The Best Independent Bookstores in Seville

The owners of this wonderfully named concept bookstore and cafe – ‘A Cat on a Bicycle’ – once said that it was meant to be an ordinary bookshop, but that things ‘got out of hand’. And what a great thing that they did, because Un Gato en Bicicleta is now a leading establishment on Seville’s artistic and bohemian scene, hosting regular poetry readings, live music concerts, lectures and whatever theatre can be crammed into its modest space. It also sells a good range of books and comics, but if you like your bookshops to offer more than a good read, ‘Cat on a Bike’ is your place.

Though it has bookstores all over Spain, Re-Read deserves to be on this list because of its excellent pricing structure and the strength of its secondhand offering. The deal here is that you can buy one book for €3, two for €5 and five for an amazing €10 – the price of a single item in FNAC, for example. And unlike many secondhand bookshops, which can be unbearably cluttered and disorganised, Re-Read is a sleek, imaginatively decorated space (a bike is wedged up against the ceiling, on one of the higher shelves) with clearly labelled shelves. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable and there is a good range of subjects and themes on offer, making this a great place to shop for books on a tight budget.

One of the few retailers in Seville not to shut for a three-hour lunch break between 2pm and 5pm, Botica’s lofty aim is to provide culture for ‘the wise readers of Seville’. A good range of non-obvious books and pocketbooks is on offer and service is professional and efficient: if you’re after something they don’t have, for example, you can place an order and your book usually arrives within a few days. Don’t be put off by the fact that Botica is located out of Seville’s historic town centre; the barrio of Los Remedios(home to Seville’s epic annual feria) is a lovely place to stroll in and the bookshop is just over the river from the Plaza de España and Maria Luisa Park. And anyway, only the wise shop here.

For literature-lovers visiting the Andalusian capital, where better to head than ‘The Little Bookworm’? Situated on the lively, bohemian Calle Feria – also home to Seville’s two best vintage clothing stores and its best weekly flea market – El Gusanito is said by Sevillano bookworms to be one of the few places left that really caters for those who love reading and books. A colourful, busy interior is presided over by an owner consistently singled out for her knowledge of and passion for books and for her attentiveness; indeed, she is also the president of the local association of booksellers. Forget Kindles, iPads, downloads and e-editions, then: this is a place that does books how they used to be done. A good range of newspapers, including international press, is also available every Sunday.