The best bookstore in central Lima is El Virrey (Paseo los Escribanos 115, tel. 01/427-5080, www.elvirrey.com, 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 (Miguel Dasso 141, tel. 01/440-0607, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily) and at Larcomar in Miraflores (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, 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, 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, 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.