edit Seville Travel Guide

One of Europes most romantic cities, boasting impressive works of art and architecture. Seville is a place packed with attractions, culture, and intrigue.

edit Highlights

The Cathedral of Seville rises to an awesome 37 metres, and was once judged the third largest church in the world after Saint Peter's in Rome and Saint Paul's in London. It is now arguably the largest church in the world when compared using the measurement of volume. Besides the awe inspiring size, the Cathedral is also known as the final resting place of the remains of Christopher Columbus.
La Giralda is a beautiful minaret tower that offers amazing views of the city. Originally intended for the chief mosque, now its the magnificent bell tower for the Cathedral and symbol for all of Seville.
The Real Alcázar is a gorgeous 14th century palace in the Mudéjar (Moorish) style. It was began in the by Pedro I the Cruel, but was notable at the time of Ferdinand and Isabella, as they entertained Columbus' tails of his exploration of the Americas.

edit Background

According to legend, Seville was founded by Hercules. It was known as Hispalis under the Romans, and Ishbiliya (أشبيليّة) during the Moorish occupation. The high point in its history was following the discovery of America.

The city is situated on the banks of the smooth, slow Guadalquivir River, which divides the city into two halves: Sevilla and Triana. The river head is located much further West, and its basin is very large. The river mouth is located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and crosses the Doñana National Park (one of the most important wetlands in Europe, breeding ground to many species of birds). The Guadalquivir (known as Betis by the Romans and as Betik Wahd-Al-Khabir by the Arabs) has had a major impact in the history of the city. The location of Sevilla is roughly coincident with the point where the Guadalquivir stops being useful for navigation. It is at this point that the cereal producing region of the Guadalquivir Valley starts, and Sevilla has acted as a sea-port for commerce of agricultural goods produced further West. Intense trade existed in the area from Roman times, continued under Muslim rule, and exploded as Seville monopolized the new trade with the Americas. As the monopoly was broken ([Cádiz] largely took Seville's place), the city entered a period of relative decline.

Seville has played host to two international exhibitions - the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929 and the International Exposition in 1992.

Inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos.

edit Getting Here

By plane

The San Pablo international airport in Sevilla is connected to the main European capitals and lies 12 km from the city . Airport can be caught just outside the Arrivals hall (though their can be few departures). The costs is approximately €2.40.

Taxis are always available next to the bus stop and run on a fixed fare to Seville center, just under €18 during the day and just under €21 after 10pm and at weekends / holidays. Much controversy has been stirred by some taxi drivers trying to overcharge tourists, so be careful to pay no more than this if you are traveling into the city.

La Parra Internation Airport in located 10km from Jerez de la Frontera, in the way to Seville. Used by cheaper flight companies such as Ryanair (from Frankfurt-Hahn London-Stansted).

If your intention is to drive around Andalucia, you will find that Malaga (210 km away) is connected to more European cities and often has cheaper flights than Sevilla.

By train

Sevilla Santa Justa Station is located on the eastern edge of Seville city centre. Completed in 1991, the station is the southern terminus of the Spanish high speed AVE train service.

High-speed, less than an hour to wonderful city of Córdoba, less than three hours trains run from Madrid to Seville; however, slower trains remain a bargain. And, there is an overnight train that runs from Barcelona to Seville in under 11 hours

By car

Driving is also always an option for long distance travel in Spain, but isn't as convenient or as useful once in town.

By bus

On all routes, within Andalucia and to most cities in Spain, bus services are usually very efficient and reliable. There are two bus stations in Sevilla Plaza de Armas bus station near the river, or the Prado de San Sebastián station near the University/Santa Cruz.

edit Getting Around

By Foot

Sevilla's city map is very easy to understand. The town centre lies within the boundaries of the old Arab walls on the east bank of the Guadalquivir river. These walls which are visible in parts are symbolised by a circular avenue, la Ronda , within which it is highly unpractical to drive a car.

On the other hand, as streets are mostly still as narrow as in the Middle Ages, few buses can drive through. So we suggest you do as the locals: walk, enjoy the hustle and bustle and when you feel tired just hail one of the many cheap taxis.

By Car

If you drive, park outside the historical centre where there is usually no parking fee, but make sure to respect a strict rule: do not leave absolutely anything in the car, even in the trunk.

By Mass Transit

Even the sights outside the historical centre, Maria Luisa Park to the south and the Triana quarter across the river, are within walking distance, so the often crowded public transport will be of little use.f

edit Weather And Climate

edit Health And Safety

Police and Fire Department

Hospitals

Crime

Smoking

edit Things To See And Do

Landmarks

The Jewish Quarter (Barrio Santa Cruz) is located around the Cathedral. It is filled with small winding streets and is generally regarded as the most charming part of the city, but it is also fairly touristy.
the Hospital de los Venerables, Plaza de los Venerables, admission adults €4.75 - a 17th century retirement home and hospital for aged and sickly retired priests, recently restored by the Fundación Focus-Abengoa to preserve an example of Andalusian architecture at its very best. Includes a resplendent Baroque chapel - not to be missed. Admission includes an informative audioguide.
Torre de Oro is a thirteenth century tower, the top of which is rumored to have once been covered in gold. It now houses the local maritime museum, admission €1 for students.
Parque María Luisa was built for the 1929 Iber-Americano World's Fair and now is landscaped with attractive monuments and museums.
Plaza de España is the site of the Spanish pavilion from the 1929 exhibition. It is somewhat in need of repair. Visit it early in the morning on a weekday to see a long line of immigrants outside one of the government offices it now houses; visit it right before it closes (officially at 10pm but likely half and hour later) to see it completely empty and rather eery.
Universidad de Sevilla is an old, beautiful university set near the Parque Maria Luisa.
The Museum of Fine Arts at Plaza del Museo is worth seeing although it can't compare with the museums in Madrid (see Museo de Bellas Artes, below).
Casa de Pilatos is a Sixteenth Century palace and generally thought to be one of the best in the city. Admission €8; free after 1pm Tuesdays.

Museums

the Museo de Bellas Artes Plaza del Museo, 9, tel +34 954 22 18 29, +34 954 22 07 90, open Tu 3pm-8pm, We-Sa 9am-8pm, Su 9am-2pm; closed Mondays; free entrance for EU citizens - considered by some as the second most important fine arts museum in Spain after the Prado in Madrid. The museum building is a former mercy convent renewed in the 17th century and the fifteen exhibition rooms show a comprehensive picture of Sevillian art from the Gothic period to the early trends of the 20th century. The square just outside hosts an open-air art market on Sundays until around 1:30 pm. Plenty of original paintings on local topics, although some not so interesting bits as well!

Museo de Carruajes, Plaza de Cuba, tel +34 95 427 2604; open 10am-2pm Monday to Fridays, free for EU citizens, € 3.60 for other nationals. A small museum with carriages of various kinds
Plaza del Triunfo, the Archives of the Indies still house today the complete collection of all documents relative to the European discovery and conquest of the New World.

Semana Santa - the sombre Easter week processions feature thousands of people and go on all week - a spectacular display of conspicuous Catholicism
Feria de abril - a release after the sombreness of Semana Santa, a huge party of eating and drinking
Go out - the nightlife of Seville is fantastic; no other European city has so many bars per inhabitant than Seville. In summer go to Isla Cartuja and find out why the Spanish night doesn't stop before 7 AM. There you can find plenty of open-air discoteques. Other nightlife spots include Calle Betis in Triana, La Alamede de Hércules, and Plaza Alfalfa.
Flamenco - Flamenco is in fact very popular at the moment in Spain and is not just for tourists, however finding the right place is hard (unless you ask a local). El Arenal is one place to consider. The Cultural Centre, C/ Ximénez de Enciso, 28 (Santa Cruz). Tel 954 56 06 70, is a good spot to see real flamenco, performances are daily at 9:00pm, it costs €22, €10 for students and Sevillians, €6 for kids (4 to 10).
Private Guided Tours, Discover Sevilla with Antonio Doblas (Phone 34-616253798 / guiassevilla@terra.es [6]), This professional tour guide offers guided tours for groups and individual travellers to the most important monuments, bike tours, tapas and wines tours, sightseeings by horse carriage, cruise along the Guadalquivir River and sevillian ranch tours.
Walking Tours: 902 158 226, 616 501 100, - fascinating and integral to the enjoyment of a city are all the little bits and stories that audioguides don't provide. The guide is interesting and interested in what she does—if she doesn't know something she will endeavour to find out. Entry to buildings is not included—consider combining the tour with a Seville tourist card. Reductions are available for taking various combinations of these tours.
- City Tour, Mo-Sa, fee €10, meets at 10:30am in front of the statue in Plaza Nueva
- Cathedral Tour, Mo, We, Fr, fee €6, meets at 1:00pm in the Plaza del Triunfo.
- Alcazar Tour, Tu, Th, Sa, fee €6, meets at 1:00pm in the Plaza del Triunfo.
Horse drawn carriage rides found near the cathedral take you to the nearby park and other sites of interest - for the sake of the animals, try to avoid / discourage the use of carriage rides in the heat of the day in summer

Attend a Bull Fight at the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza - not for the squeamish or those with convictions on animal welfare! Failing that, a visit to the arena and the attached museum of bull-fighting (€5.00) is well worth the time...
Wander through an open-air market.Vendors in many parts of the city sell on the streets, but on Sunday, when everything else is closed, a few spots really fill up. One market is located behind the Alcampo shopping center at Ronda del Tamarguillo on Avenida de la Paz (Bus lines 30, 36 from Prado de San Sebastian), but it is easily outdone by a large fleamarket, selling clothes, furniture, trash, books, shoes, CDs, food, tools, and probably everything else just Northwest of Triana near Avenida Carlos III (off of the lefhand side of most tourist maps).
Rent a bike in María Luisa Park. Seville is in the process of building many bike paths; one pleasant route covers most of the East bank of the river.
Climb to the top of the Cerro de Carambolo for a view of the whole city. The hill is outside of the town but can be reached on the M-170, M-171, and M-173 from the Plaza de Armas bus station.
Cruises, an hour in duration, leave from beneath the Torre de Oro and travel a circuit on the Guadalquivir river.

edit Shopping

Seville is home to many beautiful artifacts; some of the more popularly known are plates and Spanish tiles. There are stores that custom design plates and tiles near the cathedral, especially in Calle Sierpes, but across the river in Triana are other worthwhile pottery stores. Depending on the time of year, but especially leading up to Christmas, there are a number of artesanal fairs throughout the city.

[edit]Clothing

Seville offers a wide variety of retail clothing, although generally at high prices. The main shopping district is home to all the big international and Spanish clothing lines (such as Zara - at least 4 separate stores!) The winding streets and alleyways of the Santa Cruz area (around the Cathedral) do a roaring trade in Spanish- and Andaludian-themed T-shirts for all and inexpensive flamenco dresses for little girls.

Toro de Fuego, Hernando Colon, 38 local 3, tel 954 215 176 - an above-average and tasteful T-shirt boutique, offering a large number of variations on the popular "bull of fire" theme... Printing is high quality, the fabric is good quality and proprietor María Gutiérrez is friendly and helpful. T-shirts average €16 for all sizes.

edit Nearby

The Prado de San Sebastian bus station offers routes to other cities in Andalucía, including Córdoba, Granada, and Algeciras where it is possible to continue on by ferry to Morocco. the Plaza de Armas bus station offers routes to other parts of Spain and other countries, most notably Portugal.

The Sierra Norte, located towards the North of Sevilla, makes for a change for the monotonous landscape of the Guadalquivir Valley. It is an area of steep relief, olive groves, and deep river valleys. Deer, wild boars and other large animals are often seen from the car. The area is well-known for its cured meats.

Nearby Cordoba is a wonderful day trip (about an hour by train) or 2 days to see everything. Visit the Mezquita with peppermint striped arches, the old white walled Jewish quarter where every turn offers a new view, and the Medina Azahara archeological site. You can also take a bath in Hamam, Arabic baths massage included, very relaxing.

Nearby Granada, offering the incredible Alhambra, is possible on a long day trip, but better for an overnight or long weekend.

Nearby Cadiz a wonderful, ancient (oldest city in Europe) city. It's an hour and a half by train, a little less by car. Walk its downtown, bath in its beaches and taste its delicious fish. And if it's Carnival time, don't miss one of the more massive Carnival in the world (and surely one of the funniest ones).

Even nearer, Italica, a partially excavated Roman city, is only a brief bus ride away on the M-172 (from Plaza de Armas Bus Station). Most of it is lost under the village of Santiponce, but several streets and the footings of houses and public buildings with mosaic tiled floors can be seen. The highlight is one of the largest known Roman amphitheatres with seats for 25,000.

In the summer, cruises are offered from beneath the Torre de Oro to Sanlucar de Barrameda at the mouth of the river.

For a longer trip, Madrid is 2.5 hours from Sevilla using the AVE from the Santa Justa Train Station at the end of Avenida de Kansas City.