For a personal take on Sevilla that includes include topics such as culture, travel, Seville “alternatours”, accommodation, cooking classes, tapas, flamenco, restaurants, wines, and places of interest…

Visit azahar’s Sevilla

A bit of general info about Sevilla…

Seville (Sevilla in Spanish, pronounced se-VEE-ya) is the fourth largest city in Spain, and is the capital city and cultural and financial centre of Andalusia.  It was founded by the Romans and is more than 2,000 years old, and boasts one of the largest preserved old city centres in Europe, where you can see the traces of its long history in its many architectural styles, from the Arabic period through late medieval, renaissance, and baroque. The population of Seville is about 800,000 including the suburbs, and it is quite spread out, but the old centre is mostly contained within the old city walls on the interior ring road (the Ronda).

Unlike in larger Spanish cities like Madrid and Barcelona, you won’t find a lot of English speaking residents here. And even if you speak some Spanish (Castellano) you may find it difficult to understand the “Andaloo” accent, as many residents of Seville (los Sevillanos) have a habit of dropping the s at the end of words, and indeed quite often the whole last syllable.

How to get there

• Plane – There are direct daily flights from most major cities in Europe, and connecting flights to the rest of the world, usually via Madrid or Barcelona. To get to the city centre from the Seville airport take the airport bus (2.40€) or a taxi (flat rate from airport is 21.70€ except for Sundays & holidays).
• Train – If your stay in Seville is part of a longer Spanish holiday there is an excellent express train service from Madrid that arrives in the modern terminus of Santa Justa, a short bus or taxi ride from the centre.
• Car – Whether you rent or drive your own car be aware that there is next to no street parking in the centre of Seville and underground parking costs are approximately 17 euros a day. We recommend AutoEurope on SlowEurope so just mention the parking costs.

Neighbourhoods & Accommodation

If you are staying in Sevilla for more than a couple of nights, I think the best option is to stay in one of the many pleasant holiday apartments available in the central areas of town. These are more spacious than hotels or pensions, and usually include a kitchen and a washing machine (but no dryers), and have a more comfortable “at home” feel to them. Most are within easy walking distance of shops, bars and restaurants, and the principal monuments.

• Barrio Santa Cruz – this is the most well-known area of Seville, and includes the old Jewish Quarter. There are many vacation rentals available in this area, all close to wonderful restaurants and tapas bars, as well as markets and supermarkets. Typical Spanish supermarkets such as MAS, Supersol and Diaz can be found near the Plaza Alfalfa. For more variety El Corte Inglés has both a supermarket and gourmet shop, located on their lower level (basement) floor.
• Arenal – situated between the Avenida de la Constitución and the river, this area has many very good tapas bars and restaurants. The only supermarket in the area can be found at El Corte Inglés in the calle San Pablo, but for fresh meat, fish, and fruit and vegetables I like to go to the Arenal market.

Things to do and see

Although there are many impressive monuments and museums to see in Seville, one of the most pleasant pastimes is to just throw away your map and enjoy wandering through the labyrinth of small winding streets and little squares that make up the Barrio Santa Cruz and the old Jewish Quarter. At almost every turn there is something unexpected to be seen, a glimpse of a patio through an open door, a rooftop terrace, a fountain or a statue, or you can sit outside a bar or cafe, and watch the world go by for a while.

If you do want to go sightseeing the obvious place to start is in the Plaza del Triunfo, between the Alcázar, the cathedral, and the archivos de India, which are now a world heritage centres.

Real Alcázar is the royal palace-fortress of Seville. Originally built by Pedro the Cruel using Moorish architects it contains some of the finest examples of mudéjar art and architecture in Spain. It is also very pleasant to walk in the surrounding gardens, which in the summer (July-Sept) are the venue for open-air evening concerts.

The Cathedral, built in the fifteenth century on the site of the former mosque, is the third largest church in the world, and incorporates Seville’s most famous landmark and symbol, the 800-year-old Giralda Tower. Once a minaret, and now the cathedral’s bell tower, it offers an excellent view over the city (there are ramps going up to the top of the tower, which are much easier to climb than stairs). The cathedral has an elaborate – some might say, ostentatious – gold altar piece, a number of richly decorated chapels, and also the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Plaza de España is another of Seville’s most impressive landmarks. Although relatively recent, having been built for the Hispanoamerican exposition of 1929, it feels somehow much older. The super observant may recognise it as the set for a scene from one of the Star Wars movies.

Museum of Fine Arts of Seville was established in 1835 in the former Convent of la Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo, Pacheco, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Sevillian School, as well as Flemish paintings of the XV and XVI centuries.

Archaeological Museum, which contains collections from the Tartessian and Roman periods, and the Museum of Traditional Arts and Costumes can both be found in the María Luisa Park.

Hospital de Los Venerables, in the heart of the Barrio Santa Cruz, has an exceptionally fine church, with many works by Valdes Leal, and a typical Andalusian patio. It often hosts special art exhibitions.

Metropol Parasol in Plaza Encarnación is one of my new favourite places in town.

Parks and Gardens

The city’s largest park is the Parque María Luisa. As well as the main promenades and formal gardens, its secluded corners and the wide variety of birds, and trees and other plants make it an excellent spot for an early morning stroll.

Jardines de Murillo are located along the outside of the far wall of the Real Alcázar, along Menendez-Pelayo Ave.

Festivals

The two festivals that Seville is best known for are Semana Santa (Holy Week) and La Feria de Abril (April Fair). Both take place in the spring with the Feria usually beginning two weeks after Semana Santa. Unless you have a specific interest in seeing the processions during Semana Santa, it is advisable to avoid Seville at this time. Hotel and holiday rental prices almost double, tapas bars and restaurants are crammed full of tourists and locals and have special “Semana Santa menus”, and basically you will not get to experience the real  Seville. The Feria is located away from the centre of town, but visiting during this time you will often come across shops and bars that have closed for the Feria, as well as higher hotel and holiday rental prices.

For lovers of Flamenco there is a wonderful international festival every two years, the Bienal de Flamenco, which takes place in September.

Climate

Best times to visit are the spring (especially when the orange blossom is out, usually end of February to mid-March) and autumn, when you can sit outside to eat, and stroll about in shorts and sandals. July and August are generally too hot for mere mortals, and though you can get nice weather in the winter, it can sometimes be cold, and the rain, when it comes, is sometimes torrential. Below you can see a chart of the average annual temperatures and rainfall.

Resources

The Central Tourism Offices are located in the Avenida de la Constitución, near the Puerta de Jerez, and in the Plaza San Francisco.