The curious thing is that the problem is almost never the book. The price of a new book costs the same everywhere, because the law sets it. In the Canary Islands, moreover, the VAT tax is not paid, so on the island you do not pay more for the copy than in Madrid or Seville. In 2025, a paper book cost an average of 15 euros in Spain, according to the report Internal Trade of Books in Spain from the Federation of Publishers' Guilds (FGEE).
The surprise comes with the postal code. We buy more books online every day: according to the FGEE's Barometer of Reading and Book Buying Habits, 24% of buyers made their last book purchase online in 2025. In 2017, it was 12%. But there are stores that still do not include the islands in their shipping map. And those that do include them charge a different rate than the mainland and take longer to deliver.
The island bookstore wins when the book is on the shelf
The Canary Islands have 136 independent bookstores, according to CEGAL's 2024|2025 Bookstore Map. That's 6.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, slightly more than the Spanish average. When the title is on the shelf, there is no better option: you pay a fixed price, with no shipping, and you take it with you immediately. If they don't have it, most will order it for you. In that case, the timeframe depends on the distributor, and it's best to ask at the counter.
Shipping can cost more than the book
A simple example makes it clear. An order of 15 euros pays 5.99 for shipping in either of the two stores consulted. If in one of them you reach 19 euros, the shipping drops to 3. Therefore, from the island it is worth combining several books in the same order instead of ordering them one by one.
A used book arrives well if you check it before paying
Second-hand is the way that most expands what can be read from Lanzarote: here appear books that are no longer printed, old editions, and that essay that no bookstore has in stock anymore. It is also the one that requires the most questions before paying.
- The first thing is the condition. A description like "good condition" can hide underlines, a name written on the first page, or a tired spine. It's worth reading the full description and, if there are photos, looking at them. On an island with so much humidity and saltpeter, it's advisable to check if the seller mentions stains or a musty smell that doesn't go away later.
- The second thing is the edition. The ISBN, the number that appears next to the barcode, tells you exactly which edition it is, and one translation is not the same as another, nor is a pocket edition with tiny print the same as a hardcover. If it's a guide or a manual, it's also important that the edition is not outdated.
- And the third thing, which causes the most surprises, is the shipping costs. Before filling the cart, you have to check that the store ships to the Canary Islands and add the shipping to the price of the book. If there are several different sellers, each one can charge their own shipping. In a store like Hamelyn, which ships to the Canary Islands, books are purchased in the same order.
Before paying, it's also worth reviewing the return policy. It's rare for a book not to resemble what the description said, but from the island, returning it takes more time.
When the book is on the shelf of the bookstore in Arrecife, that's the best option. When it's not, you have to do the math by adding the shipping to the price of the book before hitting pay.
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