything from classic romances, historical fiction and mystery tales. As Raymond assured his main priority is " to make people happy, especially those who share the same love for books as I do”, which is definitely what the Algarve Book Cellar is all about.

Ray’s bookshop has always been more than just a local business; it has been a place where people from all over the world find common ground and where they are invited to spend as long as they want immersing themselves in books without any pressure or expectations. As Ray shared, "Over the years, I've met a lot of people from all over the world, and some of the best memories I will always have of this place are the conversations and stories we've shared”.

Author

After studying Journalism for five years in the UK and Malta, Sara Durães moved back to Portugal to pursue her passion for writing and connecting with people. A ‘wanderluster’, Sara loves the beach, long walks, and sports. 

Sara J. Durães