Looking for an overview of Spanish literature, past and present, and where best to read it?
Inspired by our upcoming Nomad Book Club Literary Retreat to Madrid, this is a short literary tour of Spain’s most bookish places, the sights that matter there, a couple of trustworthy bookstore picks, and a handful of Spanish writers or books to read before (or after) you visit each place.
Nomad Book Club
Spain is the Nomad Book Club pick for November 2025, where we explore a new country or region each month through books set in that place. Sign up to the newsletter to join the club and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for updates.
21 – 24 NOVEMBER 2025
Madrid Literary Retreat
From the legacy of Cervantes to the bookshop/cafés of the famed Barrio de las Letras, Madrid is a city steeped in literary history. Plus, churros. Lots of churros.
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Madrid — Barrio de las Letras & the capital’s literary heart
What to see:
Stroll the Barrio de las Letras (the Literary Quarter) where golden quotes are inlaid on the pavement, visit Casa-Museo Lope de Vega, and wander past cafés where the Generation of ‘98 and the Siglo de Oro dramatists once walked.
For bookish atmosphere. don’t miss the Cuesta de Moyano bookstalls below the Prado.
Recommended tours:
Bookshops:
Madrid has an endless supply of bookstores. Some of my personal favourites (which also cater to a bilingual crowd) include Desperate Literature, Parent(h)esis and Secret Kingdoms.
What to read:
1. The Hive by Camilo José Cela
This ground-breaking portrayal of Madrid in 1943 by a Nobel Prize–winning Spanish novelist is told through over 300 interconnected characters in short, fragmented vignettes across cafés, crowded streets, and hidden corners.
The critical depiction of post-war Spain led to its ban at home and first publication in Buenos Aires, but today it is celebrated as a major 20th-century work offering an unsettling, insightful portrait of a nation learning to survive.
2. Fortunata and Jacinta by Benito Pérez Galdós
The epic 19th-century novel, Fortunata and Jacinta, tells parallel stories of two women: Fortunata, from the working class, and Jacinta, from the bourgeoisie.
Spain’s greatest realist novelist, Benito Pérez Galdós, is known for capturing the soul of Madrid.
3. Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero
The debut novel set in a working-class Madrid neighbourhood during the 1980s and early 1990s, follows a trans girl coming of age in post-Franco Spain; exploring gender, identity, class, violence and sisterhood.
Read Next: For more recommendations, check out this shortlist of Madrid novels, memoirs and guides.
Bonus: The Madrid Review and Eleven Stories
For insights into the contemporary literary scene, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of The Madrid Review, the city’s literary magazine, or Eleven Stories, a short story collection published annually by Desperate Literature.
Alcalá de Henares — Cervantes’s birthplace (near Madrid)
What to see:
The Museo Casa Natal de Cervantes on Alcalá’s long Calle Mayor, the university precincts, and regular Cervantes festivals and markets that celebrate Don Quixote.
Recommended Cervantes tours:
Bookshops:
Small independent shops and university bookshops along Calle Mayor — perfect for Cervantes editions and scholarly translations.
What to read:
1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Spain’s national epic and considered the world’s first modern novel, read excerpts or choose an annotated edition to feel the echoes in Madrid and Alcalá.
2. Novelas ejemplares by Miguel de Cervantes
Shorter pieces that pair nicely with museum stops.
Barcelona — Modernisme, Catalan letters and a lively book scene
What to see:
The literary salons and civic culture around the Ateneu Barcelonès (a historic cultural society), the evocative streets of the Gothic Quarter/El Born where Barcelona writers set scenes, and the Biblioteca de Catalunya for Catalan literary history.
Recommended tour:
Bookshops:
La Central (Raval) with its peaceful garden; Llibreria Ona (Catalan literature specialist); Finestres for art/comics and local picks. Great cafés and bookshop-cafés are everywhere.
What to read:
1. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Barcelona is the city of this novel’s labyrinthine book market and atmospheric streets.
2. Works by Mercè Rodoreda
Try In Diamond Square / La plaça del Diamant for classic Catalan fiction rooted in the city.
3. Essays or reportage by George Orwell
Go for Homage to Catalonia if you want the 20th-century political layer of the city while you walk Republican routes.
Granada & nearby Fuente Vaqueros — Lorca country
What to see:
The Museo-Casa Natal de Federico García Lorca in Fuente Vaqueros and the cultural sites in Granada (Albaicín, the poetic lookouts, and places where Lorca’s life and work are memorialised).
Recommended tour:
Bookshops:
Small independent stores such as Librería Re-read (secondhand finds), Babel and Troa are great for local poetry and Lorca editions.
1. Poet in New York by Federico García Lorca
Poetry with a visionary modernist voice.
Read Next: Here’s a shortlist of Spanish poets to read during your Spain trip.
2. Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca
This play is staged in Andalusian landscapes.
Seville — romantic plazas, Bécquer and Andalusian storytelling
What to see:
Plazas, the Parque de María Luisa (with the Bécquer glories), and churches, archives and cafés where Andalusian romanticism and 19th-century poets left their mark.
Bookshops:
Casa Tomada is described as “a refuge for readers” in Seville, whereas La Fuga Librerías is a lively independent space with narrative, poetry, comics and book clubs.
What to read:
1. Rimas y Leyendas by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
These poems and short tales are linked to Andalusian and Sevillian motifs.
2. Works by Antonio Machado
Read Machado’s Andalusian poems to connect with Seville’s reflective, wandering-poet tradition.
Salamanca — Unamuno and the university city of ideas
What to see:
Visit the University of Salamanca for its historic façade, cloisters and sense of academic tradition, which is steeped in intellectual history.
Don’t miss the Casa‑Museo Miguel de Unamuno, dedicated to the writer and thinker Miguel de Unamuno.
Recommended tour:
Bookshops:
Librería Anticuaria La Galatea is an antiquarian bookstore, whereas Letras Corsarias is a well-organised store with good selection of narrative, essays, graphic novels and cultural events.
What to read:
1. The Tragic Sense of Life by Miguel de Unamuno
The writer’s major philosophical essay, rooted in the academic world of Salamanca.
2. Niebla (Mist) by Unamuno
This novel is set in the intellectual-atmosphere of early 20th-century Spain.
Valencia — Blasco Ibáñez and Mediterranean realism
What to see:
Explore the seaside area of the Malvarrosa beach and surrounding neighbourhoods which inspired the Valencian writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. Then visit neighbourhoods like Ruzafa, which have vibrant cultural/bohemian vibes.
Bookshops:
Choose Book Lovers Valencia for an independent English-language bookstore in Ruzafa or Librería Ramón Llull for events and a strong literary reputation.
What to read:
1. Tramway to the Malvarrosa by Manuel Vicent
A novel set in post-war Valencia, linking directly to the city’s coastal character.
2. Works by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
For example, Blood and Sand or The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to connect with Valencia’s literary-journalistic tradition.
San Sebastián (Donostia) — Basque literary routes and Pío Baroja
What to see:
Visit the birthplace area of Pío Baroja (born in San Sebastián in 1872). His Basque-Spanish heritage and belonging to the Generation of ’98 make him a key writer for the city.
Bookshops:
The independent bookstore Hontza Liburudenda is known for Basque language books, comics and thoughtful staff recommendations.
What to read:
1. La casa de Aizgorri by Pío Baroja
One of Baroja’s early novels set in the Basque country, connecting you directly to his milieu.
2. Zalacaín el aventurero by Pío Baroja
A lively novel considered a landmark of Spanish literary realism and adventure, showing Baroja’s vision of Spain.
read around the world
Travel Book Journal
One page per country, so you can record the books you’ve read, review them in detail, and customise the page.
More Books About Spain
Spain’s literary landscape is as diverse and vibrant as the country itself.
Use this guide as a starting point to explore cities, towns, and islands through the lens of literature — and let the streets, cafés, and hidden corners you visit bring your reading to life.
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Fantastic Books & Where to Find Them
For more of what to read where, check out my full Travel Books Guide, filled with book recommendations for different destinations, the most beautiful bookstores around the world, tips on how to get the best deals on audiobooks and e-books, as well as more literary travel.
Travel Essentials
Here are the websites and services I personally use and recommend.
FLIGHTS: The best deals can be found on Skyscanner, Google Flights and Kiwi (learn more about Kiwi travel hacking here).
TRAVEL INSURANCE: I recommend World Nomads for travel insurance because you can purchase once you’re already overseas and you can easily extend your policy. For digital nomads, I recommend and personally use Genki (learn more about Genki digital nomad health insurance here).
E-SIM: For travel in Europe, I use an e-sim with GoMobile, which is a provider based in Malta, but you need to be there to set it up.
ACCOMMODATION: I use Booking.com for hotels and Airbnb for apartments. For Colivings, I usually book privately, but Coliving.com is a good place to start.
THINGS TO DO: I use Viator or Get Your Guide for booking day trips, city tours and other activities, though I often check reviews on TripAdvisor too.
