The cultural landscape of Barcelona’s Horta neighbourhood is set to shrink further. Consequently, La Caracola bookstore has announced it will close its doors permanently on 31 March. Despite being home to nearly 30,000 residents, Horta remains one of the city’s areas with the lowest density of bookshops. Therefore, this La Caracola bookstore closure marks a significant loss for the local community.
‘Time to change course’
Located at Carrer Feliu i Codina, 19, La Caracola-which describes itself as an Intercultural House-has served as more than just a retail space. Over the past year and a half, it has hosted roughly 250 activities, including workshops, concerts, book presentations, and recitals.
Your browser does not support the video tag.Home » La Caracola Bookstore Closure: Horta Lends a Cultural Hub on 31 March
While the cultural impact has been significant, the financial reality has forced the owners to make a difficult decision. In a statement regarding the closure, the booksellers explained: “We have been a year and a half making culture and neighbourhood… The balance is frankly positive, but it has not been enough for this project to be sustainable and now it is time to change course.”
The shop will remain open through February to complete its scheduled activities. Meanwhile, the owners have indicated that they will continue selling new and second-hand stock until a final liquidation sale, expected to take place in mid-to-late March.
La Caracola Bookstore Closure Highlights Horta Scarcity
The departure of La Caracola follows a worrying trend for the neighbourhood. Two years ago, Sopa de Lletres, a beloved venue on Carrer Porrera that combined literature with gastronomy, also shut down. This mirrors the recent closure of the historic Pastelería Rovira bakery. That project had been launched in 2014 by writers Oriol Izquierdo and Dolors Borau.
Following the La Caracola bookstore closure, Horta will be left with very few options for book lovers. The remaining establishments include Sagitari Llibres (Passatge de Vila i Rossell), La Font de Mimir – Eivissa (Plaça Eivissa), and La Retrospectiva (Carrer Fulton), which specialises in second-hand titles.
Future of the premises
There is a glimmer of hope that the physical space may continue to serve the community. The outgoing booksellers have noted they are currently in talks to hand over the location to another local initiative.
“We are in talks so that a project linked to the territory can take over the premises, but it is not yet finalised,” they stated.
Apply to join our community of Entrepreneurs, Senior Executives and Founders at Bizcelona .
