Alicante's oldest bookshop forced to close to make way for tourist flats
Locals are rallying in defence of 80 Mundos, a cultural and community hub which is coming under threat from mass ‘touristification’
The oldest bookshop in Alicante, 80 Mundos, is being forced to close after more than 40 years in operation. The owners have received notice to vacate the premises following the sale of the building to a development and investment company that plans to convert it into tourist rental apartments.
Located in the city centre since 1984, 80 Mundos is more than just a bookshop. Alongside others such as Pynchon & Co. and Fahrenheit 451, it forms part of a core group of independent bookshops that have long been at the heart of Alicante’s cultural life. Locals describe 80 Mundos as a vital space for community engagement and creativity in a city increasingly dominated by tourism.
On July 6, several hundred people gathered outside the bookshop for a spontaneous demonstration in defence of its continued existence. Protesters stressed that the city is becoming unliveable for its residents, with increasing numbers of traditional shops and spaces being replaced by short-term tourist lets and services catering primarily to visitors.
Since December 2024, a partial moratorium has been in place in Alicante to limit the proliferation of tourist flats. However, this moratorium applies only to individual properties, not entire buildings. Because the entire 80 Mundos building is being redeveloped for tourist use, the closure falls outside the current restrictions.
In response, a new demonstration has been called for this Friday July 25 under the slogan ‘Alacant is not for sale’. Organisers aim to raise awareness of the worsening housing crisis and the impact of mass tourism on everyday life in the city.
“This is a city where residents can’t afford to live,” said Jordi Arnés, a spokesperson for the protest platform. “Alicante is being built for tourists, not for the people who live here.”
The demonstration will begin outside 80 Mundos at 8pm this Friday, underlining the bookshop’s significance in the fight against what many residents view as the hollowing out of their neighbourhoods.
Writer Sara J. Trigueros, who has supported the protests, emphasised that this is not just a cultural or commercial issue, but one affecting the entire city.
“Neighbourhoods are being emptied of residents and turned into a stage set for tourism,” she said.
As traditional commerce disappears, the search for a new location for 80 Mundos will likely present a problem. The city centre is now dominated by businesses designed to serve tourists, such as express supermarkets and left luggage establishments, rather than local needs.
Despite the challenges, there is a sense of solidarity. “The support we’ve received has been incredibly moving,” said Trigueros. “It’s encouraging to see the city respond not only for us, but for its people.”
For Arnés, the fight to save 80 Mundos represents something much larger.
“What’s happening here is symbolic of what’s happened to so many others. It has to serve as a wake-up call for the city to change direction.”
Image: Google Maps
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