Seville online ES · Seville city guide - Andalusia, Spain

Seville city guide - Andalusia, south of Spain

River and center of Seville, seen from the Triana quarter.

Seville is the capital of Andalusia, the southern region of Spain. It's a beautiful and historic city and it's a great destination for your holidays where sun, light, culture, history, folclore and outdoor life are all to be found under an intense blue and mostly cloudless sky.

The giralda tower is Seville's most emblematic monument.

Monuments of Seville city, Spain

Seville's main monuments are:

- the Cathedral of Seville

- the Giralda Tower

- the Alcazar palace and

- the Archive of the Indies

This group of monuments was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987

The gardens of the Royal Alcazar palace

Very popular as well is Plaza de España (the spanish square) in the María Luisa Park. In this area you can find many interesting buildings, reminders of the Latin American Exhibition which took place in Seville in 1929.
Plaza de España has been the scenery of episode II of George Lucas' STAR WARS.

You can also take a look at the Royal Tobacco Factory where the famous story of Carmen (by Bizet) took place. Now it is the main building of the university of Seville.

Situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, the Torre del Oro is a building of arabic origin (C. XIII) which once formed part of the city walls. Due to it's close links with spanish maritime history, it was chosen as the site of the Naval Museum. This tower marks the entrance to the Arenal district; the bullfight sector of Seville. Here you can find one of the most emblematic bullrings of Spain, the Real Maestranza de Caballería bullring of Seville .

Popular districts of Seville, Spain

In the center of Seville, Spain can be found more well-known streets such as Sierpes or Campana, as well as numerous churches, hospitals and renaissance and baroque palaces. Moreover in the Macarena district you can find the Alameda de Hércules, the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas (site of the Parliament of Andalucia), the Basilica of the Macarena and the San Lorenzo Church. The latter house two statues revered by the people of Seville: la Virgen de la Esperanza and Jésus del Gran Poder, celebrated during the processions in Semana Santa.

Another of the more traditional districts of Seville is that of Triana, on the other side of the river. Its profound maritime tradition can be seen in the streets Pureza, Betis or Alfarería and in Plaza del Altozano.

The Isla de la Cartuja is situated on this bank of the river, where bulidings remaining from the The 1992 Univeral Exhibition add to the existing historical monuments of the Cartuja and the Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art.

The city of Seville has a rich history due to former Arab occupation and it's role as a prosperous commercial port at the time of colonization of the Americas. The many streets and squares of the Andalusian capital ooze fun and energy and there is an interesting mix of UNESCO World Heritage buildings and typical districts such as Triana or La Macarena.

The province of Seville, Spain

In the province of Seville there are several nice historic towns that are well worth a visit. Most recomendable and closest to Seville is Carmona, at only 32 km. on the route to Cordoba. Other typical towns are Écija (halfway to Cordoba as well), Marchena or Utrera.

To the north of Seville you find the only nature park of the province, conveniently called: Sierra norte de Sevilla nature park. It is the continuation of La Sierra de Aracena y picos de Aroche nature park, that lies to the west in the province of Huelva. To the east it continues in the province of Córdoba as la Sierra de Hornachuelos first and next la Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro.

Map of Seville city enter

monuments, hotels and apartments in Seville

Seville tourism and holidays essentials

Seville airport (SVQ) - flights to and from Seville

Online bookings in Seville and Andalusia
hotels and accommodations listings for Seville

Seville monuments

• The Giralda tower
• The Cathedral
• The Alcazar palace
• The archive of the Indies
• Plaza de España

Traditional celebrations in Seville

• Semana santa - Holy week (easter)
  2012: March 30 - April 08
• Feria de Sevilla - Seville April fair
  2012: April 23 - 29
  

Bars and restaurants in Seville, Spain

If there is something not too little of in Seville, it's definitely (tapa)bars, terraces and restaurants. In the historic center there is probably no radius of a 100 meters that does not contain a public drinking or eating establishment. In some areas the concentration is so high you can see, in one glance, over a dozen, like on the Alameda de Hércules, in the Santa Cruz, Triana or Alfalfa districts.

El Rinconcillo, the oldest bar of Seville (1670)

Shopping in Seville Spain

In the bustling old town you will find the main shoping area with shops of all kinds. In Plaza Nueva and the pedestrian zone in and around Sierpes and Tetuán Streets there are highstreet shops and department stores as well shops selling souvenirs, crafts, leather goods, guitars, flamenco outfits, fans and embroidery.
On the other side of the river in the narrow streets of Triana there are numerous specialist ceramic shops.

Museums in Seville, Spain

The interesting Flamenco Museum provides the key to understanding the magical world of flamenco dancing. A visit to this museum is an essential for any visitor to Seville, for those who want to know more about Andalusian culture, those who want to understand and experience flamenco dancing, tourists and Andalusians alike. The museum is promoted by flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos.

Museums, art galleries, theme parks, cinemas, theatres and night clubs are only a few of the infinite possibilities that a large city like Seville can offer. Not forgetting the city's most tasty and oldest passtime: 'el tapeo'; which involves going for drinks and snacks (tapas) in various bars.

Visit Andalusia, southern Spain >>>

Coastline and beaches of Andalusia

• Costa de la Luz - provinces of Huelva and Cadiz
• Costa del SOL - Málaga
• Costa Tropical - Granada
• Costa de Almería

Monuments in Andalusia

• The Cathedral - Sevilla
• The Alcazar Palace - Sevilla
• Plaza de España - Sevilla
• The Mezquita/Mosque - Córdoba
• The Alhambra palace - Granada

Nature parks and reserves in Andalusia

• Sierra Norte de Sevilla nature reserve - Seville
• Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche nature reserve - Huelva
• Grazalema nature reserve - Cadiz
• Los Alcornocales nature reserve - Cadiz
• Sierra de las Nieves nature reserve - Malaga
• El Torcal de Antequera natural site - Malaga
• Sierra Nevada national park - Granada
• La Alpuljarra natural site - Granada
• Cardeña y Montoro nature reserve - Cordoba
• Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas nature reserve - Jaen
• Cabo de Gata nature reserve - Almería

Airports in Andalusia

• Seville airport San Pablo (SVQ)
• Málaga/Costa del SOL Airport (AGP)
  About 220 km south from Seville
• Jerez/Costa de la Luz Airport (XRY)
  About 90 west from Seville
• Granada-Jaen Airport (GRX)
  About 240 km east from Seville

Seville's yearly April Fair