Seville

Seville sits in a large, low plain which extends all the way to Huelva and the Bay of Cádiz. With a population of not much over 700,000, it is not a particularly big city, though another 600,000 or so reside in the metropolitan area. But it is the capital of Andalusia in every sense — political, cultural and financial — and one of the most alluring places in Spain.

The River Guadalquivir is in many ways Seville's lifeblood and raison d'être. It runs south through the city, most of the sights and places of interest lying to the east of the river.

Seville Culture. Seville's blend of cultures, splendid climate and laid-back lifestyle combine to make it one of the most romantic places in the world — appropriately, for this is the city of the world's most legendary lover and cad, be he called Don Juan, Don Giovanni, or Don Juan Tenorio, and home to music's sexiest cigar roller, Carmen herself. The flamenco form called Sevillanas is one of the catchiest, most accessible types of flamenco and, it being a collective dance, tourists are often tempted to join in, usually to general embarassment or mirth.

Seville History. Hispalis to the Romans, it was renamed Išbiliyyah (say "Sevilla" while pretending to be drunk for the rough pronunciation) by the Moors, who took it almost immediately when they conquered the Iberian Peninsula in 711. Their influence lasted until the reconquest reached Seville in 1248, and even persisted thereafter - the historic centre has a decidedly Arabian feel to it, created by the Moorish elements in the architecture. Under the Moors it was mostly governed from Córdoba, though it became a taifa, minor kingdom, in its own right in the 11th century. It was the Catholic Monarchs and the discovery of the Americas that made it a great city, though, as much of the plundered wealth of the Indies passed through its port in the 16th century. For although Seville is nearly a hundred kilometres inland, its altitude is only 6 m, and the Guadlquivir was navigable until it silted up at the beginning of the 18th century, initiating an economic decline which continued until the late 20th century.

Seville Travel

In spite of its proliferation of sights, the joy of visiting Seville is its atmosphere, its way of life. Seville is quintessential Andalusia: patios, geraniums, sherry and olives, cold beer slowly drunk, tapas, music, cheerful conversation, fiestas — a place where time is something that happens to other people. But...

Seville Sights. Of all Spanish cities, Seville is one of the most profuse in sights of one kind or another. They include the Cathedral and its bell tower, the Giralda, the Real Alcázar or fortified palace, the Torre del Oro, the Parque Maria Luisa, an Archaeological Museum, a Museum of Arts and Customs, the Charity Hospital, the Fine Art Museum, the bullring, called the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza (which vies with Madrid's Plaza de Ventas to be the most important bullring in Spain), the quirky Casa de los Pilatos, the Roman city of Itálica just outside the city, the University (once the Fábrica de Tabacos or Tobacco Factory, yes, the one in Bizet's Carmen), the Archivo de Indias, an untold number of interesting churches, and much more.

Practical Seville Travel

When to Go. If possible, avoid August and, to a lesser extent, July, as temperatures can be very high indeed — 50ºC is not unusual, and 47ºC in the shade has been recorded. See also "Weather," below. Fiestas. Seville is at its most festive during Semana Santa, Holy Week, and the Feria de Abril, April Fair, to such an extent that many locals spend the entire year preparing for one or the other. Both are travel experiences of a lifetime.

Where to Stay. Spain and Portugal for Visitors' selection of hotels, hostels and apartments should cover most people's requirements. Be warned that, for Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril, most of Seville's accommodation will have been booked up months ahead, and will be more expensive than usual even if it hasn't. Some hotels, including the Alfonso XIII, one of Europe's grandest, actually require you to book for the entire week in question.

Food and Drink. Apart from being the world tapas capital, in relation to the rest of Andalusia, Seville's gastronomy is representative rather than distinctive. Gazpacho, the famous cold soup of tomatoes and other vegetables (gazpacho andaluz, naturally) is delicious, nutritious, cheap, available everywhere and a real boon for travellers. Salmurejo, a smoother, particularly filling kind of gazpacho, is not normally available in tapa form, but makes a great first course. Huevos a la flamenca is eggs baked with tomato, chorizo and/or ham, and worth trying if only because nowadays eggs are rarely cooked in the oven anywhere else. Cola de toro is supposed to be stewed bull's tail, but more likely to be oxtail. Pescaito frito, little fried fish, sometimes so small they could be considered fried fry (in which case they are illegal) is a delicacy among tapas. Seville has no wine-producing region of its own, but sherry and sherry-type wines are much liked, especially the very pale, dry, fino sherry or the more aromatic manzanilla from Sanlúcar. Beer drinkers wil find the local brew, Cruzcampo, quite satisfactory when served very cold, and much the same could be said about San Miguel, the other beer commonly found in Seville.

Moving Around. Most of Seville's points of interest are in its historic centre and you should not need to use the city's public transport much, if at all. However, Seville's bus company, Tussam, reaches most corners of the city, and if you need to go a little further afield, e.g. to Santiponce to see Itálica, the buses run by Seville's Transport Consortium, should serve. One of the advantages of the Sevilla Card is that it allows you to hop on and off the autobuses turísticos, tourist buses, as well as to use the Tussam buses if you specify "with public transport" when you acquire the card. Sightseeing ferries sail up and down the Guadalquivir departing from the Paseo Alcalde Marqués de Contadero below the Torre de Oro and are quite fun if you can bear the canned music (Carmen is all too popular). And Seville is a bicycle-friendly place, its lack of hills and slopes making pedalling a soft option (though its cobbles must sometimes make for a bumpy ride) - Cyclotour is a bicycle rental company with a stand near the Torre de Oro and another in the Parque María Luisa, the latter being for "cyclos," a kind of pedal powered car.

Places Nearby. You have the whole province of Seville to choose from. The nearest excursion is to Itálica, only 9 km away. Carmona, 40 km east of Seville, has a large Roman necropolis and a 15th century reproduction of the Giralda. Slightly larger, Utrera, 45 km south of Seville, is another historic city, and further away lie Ecija, Osuna or Lebrija.

Getting There. Seville has a splendid airport, built for the 1992 Expo, and if you are visiting from Barcelona or Valencia, Vueling operates really cheap flights. Otherwise, the journey from Madrid by the high-speed AVE train is memorable but expensive, and you will probably prefer to use the bus, or even fly to Málaga and get the bus from there (route operated by Alsina Graells, see under "Getting/Moving Around").

Seville Weather. Seville is sunny most of the year round. Its summers are extremely hot (see "When to Go," above) but, unlike the centre of Spain, its winters are mild (and sunny). Its precipitation levels are low, approaching zero in summer and not rising much above 3" (76 mm) even in December. The current weather below and the forecast linked to are courtesy of Weather Underground, so I cannot accept any responsibility for their accuracy.