Teusaquillo: 5 Hidden Bookstores in Recycled Houses

Teusaquillo, the neighborhood where houses tell stories

Teusaquillo is not just any neighborhood. While Bogotá's historic center fills with tourists and Chapinero turns into chaos of bars and offices, Teusaquillo maintains that air of old Bogotá, the one with republican-style facades, internal courtyards, clay tile roofs, and hallways that smell of old wood. Since the mid-20th century, this neighborhood was home to Bogotá's middle class fleeing the center: doctors, lawyers, intellectuals, and politicians built their two-story houses with front gardens here.

Today, many of those houses are empty or converted into offices, but a group of independent booksellers decided to do something different: instead of building modern spaces with glass and steel, they recycled the original houses and turned them into bookstores. It's not a new phenomenon, but by August 2026 it has become one of the most interesting cultural routes in the city. If you're one of those who believes a bookstore should smell like old paper and have creaky stairs, this article is for you.

These are not chain bookstores with LED lighting and generic specialty coffee. They are spaces with soul, where every shelf has a reason to exist and each house holds a different story. Here I present five bookstores in recycled houses in Teusaquillo that you should know, with their addresses, their stories, and everything you need to put together your own walkable route.

The complete route: 5 bookstores in recycled houses

The idea is simple: you can walk to all of them in one afternoon. They are spread between Carrera 24 and Carrera 28, between Calles 38 and 45, a flat, tree-lined area perfect for walking. That said, be prepared to sweat a little on the climb towards Calle 45, but the reward is worth it.

1. Casa Tomada Libros & Café — Carrera 24 # 44-42

Let's start with the most famous of all, the one that put Teusaquillo on Bogotá's literary map. Casa Tomada is a project born in 2005 in the house of a family that used to have a fabric store. The mansion, of late republican style with art deco influences, preserves the original wooden plank floors and hand-carved doors. The owners, two brothers who studied literature at Javeriana University, decided to turn the living room and dining room into a bookstore and the backyard into a café.

Here you won't find trendy bestsellers. The selection is curated: Latin American essays, contemporary Colombian poetry, pocket editions of classics, and a special section of literature written by women. They also have a collection of second-hand books that changes every week, with prices starting at $10,000 COP. If you're lucky, you can find first editions of García Márquez or Bogotá's nadaísmo poets at reasonable prices.

The coffee is Colombian origin, roasted by themselves in a small roaster they set up in the backyard. A cappuccino costs around $8,500 COP and pairs well with any book you choose. Thursday nights they hold poetry readings and Saturday mornings there's a children's book club. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sundays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. It's recommended to check hours before visiting because they sometimes close for private events.

Fun fact: the house was declared architectural heritage of the district in 2018, which is why the owners cannot modify the facade. Every time they need to fix something, they have to ask permission from the Secretary of Culture and use traditional materials. That explains why the facade looks so authentic.

2. La Madriguera del Lector — Carrera 26 # 42-31

Just 500 meters from Casa Tomada, in a modernist house from the 1950s, is La Madriguera del Lector. This house has a particular story: it was built by a German architect who arrived in Bogotá fleeing World War II and designed his own home with geometric lines and large windows. The structure is completely different from the neighborhood's republican houses, but that makes it special.

The bookstore opened in 2019, when its owner, a retired literature professor from the National University, decided she didn't want to sell her house and didn't want to rent it to an office either. So she filled the garage with shelves and opened to the public. The specialty here is children's and young adult literature, with a huge section of illustrated books and independent comics. They also have a collection of academic humanities books that the owner accumulated during her teaching years.

The atmosphere is more intimate than at Casa Tomada. There's no café, but they have a jug of panela water they offer for free while you browse the books. Saturdays they hold creative writing workshops for young people and once a month they organize a book swap where you can exchange your used reads for others from their collection. Prices range from $15,000 COP for second-hand books to $60,000 COP for new imported editions. Hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

What few know is that the house's backyard has a garden with more than 30 species of native plants and a small greenhouse. The owner opened it to the public as part of the bookstore, so you can sit on a wooden bench and read surrounded by ferns and begonias. It's a perfect plan for a sunny afternoon.

3. El Refugio de Papel — Carrera 28 # 40-18

Of the five bookstores on this route, El Refugio de Papel is the smallest and the most hidden. It's in a two-story house built in 1948, classic republican style with a wooden balcony and double-leaf front door. For decades it was the home of a family of musicians, and in fact the main hall still has a vertical piano from the 1960s that the current owners let you play if you know some music.

The bookstore opened in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, when its founder, an unemployed cultural journalist, decided to put his grandfather's personal library to use. Today, the collection is a curious mix: 20th-century Colombian literature, biographies of politicians and artists, books on Bogotá's history, and a travel book section that will make you dream. It's not a bookstore to find the latest releases; it's a bookstore to find what you didn't know you were looking for.

The second floor of the house has been turned into a reading room with three desks where you can work on your computer for $5,000 COP per hour. They don't have coffee, but half a block away is the La Espiga de Oro bakery, where you can buy a yuca bread and a tinto for less than $4,000 COP and return to the bookstore to keep reading. Book prices range from $8,000 COP for used pocket books to $120,000 COP for old and signed editions.

The founder is a character. If you're lucky enough to meet him, he'll tell you stories about every book in his collection, including anecdotes from when his grandfather interviewed famous politicians in the 1970s. Hours are irregular, so it's recommended to message them on Instagram before going or simply take a chance and knock on the door: they're almost always open between 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm Tuesday to Saturday.

4. Libros del Alma — Carrera 24 # 39-12

Heading down towards Calle 39, we find Libros del Alma, a bookstore occupying an English-style house from the 1940s, with a gabled roof and sash windows. This house has a sad but beautiful story: it was the home of a Bogotá poet who died young and whose family decided to turn her house into a tribute to literature. The walls are covered with photographs of the poet and her writer friends, and in the second-floor study her original typewriter is preserved.

The bookstore specializes in poetry and essays, but they also have a section of art and photography books that is wonderful. The editions are carefully curated, many imported from Spain and Mexico, and prices are higher than at the other bookstores on the route: from $30,000 COP for contemporary poetry books to $250,000 COP for art books with plates and hardcover.

What makes Libros del Alma special is that the first floor is a bookstore, but the second is a small museum dedicated to the poet. You can go up to see her desk, her personal library, and a collection of letters she wrote to other writers of her time. Museum entry costs $10,000 COP, but if you buy a book, entry is free. Thursdays they hold poetry recitals with live musicians, and the atmosphere is intimate and moving. Hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A curious detail: the house has a small café in the backyard that serves Santafereño-style hot chocolate with cheese, a Bogotá tradition that's increasingly hard to find. The chocolate costs $7,000 COP and comes with two pieces of fresh cheese to melt inside. It's the perfect accompaniment for an afternoon of reading.

5. Libros y Algo Más — Carrera 27 # 38-22

We close the route at the newest bookstore in the group, which opened its doors in January 2026 in a California-style house from the 1950s, with a flat roof and large windows. The name is modest because the original idea was to sell used books and also second-hand items, but over time the books stole the spotlight. Today, the bookstore occupies the living room, dining room, and one bedroom on the first floor, while the second floor is a coworking space for writers.

The specialty here is contemporary Colombian literature and independent editions. They have a huge section of fanzines and self-published works that you won't find in any other bookstore in Bogotá, with prices starting at $5,000 COP. They also have a section of technical and social science books donated by professors from the National University and the Pedagogical University when they retired.

Libros y Algo Más is the perfect place for digital nomads: they have fast wifi, power outlets at all tables, and specialty coffee served from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Saturday. Coffee costs $6,000 COP and smoothies $9,000 COP. Additionally, every two weeks they organize a flea market in the front garden where you can find everything from books to vintage clothing and local crafts.

The curious fact about this house is that it was the filming set for several Colombian soap operas in the 1990s. If you look at the old photos hanging on the wall, you'll recognize the facade and garden in scenes from famous productions. The current owners bought the house in 2024 and completely restored it, but they preserved some original elements like the bronze lamps and the marble floors in the entrance hall.

How to get there and transportation

Teusaquillo is one of the best-connected neighborhoods in Bogotá, and getting to the bookstore route is easy from anywhere in the city. If you come by TransMilenio, the nearest station is Avenida El Dorado, about a 15-minute walk from the first bookstore on the route. You can also take the SITP bus system: routes passing along Carrera 24 and Carrera 30 drop you within a few blocks of any of the five bookstores.

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