When I was a little girl, my plan was to become a famous writer and to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. That still has not happened, hahaha. But I do love books, reading, and public libraries.

Los Nórdicos in Almuñécar has our own library, with books donated constantly by our members. It used to be hosted at Chinasol and shared with the travel agency Gran Tours. 

Since this spring, 2026, we have instead joined the Municipal Library of Almuñecar (half or more of the collection stayed with Gran Tours at Chinasol and some you’ll find at Hotel Arrayanes).

Placed at the Casa de la Cultura, in the town centre, this is another opportunity for our members to get closer to the community where we spend a lot of our time.

The treat is the same: you pick up a book you like from Los Nórdicos section of the library and return it when you’re done (or take it with you, if you prefer).

Susana Garcia Garcia is the Chief Librarian. She was born Sexitana but spent many years in Madrid, working at the National Library. When the position in Almuñécar was advertised five years ago,  she did not hesitate to apply. She won the position and came back to her hometown. And she loves her job!

It shows. She has “brought the library to the 21st century” she tells me. She, and her team, organises an ambitious agenda of activities around reading, books and creativity for all ages and tastes during the year. This is advertised in the Agenda Cultural every month.

The Municipal Library of Almuñecar has around 30,000 titles in its collection (plus the Los Nordicos collection and a whole wall of ‘free exchange books’ in all languages). Whenever I visit, there are many students or other users studying, reading newspapers, a book or just chilling at the library. Most of the collection is in Spanish but you can find almost any language. I was surprised to find recently published books as well, from 2026. “I use our budget to acquire new books every year”, says Susana.

When I ask if people are disciplined and do return what they have borrowed she hesitates a bit. “The majority do, but there are always a small portion of books lost every year.” Some things never change.

The newest feature is the BiblioPlaya that she started last summer (See photo). It is the first of its kind to open on the Costa Tropical and it has been a big success! It is a beautifully painted container on the Playa Puerta Del Mar, with a collection of books for leisure vacation read. One staff member is in charge of running the BiblioPlaya during July and August.

In Spain, every municipality with more than 5,000 inhabitants is supposed to have its own library. The budget and activities are up to each town, with some financial support from the regions or provinces. In the end, it all comes down to people and the energy put behind to create events that appeal to the users. I think Susana has managed to do just that, to create a very nice space for culture and community.

She says: “I think the library should be a place to meet, to get inspired, and to awaken interest for reading and knowledge. I would like to invite all our citizens and foreigners who come here to visit. It is a great way to get more immersed in our culture and society. Welcome to the library!”

I agree, welcome to the Library in Almuñecar, where you will find a lot of choices and languages. If you do not have a library card yet, take your DNI/NIE with you the first time and it is easy to get one.

Find more information on Biblioteca Municipal Almuñecar here @bibliosexitana (Instagram).

Los Nordicos here: www.losnordicos.com

Los Nordicos-Almuñecar (Costa Tropical) is an Association of more than 500 Scandinavians, independent from politics and religion, with the purpose of supporting each other and to build bridges with the Spanish society.

(Club News: Los Nordicos, Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Library on the Beach, Municipal Library, Los Nordicos

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