Bookstores in Bilbao
If you judge a town by its bookshops, Bilbao, País Vasco gives you 93 to judge by. That's 93 bookshops mapped around Bilbao, each with its own shelves and specialties. The used sections are where the real bargains hide. Staff picks shelves are the fastest way to read a shop's personality.
This guide covers every bookstore we could verify in and around Bilbao (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Irakurri and San Antonio, plus Papelería - Librería Penter. If a bookshop's missing from Bilbao's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Bilbao bookstore lineup
93 mapped within about 40 km — showing 60:
Irakurri
Bookstore
Irakurri — Bookstore.
San Antonio
Bookstore
San Antonio is Bookstore.
Papelería - Librería Penter
Bookstore
Papelería - Librería Penter — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Papelería - Librería Penter: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:00-19:00.
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-19:00
Librería Olga
Bookstore
Librería Olga is Bookstore on 3 Doctor Mulero kalea, Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran. Librería Olga also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
3 Doctor Mulero kalea, Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran, 48510
Phone: +34 94 6126541
Librería Arlekin
Bookstore
Librería Arlekin is Bookstore on 6 Ramon de Durañona kalea, Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran. Librería Arlekin also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
6 Ramon de Durañona kalea, Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran, 48510
Phone: +34 94 4923081
Maceda
Bookstore
Maceda is Bookstore.
Dimples
Bookstore
Dimples — Bookstore.
Muruaga
Bookstore
Muruaga is Bookstore.
Exlibris
Bookstore
Exlibris — Bookstore.
Librería SEVE
Bookstore
Librería SEVE — Bookstore.
Librería Retuerto
Bookstore
Librería Retuerto is Bookstore.
Ofiz@lde
Bookstore
Ofiz@lde — Bookstore.
Elkar
Bookstore
Elkar — Bookstore on 14 Poza lizentziatuaren kalea. Also worth knowing about Elkar: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
14 Poza lizentziatuaren kalea
Phone: +34 944434807
Elkar
Bookstore
Elkar — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Elkar: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-14:00,16:30-20:00.
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-14:00,16:30-20:00
Elkar
Bookstore
Elkar — Bookstore on 26 Iparraguirre kalea. Also worth knowing about Elkar: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:30-20:00; Sa 10:00-14:00,17:00-20:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
26 Iparraguirre kalea
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:30-20:00; Sa 10:00-14:00,17:00-20:00
Phone: +34944240228
Casa del Libro
Bookstore
Casa del Libro — Bookstore, found on 9 Urkixo zumarkalea in Bilbao. Also worth knowing about Casa del Libro: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
9 Urkixo zumarkalea, Bilbao, 48008
Phone: +34 902 026 408
Guantes
Bookstore
Guantes is Bookstore.
Fotocopias
Bookstore
Fotocopias is Bookstore.
San Pablo
Bookstore
San Pablo — Bookstore.
Hobbiton
Bookstore
Hobbiton is Bookstore.
Liburudenda
Bookstore
Liburudenda — Bookstore.
Didáctica
Bookstore
Didáctica — Bookstore.
Binario
Bookstore
Binario is Bookstore.
libreria bortoki
Bookstore
libreria bortoki is Bookstore on Santa Luzía kalea.
Santa Luzía kalea, 48004
Bikain
Bookstore
Bikain is Bookstore. Bikain also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:00-20:00; Sa 10:00-13:30.
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-20:00; Sa 10:00-13:30
Libreria
Bookstore
Libreria is Bookstore.
Bilbao, 48014
UMEAK
Bookstore
UMEAK — Bookstore, found on 47 Avenida Lehendakari Aguirre in Basauri. Also worth knowing about UMEAK: the map lists its hours as 09:00-14:00,16:30-20:30.
47 Avenida Lehendakari Aguirre, Basauri, 48970
Hours: 09:00-14:00,16:30-20:30
Itziar
Bookstore
Itziar — Bookstore, found on Calle Kuskuburu in Getxo.
Calle Kuskuburu, Getxo
Papelería Guimerá
Bookstore
Papelería Guimerá is Bookstore on 181 Agirre lehendakariaren etorbidea. Papelería Guimerá also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-14:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
181 Agirre lehendakariaren etorbidea, 48014
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-14:00
Phone: +34 944479958
Topa!
Bookstore
Topa! is Bookstore.
El Gongo Natty
Bookstore
El Gongo Natty is Bookstore on Erronda kalea, Bilbao.
Erronda kalea, Bilbao
Magnolia Rare Books
Bookstore
Magnolia Rare Books — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Magnolia Rare Books: it has a website with more detail.
Kai Liburudenda
Bookstore
Kai Liburudenda is Bookstore.
Librería Garcés
Bookstore
Librería Garcés — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Librería Garcés: it has a website with more detail.
Boulandier
Bookstore
Boulandier is Bookstore. Boulandier also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00, 16:30-18:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00, 16:30-18:30
Phone: +34 605 77 38 51
Astarloa
Bookstore
Astarloa — Bookstore, found on 4 Astarloa kalea in Bilbao. Also worth knowing about Astarloa: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
4 Astarloa kalea, Bilbao, 48001
Phone: +34 944 231 607
Librería San Francisco Imprenta
Bookstore
Librería San Francisco Imprenta — Bookstore.
Anti liburudenda librería
Bookstore
Anti liburudenda librería — Bookstore, found on 2 Maiatzaren biko kalea in Bilbao. Also worth knowing about Anti liburudenda librería: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:30-14:00,16:30-20:00; Sa 10:30-14:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
2 Maiatzaren biko kalea, Bilbao, 48003
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:30-14:00,16:30-20:00; Sa 10:30-14:00
Phone: +34 944 150 375
Librería Cámara
Bookstore
Librería Cámara is Bookstore on 6 Euskalduna zeharkalea, Bilbao. Librería Cámara also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00,16:00-20:00; Sa 10:00-14:00; Su Off; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
6 Euskalduna zeharkalea, Bilbao, 48008
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00,16:00-20:00; Sa 10:00-14:00; Su Off
Phone: +34 944221945
Joker
Bookstore
Joker — Bookstore, found on 7 Euskalduna kalea in Bilbao. Also worth knowing about Joker: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:30-20:30; Sa 11:00-14:00,17:00-20:00; Su off.
7 Euskalduna kalea, Bilbao, 48008
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:30-20:30; Sa 11:00-14:00,17:00-20:00; Su off
Louis Michel Liburuak
Bookstore
Louis Michel Liburuak is Bookstore on 27 Elcano kalea. Louis Michel Liburuak also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:30-14:00, 16:30-22:00; Sa 11:00-14:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
27 Elcano kalea
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:30-14:00, 16:30-22:00; Sa 11:00-14:00
Phone: +34 94 4669265
Berri Libreria Medica
Bookstore
Berri Libreria Medica — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Berri Libreria Medica: it has a website with more detail.
Espiral
Bookstore
Espiral is Bookstore.
Liburudenda Libreria Universitaria
Bookstore
Liburudenda Libreria Universitaria is Bookstore.
Ribera
Bookstore
Ribera — Bookstore.
Sopa de Sapo
Bookstore
Sopa de Sapo — Bookstore, found on 6 Arechavaleta kalea in Bilbao. Also worth knowing about Sopa de Sapo: it has a website with more detail.
6 Arechavaleta kalea, Bilbao, 48010
Elkar
Bookstore
Elkar — Bookstore.
Ex Libris
Bookstore
Ex Libris — Bookstore.
Ekoetxea. Ekologistak Martxan Bizkaia
Bookstore
Ekoetxea. Ekologistak Martxan Bizkaia is Bookstore on 5 Pilota kalea, Bilbao. Ekoetxea. Ekologistak Martxan Bizkaia also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo 16:00-19:00; Tu-Th 10:00-14:00,16:00-19:00; Fr 10:00-14:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
5 Pilota kalea, Bilbao, 48005
Hours: Mo 16:00-19:00; Tu-Th 10:00-14:00,16:00-19:00; Fr 10:00-14:00
Phone: +34 944 79 01 19
Luma
Bookstore
Luma — Bookstore.
Librería Iris
Bookstore
Librería Iris — Bookstore, found on 58 Avenida Iparragirre in Leioa.
58 Avenida Iparragirre, Leioa, 48940
Denetariko
Bookstore
Denetariko — Bookstore.
Aldapa
Bookstore
Aldapa is Bookstore.
Orrie
Bookstore
Orrie — Bookstore.
Marrak
Bookstore
Marrak is Bookstore on 29 Lehendakari Agirre etorbidea, Igorre. Marrak also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
29 Lehendakari Agirre etorbidea, Igorre, 48140
Phone: +34 946 31 52 27
Librería Lara
Bookstore
Librería Lara — Bookstore.
Prensa Iñaki
Bookstore
Prensa Iñaki is Bookstore.
Libreramente
Bookstore
Libreramente is Bookstore on 5 La Bondad kalea. Libreramente also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
5 La Bondad kalea
Phone: +34 611 61 00 57
San Jorge
Bookstore
San Jorge — Bookstore.
Minerva
Bookstore
Minerva — Bookstore on Askatasun etorbidea.
Askatasun etorbidea
What the map tells us about bookstores in Bilbao
22 of the 93 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — bookshops keep civilised hours, so the listed ones are usually reliable.
21 have websites listed. Worth a look for events — readings and signings get announced there first.
The Bilbao bookstore crawl
The efficient Bilbao bookstore crawl strings these together: Irakurri, San Antonio, Papelería - Librería Penter, Librería Olga on 3 Doctor Mulero kalea, Librería Arlekin on 6 Ramon de Durañona kalea, Maceda, Dimples, and Muruaga — 93 stops, one logical order. 85 more are listed below.
Bookstore tips for Bilbao
A few things worth knowing before you work through Bilbao's bookstores:
- Gift buying? Ask for wrapping at Irakurri. Many independents wrap beautifully and free. It beats a gift bag every time.
- Check the staff picks shelf first at San Antonio. It's the fastest read of a shop's personality. If the picks excite you, the rest of the store will too.
- Ask the booksellers. A good bookseller lives for the question 'what should I read next?' Give them three books you loved and watch them work.
- Ask about ordering. Independent shops will order anything in print, often in a day or two. No need to default to the big online retailer.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Bilbao — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new bookstore in Bilbao can take a while to appear. If you spot one of the 93 that's closed, or a great bookstore we missed, the fix is to update the map itself — that's where this guide reads from.
We don't list prices — they change constantly and vary by edition. What we list is the where: real shops, verified by real mappers, in alphabetical order with no favourites.
If you run one of the 93 listed here and something's wrong — a closure, a move, new hours — the fix is the same: update the shop on OpenStreetMap and the correction flows through to this page on the next daily refresh.
Bookstore listings for Bilbao: 93 mapped from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons contributors; individual photo credits appear in captions. Listing data was last refreshed automatically — verify hours before visiting.