“Every crease is a story.”
Spain
The Atlas lists 221 independent bookshops in Madrid, 7 of them selling secondhand books — including 2 antiquarian booksellers. 3 have a café recorded in the listing; confirm its hours before visiting. The densest cluster offers 6 possible stops over an estimated 3.1 km; actual walking routes may be longer.
Secondhand · since 1925
A row of wooden booksellers' huts climbing the slope beside the Retiro and the Botanical Garden, trading in used books for a century and now protected as part of Madrid's cultural heritage. Many of the stalls are still run by the children and grandchildren of the original booksellers, and a slow walk up the hill is a classic Madrid Sunday.
New & secondhand · Calle de Campomanes 13, 28013 Madrid
A multilingual shop near the Royal Palace that runs an international short-story prize.
Independent bookshop · Plaza de las Salesas 11, 28004 Madrid
A meeting place for intellectuals under Franco, now strong on children's books.
Antiquarian · Plaza de San Martín 3, 28013 Madrid
A family-run antiquarian bookshop since 1947, dealing in incunabula and rare Spanish books.
Secondhand
A bookstall-turned-shop in the narrow passage between Calle Arenal and Calle Mayor, on a site where books have been sold for centuries. Tables of secondhand books, postcards and prints spill into the lane, a few steps from the famous chocolatería.
Independent bookshop · Calle de Martín de los Heros 11, 28008 Madrid
A cinema bookshop of film books, posters and DVDs.
Independent bookshop · Calle de Hernán Cortés 7, 28004 Madrid
A visual-arts bookshop known for graphic design and illustration.
Independent bookshop
A multilingual bookshop praised as one of the best of its kind in the world.
Independent bookshop · Plaza de Getafe 2, 28002 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Avenida de Betanzos 74, 28034 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle del Marqués de Viana 52, 28039 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Pelayo 60, 28004 Madrid
New & secondhand · Calle de la Esperanza 5, 28012 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Núñez Morgado 4, 28036 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de la Palma 21, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de la Estrella 18, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de la Luna 6, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de la Estrella 10, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de la Luna 16, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Hortaleza 62, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Santa Engracia 115, 28010 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle del Ave María 18, 28012 Madrid
Independent bookshop · General Ibáñez de Ibero 3, 28003 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Sierra Salvada 28, 28038 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Orense 62, 28020 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle del Pez 27, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle Mira el Río Baja 2, 28004 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle del Amparo 76, 28012 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Fernández de los Ríos 60, 28015 Madrid
Independent bookshop · Calle de Cristo 3, 28015 Madrid
The Atlas currently lists 221 active bookshops in Madrid. This is the number in our directory, not a claim that every shop in the area has been recorded.
7 listed shops are categorised as selling secondhand books. Stock changes frequently; ask a shop directly if you need a particular book.
The Atlas displays available source information. A listing without opening hours or access details is incomplete, not necessarily closed or inaccessible. Check each shop's website and confirm anything essential before travelling.
Use the map and the crawl planner to choose stops close together. Displayed route distances are estimates, not turn-by-turn walking directions. Check crossings, hills, opening times and the actual walking route before setting off.
Plan a bookshop crawlYes. Send the shop's name, location and a reliable website or other source. Suggestions and corrections are reviewed before changing the Atlas.
Suggest a shopShop data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence, with descriptions of featured shops by Creasy Spines. Opening hours change — check before a long journey. Suggest an edit