Bookstores

The best bookstore in central Lima [1] is El Virrey (Paseo los Escribanos 115, tel. 01/427-5080, www.elvirrey.com [2], 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 1:30–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat.). If you are looking for specialty books in science, history, or sociology, this is the place to find them. The store also has shops in San Isidro [3] (Miguel Dasso 141, tel. 01/440-0607, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily) and at Larcomar in Miraflores [3] (tel. 01/445-6883, noon–9 p.m. daily).

Additionally, there are several bookstores, or librerías, in Miraflores with good English and other foreign language sections.SBS

(Angamos Oeste 301, tel. 01/241-8490, www.sbs.com.pe [4], 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat.) has the best collection of English-language guidebooks. Its storefront on Parque Kennedy goes by the name Ibero Librería (Larco 199, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily) and it has an excellent selection of English-language books as well as a helpful staff.

Crisol (Santa Cruz 816, Óvalo Gutierrez, tel. 01/221-1010, www.crisol.com.pe [5], 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily) is a huge, glassy bookshop in the same mall as the Cineplant Alcázar.

Other options are Zeta (Comandante Espinar 219, tel. 01/446-5139, www.zetabook.com [6], 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., also at Lima airport) and Delta Bookstore Librería (Larco 970, tel. 01/445-8825, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sun.).

International newspapers are available from Miraflores street vendors in front of Café Haiti by Parque Kennedy.