Seville

Seville (Spanish: Sevilla) is Andalusia's capital. With heritage from the Arabs and from the Age of Discovery, as well as the flamenco scene, Seville is a diverse destination. Tourist facilities are top-notch and the city is buzzing with festivals, color and a thriving nightlife scene.

Understand
With more than 685,000 inhabitants (2021), and 1.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is Spain's fourth-largest city, dominating southern Spain.

The smooth, slow Guadalquivir River flows through Seville, known as Betis by the Romans and as Betik Wahd-Al-Khabir by the Arabs. Since it is hard to navigate upstream from Seville, the cereal-producing region starts here, and Seville has been a busy port from Roman times, under Muslim rule, and exploding during the Age of Discovery. As the monopoly was broken and Cádiz largely took Seville's place, the city entered a period of relative decline.

In the 19th century Seville gained a reputation for its architecture and culture and was a stop along the Romantic "Grand Tour" of Europe. Seville has built on its tourism industry since, playing host to the International Exposition in 1992, which spurred the construction of a new airport, a new train station, a bullet train link to Madrid, new bridges and improvements to the main boulevards.

For classical music buffs, Seville is the setting of many famous operas over the years, such as Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, Beethoven's Fidelio, Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia and Bizet's Carmen.

By plane
Ryanair flies from some 50 destinations (some seasonal) within Spain, across Europe (especially from Italy, Germany, UK and Ireland), and from Morocco. Iberia, Vueling and other carriers fly from Madrid, Mallorca, Asturias, Bilbao, Barcelona, Valencia, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Melilla in Spanish North Africa, and other European cities. It's only worth flying here from Madrid if you have a connecting flight, as the trains from the capital are so fast.

Getting there/away:
 * Tussam Bus EA (for "Especial Aeropuerto") runs daily every 15 min from 05:00 to 00:30. One-way ticket €5, same-day round trip €6 (March 2024). buy tickets from ticket machines next to the bus stop or on the bus. It runs from outside Arrivals, down Av de Kansas City to the main railway station, then loops with four stops around the south edge of city centre to the main bus station at Plaza de Armas. Total journey 35 min.
 * Ride apps Use the local Cabify app, Uber or Bolt. Their designated pick-up area is on the ground level of the parking garage right next to the left outside of arrivals.


 * Taxis to the town centre really shouldn't cost more than €25 for two of you, though they'll make out it's more today for the fiesta of St Strabismus and because your luggage is left-handed. However, taxi fares are officially regulated.

Jerez de la Frontera Airport is south of Seville and can be reached in 1 hour driving. Other airports around are in Faro and Málaga.

By train
AVE trains blur across Spain hourly from Madrid Puerta de Atocha, taking 2 hr 40 min to Seville via Ciudad Real, Puertollano and Cordoba. From Malaga its a single train ticket, with a stop to reverse direction in Cordoba. Travel from Jaen, Granada and Algeciras (for Morocco) usually means a change. Travel time from Cordoba is normally under 50 min, but an occasional slow train takes 1 hr 40 min and continues to Jerez de la Frontera and Cadiz. There are no trains across the nearby border with Portugal.

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. Public transportation works fine in the city, and most of the main tourist points are walking distance, so it is recommended finding a lodging with a garage or else researching the area for parking places before the trip.

Driving in the old city is tricky but possible.

There is very cheap parking available across the street from Av. de Málaga, 12. The lot is unguarded and if there is no agent in the booth then the entrance to the lot is free of charge. Do not give money to the panhandlers loitering outside pretending they are lot attendants. If they have not receipt to give you then its a scam. Be sure leave absolutely nothing in the car. Seville in general is known for car break-ins.

Another very common option is using carpooling such as BlaBlaCar, a safe transportation method used by many locals.

By bus


There are direct buses from Madrid (six daily, 6 hr), Valencia (two daily, 12 hr), Córdoba (six daily, 2 hr), Granada (hourly, 3 hr), Malaga (six daily, 3 hr), Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera (hourly, 1 hr, as part of longer TGM lines to Cartagena, Almeria and Granada), and from Portugal four daily from Faro (2 hr 15 min) and Lisbon (7 hr).



Buses may also run to (or call at) the railway station. The airport bus calls at all three stations.

Buy in advance (online or at the station) especially at busy times, as buses can sell out. Bus companies:
 * Alsa
 * Damas
 * Socibus
 * Flixbus
 * Royal Express
 * Rede Expressos

On foot
Walking is the best option for sight-seeing: Seville is a large city but the points of interest are in the compact old centre. Strolling and coming across fine old churches, charming cafes and hidden plazas is part of the experience of being here.

By bus
Buses run frequently and cover the majority of the city in their routes. You can either pay the €1.40 single fare price or purchase a rechargeable card named bonobus. The minimum recharge is €7 plus €1.50 as a deposit. With the card the fare is €0.35 or €0.38 including a transfer. Bonobuses can be bought at most kiosks and tabacarias (tobacco shops). Regular service is kept until around 23:30, after which night buses run, with different routes, on the hour until 02:00

The Hop-on-Hop-off bus service is available in Seville for €26 (March 2024). It has 14 stops on both sides of the river. Great for a multilingual overview for first time visitors.

By scooter
Scooters are available for rent for €30 for the day and €120 for the week. These are a cost-efficient way of getting around and a driver's license is not necessary.

By tram
Trams run from Prado de San Sebastian at the south end of the centre, up Av de la Constitución past the cathedral, to end at Plaza Nueva. So it's barely 2 km of track, through an area that you'll probably prefer to walk. Extension west to Triana and north to the railway station may happen in some indefinite mañana.

By metro
You are unlikely to use it as it does not run near the old town, or other sights or accommodation. Its sole line follows an arch, from the southwest burbs to south end of city centre stopping at Plaza de Cuba, Prado de San Sebastian and San Bernardo, then out to the southeast burbs. It runs Su-Th 06:30-23:00, until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are €1.30 for a single zone or €4.50 for all 3 zones unlimited trips.

By taxi or ride-app
Taxis are easily accessible throughout the city. Many offer decent rates, but some cabbies are crooked. If in doubt, use the local app Cabify to order one via app. Uber and Bolt are also widely available.

By bicycle

 * Sevici bikes are a system of automated bike rentals with stations all over town. You need to install the smartphone app, pay €10 for the week, and can use any bike that's available. You drop it off at the station nearest to where you're going. Once you're registered, trips of 30 minutes or less are free. If you go over 30 minutes, it's €1 for the 1st hour, €2 for each additional hour. Seville is building many bike paths: one pleasant route covers most of the east bank of the river.



Landmarks



 * Barrio Santa Cruz is the old Jewish Quarter, the winding narrow lanes just east of the cathedral and north of Alcázar. It's the most charming part of the city, with lots of bars and eating places, but it's also the most touristy.
 * Barrio Santa Cruz is the old Jewish Quarter, the winding narrow lanes just east of the cathedral and north of Alcázar. It's the most charming part of the city, with lots of bars and eating places, but it's also the most touristy.

Museums and galleries

 * Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo on the west side of the river hosts modern art in an interesting building. Free or low cost.
 * Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo on the west side of the river hosts modern art in an interesting building. Free or low cost.
 * Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo on the west side of the river hosts modern art in an interesting building. Free or low cost.
 * Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo on the west side of the river hosts modern art in an interesting building. Free or low cost.

Sevilla Card
The Sevilla Card is designed to aid city exploration and save you money. The card includes free admission to most Seville museums and monuments, unlimited use of public transportation (TUSSAM Buslines, but only for Cards with Public Transport), a guided visit of the Real Alcazar of Seville, unlimited use of sightseeing buses, boat rides on the Guadalquivir river and admission to the Isla Mágica Theme Park. The card also allows access to significant discounts in shops, restaurants, shows and leisure centres for adults and children. The Sevilla Card is accompanied by a guide and city map. However, the Sevilla Card cannot be used for trams and buses.

The Sevilla card comes in three denominations of 1, 2 or 3 days’ duration in blocks of 24 hours from the time of first activation when inserted into the electronic validation terminal of the suppliers associated with the Sevilla Card Programme (be careful not to activate too soon).

Prices: 1 day €50 (with transport €53), 2 days €60 (with transport €66), 3 days €65 (with transport €72). The 2- and 3-day options attract a discount of €3 per card when purchased on the website.

The Sevilla Card can be purchased by the following means: online ticketbar; by ; and, once in Seville, at tourism offices, the airport, the train station, travel agencies and through national and international tour operators (check the website for addresses).

A less expensive version, the Sevilla Card Cultura, is valid only for museums (1 day €28, 2 days €32, 3 days €36). 5% less if purchased online.

Do



 * Cruises, an hour in duration, leave from beneath the Torre del Oro and travel a circuit on the Guadalquivir river.
 * 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 carriage rides in the heat of the day in summer.

Flamenco
Flamenco is very popular in Spain and is not just for tourists; however finding the right place is hard. Poke around the neighbourhood of El Arenal, following the sounds of flamenco music to find a place.



Sport and outdoor activities

 * Football: Seville has two soccer teams playing in La Liga, Spain's top tier.
 * 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.
 * Skydive Spain are based at La Juliana Airfield 15 km southwest of the city.
 * 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.
 * Skydive Spain are based at La Juliana Airfield 15 km southwest of the city.
 * Skydive Spain are based at La Juliana Airfield 15 km southwest of the city.

Learn
Take some Spanish classes or do activities in Spanish to get in touch with the locals.



Buy
Seville is home to many beautiful artifacts, some of the more popularly known are plates and Spanish tiles. Triana offers many ceramic factories where one can buy various tiles from authentic craftsmen. 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 artisan fairs throughout the city.


 * 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 behind the Alcampo shopping centre 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 flea market, selling clothes, furniture, trash, books, shoes, CDs, food, tools, and probably everything else just northwest of Triana near Avenida Carlos III (off of the left-hand side of most tourist maps).

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 who has at least 4 separate stores in Seville). The winding streets and alleyways of the Santa Cruz area (around the Cathedral) do a roaring trade in Spanish- and Andalusian-themed T-shirts and inexpensive flamenco dresses for little girls. The Corte Ingles (translated literally to "The English Cut") is a large chain of department stores throughout Spain selling clothes in the "American style".


 * Toro de Fuego, Hernando Colon, 38 local 3, . 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.
 * Bershka, Popular with the younger generation, Bershka has significant presence due to their clothing line with a distinct urban, or street culture feel.
 * Blanco is particularly popular with young women in Spain and Europe. The trendy and free designs are colourful, comfortable and affordable.
 * El Corte Inglés, The main building in Plaza del Duque has several floors of clothing. The same for the Nervión Plaza location outside the historic centre.
 * Massimo Dutti, Men's and women's fashion chain caters to a more modern feel of clothing. The designs are formal but quite trendy and utilize excellent fabrics with urban and cosmopolitan details.
 * Stradivarius, Known for its original, constantly changing fashion, the designs follow the latest trends in clothing and accessories.
 * Zapatos de baile flamenco and Roberto Garrudo, Flamenco and equestrian fashion accessories since 1970 fashion. C/ Córdodoba 9.

Eat
Seville, like most Andalusian destinations, is known for its tapas. "Tapa", while it is associated with certain dishes, is actually a size and many restaurants or bars will offer a tapa, media ración (half serving, although sometimes enough to make a meal) and ración (serving) of the same dish. There are many great tapas places around the foot of the cathedral in the centre of town. You can't go wrong; simply order one of everything to find your favourite! Some typical tapas include tortilla española (potato omelet), pulpo gallego (Galician octopus), aceitunas (olives), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), and queso manchego (sheep's milk cheese from the region of La Mancha in central Spain). Also be sure to try the jamón (ham), which you often see hanging above the bar. Most of the restaurants kitchens do not open before 20:30 in the evening. Though usually some easy to prepare meals are available before that time.

As the quality of food is considered of a great importance in Seville, most local bars will have very good food at a low price. For an authentic and interesting meal, stop at one of the many bars, especially one which doesn't offer English menus (the prices are likely to be lower!).

Some bars near the river, such as Pedalquivir and El Faro de Triana, offer a nice view but aren't as good of a deal in terms of the quality of the food. Another would be El Patio San Eloy (San Eloy 9, Sevilla) where the tapas can be a little hit and miss, but where the cool staggered seating steps, fabulous décor and fruity sangria; provide a wonderful respite from the heat of the day.

A good deal can more easily be had at less characteristic places such as Sloppy Joe's Pizza Inn and Papasá.

If you would like to purchase your own food, head down to one of the markets close to the centre of the city, such as in Plaza Encarnación. El Corte Inglés is a larger more popular department store that you can go to for almost every need.

Don't eat the oranges from the trees on the street, they have been sprayed to repel birds and taste awful.

If you're vegetarian, make sure you specify that you eat no fish or tuna as vegetarian only implies no meat here.

The supermarkets M.A.S. and Dia are two very popular grocery stores and have everything you need for much less money than El Corte Ingles. Additionally, Dia has its own discount brand on a lot of items. Though they are closed on Sundays (like most everything else in Sevilla) they are found throughout the city and are very easily accessible.

Budget
All these are in the Old Town:



Drink
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 07:00. There you can find plenty of open-air discothèques. Other nightlife spots include Calle Betis in Triana, La Alamede de Hércules, and Plaza Alfalfa.


 * There are quite a few teterias in Triana across the river offering teas, shakes and middle eastern pastries in a cozy cushion filled environment.
 * Across from the cathedral sits a coffee shop called Cafe de Indias where you can buy delicious chocolate shakes and coffees. Down the street is a patisserie shop selling chocolate covered palmeras, a wonderful afternoon treat after a long day touring the sites. There are many coffee shops and patisserie shops in Seville, particularly in Calle Asunción in Los Remedios. Café de Indias, Starbucks and other franchises have descended lately on the city and are a good option in an emergency, but you can get a decent coffee in most local bars. For an up-market classic, visit La Campana, at the end of calle Sierpes.
 * Don't miss Cervecería La Internacional, one of the best beer shops in Spain. More than 250 types of beer, wonderful tapas and good connections. It's in Calle Barcelona, 1 minute away from Plaza Nueva, near the Town Hall. However, do not get confused, it is international, meaning, not typically Sevillano.
 * Sangría (an alcoholic fruit punch) is often sought by tourists, but Tinto de Verano (a mix of red wine and lemon or orange soda) is more authentic, has less alcohol, and is often cheaper.
 * Cruzcampo, the local beer, is worth trying. Compared to other Spaniards, Sevillanos consume more beer and less wine.
 * The tap water in Seville is good.
 * Agua de Sevilla is sometimes thought of as a popular drink in Seville, but you will never see a person from Seville drinking it, despite all the tourists drinking it as if it were something popular.

Most cafés or cafeterías in Sevilla serve slightly longer shots of darkly roasted coffee, and even cortado is quite large compared to what one might expect to get e.g. in Valencia. Speciality coffee connoisseurs will probably prefer one of the cafés serving single-origin or organic coffee:

Sleep
Most places have air conditioning but be sure to ask in summer, you'll need it. You will probably pass the siesta (early afternoon) in your room to escape the heat.

Sevillanos are well-known for their nightlife so if you don't plan to be out at all hours yourself, then seek accommodation on a street without lots of bars and restaurants, or ask for a room set back from the street.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Seville has 5G from Orange and Vodafone, and 4G from Masmovil / Yoigo and Movistar.

Local administration runs a free (1 hr) internet cafe right next to the tourist office in the centre. Alternatively, most coffee places and certain bars will have Internet connection free for customers. If the Internet connection is a priority, make sure you ask about it before sitting. Also, chains like McDonalds, Starbucks or Cafe de Indias offer Internet access.

Internet can also be accessed in cyber-cafes or "locutorios". In these businesses, you can have access to a computer and an Internet connection, paying by the minute or hour. They are not so prevalent nowadays, due to the pervasiveness of hand-held devices with Internet access, but they can be still found in some locations:



Consulates

 * There are also consulates in the city for Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Morocco, Portugal and Sweden.

Go next

 * Sierra de Aracena. Towards the North West of Sevilla, it is one of the most famous places for Jamón in Spain and full of lovely small villages to discover. Great for walking around, eating and exploring this Natural Park. There are numerous buses from Plaza de Armas Bus Station.
 * Sierra Norte. Towards the North of Sevilla, it makes for a nice change from the monotonous landscape of the Guadalquivir Valley. It is an area of steep relief, olive groves, and deep river valleys. Deer, wild boar and other large animals are often seen from the car. The area is well known for its cured meats.
 * Cordoba: remarkable old city with its moorish Mezquita, white-walled Jewish quarter and Medina Azahara archeological site; less than an hour by train.
 * Granada has the must-see Alhambra palace and gardens.
 * Cádiz has an attractive old town, the seaport that Christopher Columbus sailed from. It's easily reached by train or car.
 * Huelva. Discovering a 19th-century British town in the middle of this Andalusian city is definitely remarkable. Huelva has an interesting history. Columbus left from Puerto de Palos and La Rabida Monastery, where he spent a few months it is well worth the visit. The wide and white beaches around, like Punta Umbria or Islantilla are also a good reason to visit and try fresh fish. Buses from Damas Bus Company every hour from Plaza de Armas Bus Station.
 * Italica. A partially excavated Roman city, only a brief bus ride from Seville 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.
 * Madrid: the buzzing capital is less than 3 hours away by train.