Find Your Niche: The Bookstores of Buenos Aires

Find the best airline tickets and book flights to Buenos Aires to discover the Paris of the Americas. Argentina has one of the strongest literary cultures of South America, and one of the most prestigious literary legacies. For book lovers, one of the most enjoyable parts of exploring Buenos Aires is stopping by the city’s world-famous bookstores. Get the best airline deals on cheap tickets to Buenos Aires and plan your bookstore binge.

Argentina’s most famous bookstore by far is El Ateneo. This magnificent building was once a high-society theater in Buenos Aires with seating for over 1,000 people. Tango stars like Carlos Gardel performed and recorded here. Once called the Grand Splendid, this space has been a bookstore for several decades but its majestic theater atmosphere has been well preserved. Browse for books in what used to be elite balcony seating, stroll past rich burgundy curtains on your way to the elegant bookstore cafe, and admire the three stories of dramatic lighting and elaborate decorations. Part of the former stage is now a relaxing reading area with plenty of comfy chairs. Scholars and book lovers come on flights to Buenos Aires from around the world to see El Ateneo and the other bookshops of this highly literary city. There are more bookstores downtown all along Santa Fe, Corrientes, and Juramento avenues. Libreria Libertador, on Corrientes, is where you’ll find some of the cheapest editions of classic works by Spanish and Latin American authors, plus inexpensive poetry collections. Cuspide Libros is known for its technical handbooks and professional guidebooks. Obel Libros is a favorite for students, with its focus on Latin American social and economic texts and encyclopedias.  

Buenos Aires is also a great international airlines destination to search for rare books and manuscripts, antique reads, and foreign-language books. If you’re looking for books off the beaten path, head to Avenida de Mayo or the newer section of San Telmo. You can also look in the older bookstores on Corrientes Avenue between 9 de Julio Avenue and Callao. Watch your budget here, though - you’ll see so many fascinating finds, you might end up spending almost as much as your cheap tickets to Buenos Aires!

Besides the great bookstores, if you want to find some good deals on lower-priced reads, you can head to one of the city’s many book fairs. Some street fairs and parks with excellent choices for secondhand books are at Parque Centenario, Parque Rivadavia, Plaza Lavalle and Plaza Italia. Even if you don’t consider yourself a big reader, these bookstores are worth seeing for their ambience, architecture, and authentic slice of “porteño” culture. Get the best fares on cheap flights to Buenos Aires today and check out these literary landmarks.