The Bookstores of Buenos Aires
By: Ana Paula Prestes
Photos : Margarita María Navas
As passionate about literature as it is about tango, the Argentine capital and the reading habits of its residents are certainly worth admiring. In parks, cafes, and even on the moving subway, there is always someone with a book in hand. All you have to do is walk a short distance on any street to find one or two bookstores along the way. It’s no coincidence that the World Cities Culture Forum named Buenos Aires the city with the most bookstores per capita in 2014.
It is not just the number of bookstores; they come in a great variety, from large spaces full of books and other items, such as CDs and vinyl records, to small shops peppered along the sidewalks. Like the heart of the city, a bookstore in Buenos Aires is the perfect refuge in the midst of the daily hubbub. An interesting fact: most bookstores are open until 11 p.m., and on Saturdays, they stay open until midnight. The following are a few bookstores you must absolutely visit.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
In 2008, The Guardian ranked El Ateneo the second most beautiful bookshop in the world and, in 2019, National Geographic named it the world’s most beautiful bookstore. Located inside an old theater built at the beginning of the 20th century, it is truly impressive. The classic atmosphere that gave life to the tango shows of the 1920s transports us back to a bright and glamorous era. It is worth visiting for the grandeur of the place alone and it becomes even more worthwhile when we realize how many books are here.
Ample enough to include bookshelves, small reading rooms, and a coffee bar, this theater- turned-bookstore also has a basement dedicated to children’s literature and music. Three galleries conserve the architecture of the old opera house with walls covered by infinite volumes and a dome painted by Nazareno Orlandi.
Libros del Pasaje
Palermo is one of the best-known neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, famous for having the coolest places in the city. Walking around the neighborhood, you can spot this bookstore’s red façade and illuminated display window, and open the doors to its impressive floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that cover every available wall space. At the back of the store, the cafeteria provides a covered, cozy space perfect for coffee and conversation, and why not, a last minute project, since it has Wi-Fi.
The atmosphere at Libros del Pasaje is calm and pleasant and the shelves offer a diverse range of world literature. It has an entire section on the arts, including photography, film, and painting. There are also poetry books, Argentine literature, philosophy, travel guides, and even books in English and a section for children. You will go crazy in this place.
Eterna Cadencia
Pablo Braun, bookseller and publisher, is the reason Eterna Cadencia has been around since 2005. After leaving his family inheritance, which came from large supermarket chains, he decided to honor his intense love of reading. He would often be utterly absorbed by a book for more than fifteen hours a day. He was determined to transform his passion into a physical space, a bookstore and publishing house, so he could keep in touch with the world of imagination and letters.
Eterna Cadencia is famous for publishing books by Argentine and Latin American writers. Part of the store is reserved for displaying the books published by the bookstore, promoting and supporting local literature.
The store includes a bar, a terrace perfect for reading, and a space where you can work, study, or simply let a story take you on a journey.
Librería de Ávila
This is the oldest bookstore in the city and, according to some historians, it is the place where the first book was sold in Buenos Aires; years later, it became the place where the first newspaper was sold. Despite having gone through a series of changes and remodels, its façade alone makes it clear that this is a place full of stories.
The bookstore was founded in 1785 in an apothecary shop. It was known as La Libería del Colegio until 1994, when its new owner, Miguel Ávila, renamed it.
Among its more than 100,000 volumes, you can find the rarest and oldest books in the country. Being there, accompanied by a tango playing on an old turntable, makes you certain you are part of an important cultural fragment of this country.
Walrus Books
Josefina and Geoffrey, owners of Walrus Books, smile as they greet visitors to their bookstore, located in the neighborhood of San Telmo. The store is remarkable for its appealing minimalist atmosphere and the fact that it offers only books in English, new and used.
From classics of foreign literature to the best-translated Argentine and Latin American titles, the place is perfect for lovers of the English language, tourists, and students.
For those who enjoy a deep immersion in the world of words and those interested in forging a stronger link with the language, Walrus Books also offers creative writing workshops, poetry readings, and group discussions on great literary works.
Librerías de calle
We already know that Buenos Aires loves books, but their omnipresent display is altogether admirable and interesting to see. Scattered along the main avenues of the city, such as Corrientes and Rivadavia, there are shops and small spaces crammed with books. Their size presents no problem for fans of the art of reading and writing; the important thing is finding what one is looking for.
In these places, you can often find used and cheap books. Books stalls, strategically situated near the most beautiful tourist sites in the capital, facilitate that moment when reading mixes with the pleasure of being surrounded by urban beauty.
