Madrid Book Fair: A Guide from Malasaña

El Retiro, that green lung just ten minutes from our hostel, transforms into more than a park for two weeks: it becomes a stage. No spotlights, no seats, no curtain. Just a dirt avenue — the Paseo de Coches — filled with stalls, publishers, authors, readers, illustrators, passers-by, curious onlookers, and that peculiar magic that only happens when books leave their shelves to get some fresh air.

THE PARK, THE BOOKS AND YOU

The first Madrid Book Fair took place in 1933. It was an attempt to bring books to the streets, to make reading an everyday act, almost as natural as having a caña (small beer). Today, over 90 years later, it’s still that. But it’s also become one of the most significant cultural events in the country.

For more than two weeks, El Retiro park hosts hundreds of publishers, bookshops and authors. Over 350 stalls line both sides of the main avenue. Each one offers something different. Sometimes there are discounts, other times book signings. Sometimes you get a free tote bag, other times a handwritten dedication that breaks your heart. It all depends on how you walk and what you’re willing to notice.

AN EXPERIENCE THAT GOES BEYOND BUYING A BOOK

Some people come with a list written in a notebook. They know exactly which titles they’re after, which authors are signing, on what day and at what time. Then there are the others — our kind — who come without a plan, without expectations, and end up finding the book they didn’t know they needed.

The best thing about the Fair is that you can experience it at your own pace. You can go first thing in the morning, when the park is still half-asleep and the stalls are just waking up. You can drop by in the afternoon, when everything is buzzing, when the queues for signings stretch out and conversations criss-cross like invisible paths. And, of course, you can take your new book, find a shady spot on the grass, crack open a cold beer and read. In Madrid, in June, that’s also a revolutionary act.

FROM ADVENTURE HOSTEL: OUR SECRET PLAN

Those who stay with us know: El Retiro is so close it almost feels like our private garden. That’s why, every year when the Fair kicks off, we have a little tradition. An unwritten plan. Breakfast in Malasaña — Constanza Cafe is our favourite spot —, a stroll down Gran Vía, a descent past Cibeles, a grand entrance through the Puerta de Alcalá… and suddenly you’re there, surrounded by books and trees.

The rest is pure improvisation. Walking, chatting, listening, buying. Sometimes we talk to authors we’d never heard of. And almost always, we come back with more than we left with: a story, a conversation, a spark, a memory.

El Retiro fills up with groups, laughter, blankets, ice creams, dogs, distant music, the scent of pine, sunlight filtering through the leaves. All of that, mixed with books, creates a kind of perfect atmosphere. Somewhere between intimate and collective.

NOT EVERYONE WHO GOES TO THE FAIR GOES TO READ

And that’s fine. Some go to see and be seen. Others to sign. Others to sell. Others to flirt. Some even go to work. There are those who get lost among the stalls hunting for the best discount and those who sit on a bench watching the world go by. The Fair is also that: an excuse to look, to cross paths with thousands of human stories happening live, right next to you.

And if you’re visiting — if you’ve come to Madrid and are staying at our hostel — you won’t fully understand this city until you see how all of this blends together in that green, dusty corner of the centre. There’s no other city in Europe that does something like this in quite the same way.

IF YOU ONLY TAKE ONE BOOK, LET IT TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE

We’re not going to recommend titles. Well, okay, one: pick the one you weren’t looking for. Let yourself be drawn in by the cover, the title, the energy of the bookseller handing it to you. Avoid the rankings. Forget the algorithm. The Madrid Book Fair is one of those places where chance still makes sense.

And if you’re tempted to take photos — and we know you will be — look for those shots: the book on the grass, your shadow cast over an open page, an author’s signature with the park in the background. Don’t worry if your face isn’t in the frame. Let it show what you’re living.

WE’RE ALREADY PACKING OUR BAGS

We’ve got tote bags ready, sunscreen, cold water, and plenty of excitement. Will you join us? We’ll be heading there almost every day from 30 May to 15 June. If you see us — wearing blue T-shirts with our logo mascot on the back — say hi. We’ll give you a sticker and recommend a book.

Madrid, June, shade, books, conversation. That’s all it takes to turn a day into a story.