About
This 1-kilometer underground passageway connects two stations of Mexico City's metro system, and it is also known as "Un Paseo por los Libros" (A Walk Among the Books) due to the presence of 42 bookstores along its length. This "permanent book fair" has a history as old as the metro stations themselves, with Pino Suárez's Line 1 segment being one of the opening day stations for the metro system. Its other section, which, like Zócalo station, is part of Line 2, opened in 1970. For 23 years, the passageway connecting them was the location of the temporary Metropolitan Book Fair, which ended in 1992.
Following its suspension, people called for it to be reinstated and, in February 1997, the permanent Paseo por los Libros bookstore lane was opened. The bookshops found here are all part of the Mexican Editorial Industry's National Council (CANIEM). This Cámara Nacional de la Industria Editorial Mexicana states that 90% of its affiliated publishing houses and editorials have some presence among these 42 bookstores.
Know Before You Go
Most of the bookstores are open Monday-Saturday from 10am-8pm. Even if all the shops are closed, the passageway is normally open during the rest of the stations' working hours, including Sundays.
The passageway is located past the ticket turnstiles, so it is necessary to pay the MXN$5 fee to access it. As of mid-2025, this has to be done with the rechargeable Mexico City public transport card. Both Zócalo and Pino Suárez stations are on Line 2 (blue) of the metro, with Pino Suárez also connecting to Line 1 (pink).
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Published
June 19, 2026