HAND MADE CERAMICS WORKSHOP STELIOS STAMATIS
Visitors say
Another great little ceramic shop in Mantamados. Nice shop owner. Very well priced and beautiful craftsmanship. Worth the stop to find some treasures.
We walked around in the town visiting several ceramic workshops but this place has the most original pieces with more detailed and artful paints.
About
Mandamados is one of the few villages in Lesvos with a living tradition of ceramic craft, and the workshop of Stelios Stamatis stands as a testament to that heritage. The village has long been associated with pottery and earthenware production, its clay-rich soil and generations of skilled hands giving rise to a local craft identity that still endures today. Stopping here means encountering work made the old way — shaped, fired, and finished by a single craftsman who has dedicated his working life to the medium.
At the workshop, visitors can browse and purchase handmade ceramics ranging from functional everyday pieces to decorative works that carry the aesthetic sensibility of the Aegean. The pieces reflect both traditional forms and the maker's own creative voice, offering something more personal and rooted than the mass-produced souvenirs found in tourist shops elsewhere on the island. Watching or speaking with the ceramicist, if he is at work, adds a dimension that few travel experiences can match — the quiet rhythm of a craft practiced with care and without hurry.
For anyone touring northern Lesvos, a visit here pairs naturally with the nearby Monastery of the Taxiarchis, making Mandamados a rewarding half-day stop. Taking home a piece from this workshop means carrying back not just an object but a fragment of the island's material culture — something made by hand, in a village that still values the making.
Before you go
What to expect
The workshop is a small, unhurried space where shelves of terracotta and glazed pieces — bowls, jugs, decorative plates — crowd close together in the particular order of a working studio. If Stelios is at the wheel when you arrive, you can stand and watch the clay rise and open in near-silence, with only the soft hum of the kiln in the background. What you find here is priced for what it actually is: original work by a single craftsman, not a factory reproduction.
Best time to visit
The workshop is accessible through most of the year; spring and early autumn are best for pairing the visit with a walk around Mandamados and the nearby monastery without midsummer heat.
How to get there
Mandamados is about 45 minutes by car from Mytilene, heading north through Kalloni and then east toward the village. The workshop is within the village itself and easy to locate once you arrive.
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Visitor Reviews
Ecem Özgüven
July 2025
Lovely ceramics, highly recommend to visit!
Nick Oxley
June 2025
Great to revisit. Just look at the owners feet
Nicole Lünsdorf
May 2025
We came here with a group of 7 pupils from Germany and their teacher. Stelios showed us how to make pottery on the potter's wheel and each of us could give it a try. It was a great experience. The work of his family is great. We bought some very nice souvenirs.
Jan Hayes
October 2024
Beautiful ceramics, great prices, a lovely place to visit where you can watch pieces being decorated.
Michelline Bouvier
June 2024
Another great little ceramic shop in Mantamados. Nice shop owner. Very well priced and beautiful craftsmanship. Worth the stop to find some treasures.
Ayla Kayhan
August 2023
We walked around in the town visiting several ceramic workshops but this place has the most original pieces with more detailed and artful paints.
David E. Cruz
August 2022
Great place for ceramics. The owners were wonderful and took the time to explain how they made their wares. Even took the time to allow me to use machine to try my hand making a clay pot. Prices are very reasonable and they even gave me a gift for being a patron.
Aqua
April 2022
Great ceramic work with really cheap prices. Call the photographer if the shop is closed!
Dimitris Gkorovelis
October 2019
A nice place with an artistic vibe. Beautiful pottery pieces and very welcoming stuff. Prices are good. A must go place to buy gifts or some useful home accessories. Loved it !
Garcihel Tokiarno
September 2019
We have just received some products from the famous Stamatis Stelio, ceramic hand made products . We can not held to express our opinion after a total satisfaction from this workshop, especially about the quality of the products. It’s a handmade products, and looking at the finishing touch we noticed that this was done carefully. This ceramic shop offers throng collections and offers a consulting service according to the way how will you use the product and the preferred installation, whether you are looking for an urban, modern or contemporary style, I highly recommend this beautiful store for your decoration and innovation projects.
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