A visit to the most beautiful bookstore in Argentina
There are a couple of must-do things when I travel:
Eat a ton of incredible food
Buy beautiful handmade things from local artists (nothing better than supporting the arts!)
Visit the best bookstore in the city
During my trip to Argentina in January 2026, I visited the El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires. It has landed on a few ‘best of’ lists for the most beautiful bookstores in the world from The Guardian and National Geographic.
Originally built in 1919, the space started out as a theater called El Teatro Gran Splendid.
The stunning interiors feature ceiling frescoes painted by the Italian artist Nazareno Orlandi and caryatids—or female figures carved into stone or marble that take place of the structural support of pillars and columns—sculpted by Italian artist Troiano Troiani.
The space was officially converted into a bookstore in 2000, preserving the gorgeous lighting and intricate sculptural trim and artwork throughout the theater.
Buenos Aires has the most bookstores per capita in the world, with 25 bookstores per 100,000 residents. With such a beautiful bookstore to stop in, you can imagine why Baires residents still want to buy books in person. They also don’t have Amazon in Argentina, which means independent bookstores can thrive.
Book cover design trends in Argentina
It’s always fascinating to see book cover designs in foreign countries, since graphic design and color palette trends don’t always translate across cultures.
I was surprised to see so many pink and red color palettes incorporated into the cover designs in Argentina. These feminine color palettes are a stark contrast with the masculine cover designs featured in a lot of U.S. stores.
Buenos Aires is also interestingly the therapy capital of the world, with 222 therapists per 100,000 residents. This may give us a peek into the mass psyche of readers and the freedom cover designers have to work with color—in a way that’s not accepted yet in U.S. culture.
Here’s a little magazine stand on the street in Buenos Aires, featuring a mix of vintage magazine issues, art prints, and used books.
