For English readers, the bookshop to head for in Madrid is Desperate Literature, at Calle de la Cava Baja 8 in La Latina: new, second-hand and rare books in English, Spanish, French and other languages, open every day until 21:00 or 21:30. For old Spanish books and prints, walk the 30 wooden stalls of Cuesta de Moyano, by the Retiro, open 9:30 to 13:30 and 16:30 to 19:00. On a budget, Re-Read sells second-hand books at a fixed 4 euros, and Desnivel, on Plaza de Matute, is the place for maps and travel guides.
What are the best bookshops in Madrid? For English books, Desperate Literature on Cava Baja. For old and out-of-print books, the Cuesta de Moyano stalls. For cheap second-hand books, Re-Read, 4 euros each or five for 15 euros. For maps and hiking guides, Desnivel. For comics and manga, Antonio Machado.
- Moyano: daily, with a midday break of 13:30 to 16:30.
- Sunday: Desperate Literature, Re-Read Atocha and Desnivel.
- San Ginés: mostly a souvenir shop now.
Which bookshop suits what you want?
If you read only English, Desperate Literature is the one stop that is sure to have shelves for you. If you read some Spanish, or collect, Moyano is the more Madrid experience. For a cheap holiday read, Re-Read.
What is Cuesta de Moyano?
It is a sloping pedestrian street, Calle Claudio Moyano, between the Botanical Garden and the Retiro, with 30 numbered wooden stalls selling old and second-hand books, out-of-print titles and vintage comics; stall 1 is a city information point. The bookfair has been there since 1925, and on 14 January 2026 the Madrid region declared it a protected cultural asset.
Plan the visit around the clock: the stalls open every day, 9:30 to 13:30 and 16:30 to 19:00, but each bookseller keeps its own hours: stall 2 opens 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays without a lunch break, and 10:00 to 15:00 at weekends and on holidays. There is no common price; each seller sets its own. Metro: Estación del Arte (line 1), or Atocha for Cercanías trains. The park is in the Retiro district guide.
Where do I buy maps, comics or illustrated books?
Desnivel, at Plaza de Matute 6 in the Barrio de las Letras, specialises in mountains, hiking, maps and travel, open weekdays 10:00 to 20:30 and weekends 11:00 to 20:00.
For comics and manga, Antonio Machado at Plaza de las Salesas 11 opens Monday to Saturday 10:30 to 21:00; for a specific title, ask whether that shop has it in stock. For illustration, prints and design books, Panta Rhei, at Hernán Cortés 7, opens weekdays 10:30 to 20:30 and Saturday 11:00 to 20:30.
Where can I buy cheap second-hand books?
Re-Read sells all its stock at fixed prices: 4 euros for one book, 7 euros for two and 15 euros for five, so each book drops to 3.50 euros in a pair and 3 euros in a batch of five.
| Re-Read batch | Total | Per book |
|---|---|---|
| One book | 4 euros | 4 euros |
| Two books | 7 euros | 3.50 euros |
| Five books | 15 euros | 3 euros |
The Atocha shop, at Paseo de la Infanta Isabel 15, opens daily 10:30 to 21:00; the Tirso de Molina one, at Conde de Romanones 1, opens weekdays 10:30 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 20:30, and only 11:00 to 15:00 on Sunday.
Where do I find English books, and what else does Desperate Literature do?
Desperate Literature, at Calle de la Cava Baja 8, carries new, used and rare books in English and several other languages, and runs readings, writing workshops and a short story prize. Hours are Monday to Thursday 10:30 to 21:00 and Friday to Sunday 10:30 to 21:30. Cava Baja is La Latina’s tapas street, covered in tapas on Cava Baja, so a book and dinner fit in one evening.
If you also read Spanish, or are buying for children, Parenthesis, at Calle Valencia 30, stocks Spanish and English books, graphic novels and children’s books, and opens on Sunday 11:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 19:30; on Monday it opens only in the afternoon, from 17:00.
Which bookshops open on Sunday?
A Sunday of books works best as two halves: Moyano in the morning, before 13:30, then Desperate Literature or Re-Read Atocha in the afternoon.
For other Sunday shopping, see which shops open on Sunday in Madrid.
Is Librería San Ginés still worth visiting?
As a bookshop, less than its photos suggest. Since autumn 2025, the shop in the San Ginés passageway, number 2, has given most of its space to souvenirs, though some books remain. Hours are 10:00 to 20:30 daily. For old books, go to Moyano instead.
What might disappoint
Arriving at Moyano at lunchtime: the general hours break from 13:30 to 16:30, though some stalls stay open. And expecting the old San Ginés: today it sells mostly souvenirs.
For more shopping, see the best shopping areas in Madrid, vintage shops and what to buy in Madrid.
Bookshops in Madrid, questions
Where can I buy English books in Madrid?
Desperate Literature, at Calle de la Cava Baja 8 in La Latina, sells new, second-hand and rare books in English, Spanish, French and other languages. It opens every day, Monday to Thursday 10:30 to 21:00 and Friday to Sunday until 21:30.
What are the opening hours of Cuesta de Moyano?
The bookstalls open every day from 9:30 to 13:30 and 16:30 to 19:00, but each bookseller sets its own hours; stall 2, for example, opens 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 15:00 at weekends. There are 30 numbered stalls on Calle Claudio Moyano, by the Retiro.
Where are cheap second-hand books in Madrid?
Re-Read sells second-hand books at fixed prices: 4 euros for one, 7 euros for two and 15 euros for five, so 3 euros each in a batch of five. Its Atocha shop, at Paseo de la Infanta Isabel 15, opens daily from 10:30 to 21:00.
Is Librería San Ginés still a bookshop?
Only partly. Since autumn 2025, the shop in the San Ginés passageway near Sol has given most of its space to souvenirs, though some books remain. It opens daily from 10:00 to 20:30.
English at Desperate Literature, old books at Moyano before 13:30, and a map from Desnivel if you are heading to the hills.