Bookstores in Villarrica: school supplies, copies and books

To find a bookstore in Villarrica, first decide what you need: school-list supplies, copies and printing for university, or one specific book. For supplies and copies, downtown around the Cathedral and the Palacete Municipal (General Díaz and Mariscal López) is a good place to start; for a specific title, call ahead or ask a shop to order it.

Stationery shop or bookshop?

In Paraguay, a "librería" usually means school supplies, stationery and office goods. Some also carry textbooks, dictionaries or children's books, but few stock new releases or a large fiction section.

• For a school list or office supplies: any stationery librería works; compare prices and whether they have everything in one go.
• For a textbook the school requires: ask with the exact title, publisher and edition. A different edition may not be accepted.
• For a novel, nonfiction or a technical book: message them on WhatsApp first with title and author and ask whether they can order it.

School lists: when to shop in Villarrica

Classes start in February. In 2026 most private schools started on 9 February, and the official start for everyone was 23 February (La Nación⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Leave it to the week classes begin and you are queuing with every family in town.

What saves time:

1. Get the list as soon as it is out and set aside what you already have from last year (scissors, ruler, backpack, calculator).
2. If your child attends a public school, wait for the MEC kit. The Education Ministry hands out kits with notebooks, other supplies and storybooks (Hoy⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠); buy only what is missing.
3. Bring the list printed or on your phone and leave it at the shop if they are short: some will put the order together and message you when it is ready.
4. For items with a required brand or model (scientific calculator, compass, a specific dictionary), ask first before crossing downtown.

Copies, printing and binding for students

Villarrica has a branch of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción and a regional campus of the Universidad Católica (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), so copy shops fill up around exam time. To avoid waiting:

• Send the file as a PDF by WhatsApp or email before you go, and ask when you can pick it up.
• Ask the price per page in black and white and in color, and whether there is a bulk price.
• For final projects, ask whether they do spiral or bound copies and how long it takes.
• Check the first printed page before they run the rest: margins and scaling are the usual mistakes.

If the book is not in stock: ordering and delivery

Villarrica is about 172 km from Asunción (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), so a book that is not in local stock usually comes from the capital. Two options:

• Order through the shop: ask how long it takes, whether they want a deposit and whether they will confirm the final price before ordering.
• Buy from an Asunción bookshop or online store with delivery: some ship by "encomienda" on intercity buses, and you collect the parcel at the Villarrica bus terminal. Ask the shipping cost before paying.

If you leave a deposit, ask them to write down the price and the delivery time. Paraguay's consumer law requires the price including taxes and the payment terms to be stated (Law 1334/98, art. 15⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

Paying and what to ask for

• QR, card or cash: QR is now the most used electronic payment in Paraguay (La Nación⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), but for small purchases such as a few copies, carry some cash.
• Invoice (factura): if the purchase is for a school, company or university, ask for it with your RUC tax number when you pay, not afterwards.
• Exchanges: ask whether they exchange a wrong book or item and within what time, especially if the teacher changes the list later.