Flamboyant Sevilla (seh-VEE-yah) thrums with flamenco music, sizzles in the summer heat, and pulses with the passion of Don Juan and Carmen. It’s a place where bullfighting is still politically correct and little girls still dream of growing up to become flamenco dancers. While Granada has the great Alhambra and Córdoba has the remarkable Mezquita, Sevilla has a soul. (Soul—or duende—is fundamental to flamenco.) It’s a wonderful-to-be-alive-in kind of place.
The gateway to the New World in the 16th century, Sevilla boomed when Spain did. The explorers Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan sailed from its great river harbor, discovering new trade routes and abundant sources of gold, silver, cocoa, and tobacco. In the 17th century, Sevilla was Spain’s largest and wealthiest city. Local artists Diego Velázquez, Bartolomé Murillo, and Francisco de Zurbarán made it a cultural center. Sevilla’s Golden Age—and its New World riches—ended when the harbor silted up and the Spanish empire crumbled.
In the 19th century, Sevilla was a big stop on the Romantic “Grand Tour” of Europe. To build on this tourism and promote trade among Spanish-speaking nations, Sevilla planned a grand exposition in 1929. Bad year. The expo crashed along with the stock market. In 1992 Sevilla got a second chance at a world’s fair. This expo was a success, leaving the city with an impressive infrastructure: a new airport, a train station, sleek bridges, and the super AVE bullet train (making Sevilla a 2.5-hour side-trip from Madrid). In 2007, the main boulevards—once thundering with noisy traffic and mercilessly cutting the city in two—were pedestrianized, dramatically enhancing Sevilla’s already substantial charm.
Today, Spain’s fourth-largest city (pop. 704,000) is Andalucía’s leading destination, buzzing with festivals, color, guitars, castanets, and street life, and enveloped in the fragrances of orange trees, jacaranda, and myrtle. James Michener wrote, “Sevilla doesn’t have ambience, it is ambience.” Sevilla also has its share of impressive sights. Its cathedral is Spain’s largest. The Alcázar is a fantastic royal palace and garden ornamented with Mudejar (Islamic) flair. But the real magic is the city itself, with its tangled former Jewish Quarter, riveting flamenco shows, thriving bars, and teeming evening paseo.
On a three-week trip, spend two nights and two days here. On even the shortest Spanish trip, I’d zip here on the slick AVE train for a day trip from Madrid. With more time, if ever there was a Spanish city to linger in, it’s Sevilla.
The major sights are few and simple for a city of this size. The cathedral and the Alcázar are worth about three hours, and a wander through the Santa Cruz district takes about an hour. You could spend half a day touring Sevilla’s other sights. Stroll along the bank of the Guadalquivir River and cross Isabel II Bridge (also known as the Bridge of Triana) for a view of the cathedral and Torre del Oro. An evening here is essential for the paseo and a flamenco show. Stay up at least once until midnight (or later) to appreciate Sevilla on a warm night—one of its major charms.
Bullfights take place on most Sundays in May and June, on Easter and Corpus Christi, daily through the April Fair, and in late September. The Museo de Bellas Artes is closed on Monday. Tour groups clog the Alcázar and cathedral in the morning; go late in the day to avoid the lines.
Córdoba is a convenient and worthwhile side-trip from Sevilla, or a handy stopover if you’re taking the AVE to or from Madrid.
For the tourist, this big city is small. The bull’s-eye on your map should be the cathedral and its Giralda Bell Tower, which can be seen from all over town. Nearby are Sevilla’s other major sights, the Alcázar (palace and gardens) and the lively Santa Cruz district. The central north-south pedestrian boulevard, Avenida de la Constitución (with TIs, banks, a post office, and other services), stretches north a few blocks to Plaza Nueva, gateway to the shopping district. A few blocks west of the cathedral are the bullring and the Guadalquivir River, while Plaza de España is a few blocks south. Triana, the area on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River, is working-class and colorful, but lacks tourist sights. With most sights walkable, and taxis so friendly, easy, and affordable, I rarely bother with the bus.
Sevilla is an easy city to get turned around in. Be aware that city maps from the tourist office are oriented with north to the left, while this book’s maps put north on top.
Sevilla has tourist offices wherever you need them—at the airport (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 9:30-15:00, tel. 954-782-035), train station (overlooking tracks 6-7, Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 9:30-15:00, tel. 954-782-003), and in central locations near Avenida de la Constitución: near the river side of the Alcázar (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 9:30-15:00, Avenida de la Constitución 21, tel. 954-787-578); and across the small square from the cathedral entrance (Mon-Sat 10:30-14:30 & 15:30-19:30, Sun 10:30-14:30, Plaza del Triunfo, tel. 954-210-005). Another TI, near Plaza Nueva, will likely move to a new location sometime in 2013 (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 10:00-14:00, across from City Hall at north end of Plaza de San Francisco, tel. 955-471-232, free Internet access for one hour at certain times—see “Helpful Hints,” later).
At any TI, ask for the city map, the English-language magazines Welcome Olé and The Tourist, and a current listing of sights with opening times. The free monthly events guide—El Giraldillo, written in Spanish basic enough to be understood by travelers—covers cultural events throughout Andalucía, with a focus on Sevilla. The Alcázar and airport TIs cover all of Andalucía as well as Sevilla; if you stop at one of these, ask for information you might need for elsewhere in the region (for example, if heading south, ask for the free Route of the White Towns brochure and a Jerez map). Helpful websites are www.turismosevilla.org and www.andalucia.org.
Sightseeing Pass: The Sevilla Card (sold at the ICONOS shop next to the Alcázar TI, Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-19:00; or at the train station’s hotel room-finding booth overlooking track 11) covers admission to most of Sevilla’s sights (including the cathedral, Alcázar, Flamenco Dance Museum, Basílica de la Macarena, Bullfight Museum, and more), and gives discounts at some hotels and restaurants. It’s doubtful whether any but the busiest sightseer would save much money using the card (€33/24 hours—includes choice of 2 museums and river cruise; €53/48 hours—includes all sights and choice of river cruise or bus tour; €71/72 hours or €77/120 hours—includes all sights plus cruise and bus tour; www.sevillacard.es). If you’re over 65, keep in mind that even without the Sevilla Card, you’ll get into the Alcázar and the cathedral almost free.
By Train: Trains arrive at the sublime Santa Justa station, with banks, ATMs, and a TI. Baggage storage (cosigna) is below track 1 (€3-5/day depending on size of bag, security checkpoint open 6:00-24:00). The TI overlooks tracks 6-7. If you don’t have a hotel room reserved, the room-finding booth above track 11 can help; you can also get maps and other tourist information here if the TI line is long (Mon-Fri 10:00-20:30, Sat 10:00-14:30 & 16:30-20:30, Sun 9:30-14:30). The plush little AVE Sala Club, designed for business travelers, welcomes those with a first-class AVE ticket and reservation (across the main hall from track 1).
The town center is marked by the ornate Giralda Bell Tower, peeking above the apartment flats (visible from the front of the station—with your back to the tracks, it’s at 1 o’clock). To get into the center, it’s a flat and boring 25-minute walk (longer if you get lost) or about a €5 taxi ride. By city bus, it’s a short ride on #C1 to the El Prado bus station (€1.30, pay driver, find bus stop 100 yards in front of the train station), then a 10-minute walk.
By Bus: Sevilla’s two major bus stations both have information offices, basic eateries, and baggage storage. The El Prado station covers most of Andalucía (daily 7:00-22:00, information tel. 954-417-111, no English spoken; baggage storage/consigna at the far end of station—€2/day, daily 9:00-21:00). From the bus station to downtown (and Barrio Santa Cruz hotels), it’s about a 10-minute walk: Exit the station to the right, and cross the busy street at the big roundabout. Turn right and keep the fenced-in gardens on your left. At the end of the fence, duck left through the Murillo Gardens and into the heart of Barrio Santa Cruz (use the color map in the front of this book to navigate). To cut a few minutes off the walk—or to reach the hotels near Plaza Nueva—take the city’s short tram from the El Prado station (€1.30, buy ticket at machine before boarding; ride it two stops to Archivo de Indias to reach the cathedral area, or three stops to Plaza Nueva).
The Plaza de Armas station (near the river, opposite the Expo ’92 site) serves long-distance destinations such as Madrid, Barcelona, Lagos, and Lisbon. Ticket counters line one wall, an information kiosk is in the center, and at the end of the hall are luggage lockers (€3.50/day). As you exit onto the main road (Calle Arjona), the bus stop is to the left, in front of the taxi stand (bus #C4 goes downtown, €1.30, pay driver, get off at Puerta de Jerez near main TI). Taxis to downtown cost around €5.
By Car: To drive into Sevilla, follow centro ciudad (city center) signs and stay along the river. For short-term parking on the street, the riverside Paseo de Cristóbal Colón has two-hour meters and hardworking thieves. Ignore the bogus traffic wardens who direct you to an illegal spot, take a tip, and disappear later when your car gets towed. For long-term parking, hotels charge as much as a normal garage. For simplicity, I’d just park at a central garage (€15-20/day) and catch a taxi to my hotel. Try the big one under the bus station at Plaza de Armas, the Cristóbal Colón garage by the bullring and river, the Plaza Nueva garage on Albareda, or the one at Avenida Roma/Puerta de Jerez (cash only). For hotels in the Santa Cruz area, the handiest parking is the Cano y Cueto garage near the corner of Calle Santa María la Blanca and Menéndez Pelayo (open 24/7, at edge of big park, unsigned and underground).
By Plane: The Especial Aeropuerto (EA) bus connects Sevilla’s San Pablo Airport with the train station and town center, terminating south of the Alcázar gardens on Avenida Carlos V (€2.40, 2/hour, 30 minutes, buy ticket from driver). If you’re going from downtown Sevilla to the airport, ask your hotelier or the TI where to catch the bus; the stop is usually on Avenida Carlos V by the Portugal Pavilion but can change because of religious processions, construction, and other factors. (The return bus also stops at the Santa Justa train station and the El Prado bus station.) To taxi into town, go to one of the airport’s taxi stands to ensure a fixed rate (€22 by day, €24 at night and on weekends, €29 during Easter week, extra for luggage, confirm price with the driver before your journey). For flight information, call 954-449-000 (airport code: SVQ, www.aena-aeropuertos.es).
Most visitors have a full and fun experience in Sevilla without ever riding public transportation. The city center is compact, and most of the major sights are within easy walking distance (the Basílica de la Macarena is a notable exception). On a hot day, air-conditioned buses can be a blessing.
By Taxi: Sevilla is a great taxi town. You can hail one anywhere, or find them parked by major intersections and sights (weekdays: €1.26 drop rate, €0.87/kilometer, €3.43 minimum; Sat-Sun, weekends, and nights between 21:00 and 7:00: €1.53 drop rate, €1.07/kilometer, €4.29 minimum; calling for a cab adds about €2-3. A quick daytime ride in town will be at or around the €3.43 minimum. Although I’m quick to take advantage of a taxi, thanks to one-way streets and traffic congestion it’s often just as fast to hoof it between central points.
By Bus, Tram, and Metro: Due to ongoing construction projects in the city center, bus routes often change. It’s best to check with your hotel or the TI for the latest updates.
A single trip on any form of city transit costs €1.30. You can also buy a Tarjeta Multiviajes card that’s rechargeable and shareable (€6.40 for 10 trips without transfers, €7 with transfers, €1.50 deposit, buy at kiosks; for transit details, see www.tussam.es).
The various #C buses, which are handiest for tourists, make circular routes through town (note that all of them eventually wind up at Basílica de La Macarena). For all buses, buy your ticket from the driver. The #C3 stops at Murillo Gardens, Triana (district on the west bank of the river), then La Macarena. The #C4 goes the opposite direction without entering Triana. And the spunky little #C5 is a minibus that winds through the old center of town, including Plaza del Salvador, Plaza de San Francisco, the bullring, Plaza Nueva, the Museo de Bellas Artes, La Campana, and La Macarena, providing a fine and relaxing joyride that also connects some farther-flung sights.
A new tram (tramvia) makes just a few stops in the heart of the city, but can save you a bit of walking. Buy your ticket at the machine on the platform before you board, then tap it on the card reader in the tram (runs every 6-7 minutes until 1:45 in the morning). The handiest stops include (from south to north) Prado San Sebastián (El Prado Bus station), Puerta Jerez (the south end of Avenida de la Constitución), Archivo de Indias (next to the cathedral), and Plaza Nueva. Eventually the tram will reach the Santa Justa train station.
Sevilla also has a brand-new underground metro, but tourists won’t need to use it. It’s designed to connect the suburbs with the center and is only partially finished.
Festivals: Sevilla’s peak season is April and May, and it has two one-week festival periods when the city is packed: Holy Week and April Fair.
While Holy Week (Semana Santa) is big all over Spain, it’s biggest in Sevilla. It’s held the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday (March 24-30 in 2013). Locals start preparing for the big event up to a year in advance. What would normally be a five-minute walk can take an hour and a half if a procession crosses your path. But even these hassles seem irrelevant as you listen to the saetas (spontaneous devotional songs) and let the spirit of the festival take over.
Then, after Easter—after taking enough time off to catch its communal breath—Sevilla holds its April Fair (April 16-21 in 2013). This is a celebration of all things Andalusian, with plenty of eating, drinking, singing, and merrymaking (though most of the revelry takes place in private parties at a large fairground).
Book rooms well in advance for these festival times. Prices can go sky-high, many hotels have four-night minimums, and food quality at touristy restaurants can plummet.
Internet Access: Almost every hotel in town has Wi-Fi, and many also have Internet terminals or loaner laptops for guests to use. The city itself is fairly Wi-Fi friendly. Find free Wi-Fi on the new tram, at the Museo de Bellas Artes, and in the Plaza de la Encarnación, among other public spaces. The TI near Plaza Nueva (close to City Hall, at north end of Plaza de San Francisco) offers up to one hour of free Internet access at eight terminals, as well as free Wi-Fi (Internet available only Mon-Fri 10:00-14:00 & 17:00-20:00, none Sat-Sun; this TI will likely move to a new location in 2013).
Post Office: The post office is at Avenida de la Constitución 32, across from the cathedral (Mon-Fri 8:30-20:30, Sat 9:30-14:00, closed Sun).
Laundry: Lavandería Roma offers quick and economical drop-off service (€6/load wash-and-dry, Mon-Fri 10:00-14:00 & 17:30-20:30, Sat 9:00-14:00, closed Sun, 2 blocks inland from bullring at Castelar 2, tel. 954-210-535). Near the recommended Santa Cruz hotels, La Segunda Vera Tintorería has two machines for self-service (€10/load wash-and-dry, €10/load drop-off service, Mon-Fri 9:30-14:00 & 17:30-20:30, Sat 10:00-13:30, closed Sun, about a block from the eastern edge of Santa Cruz at Avenida Menéndez Pelayo 11, tel. 954-536-376).
Bike Rental: Sevilla is an extremely biker-friendly city, with designated bike lanes and a public bike-sharing program (€11 one-week subscription, first 30 minutes of each ride free, €1-2 for each subsequent hour, www.sevici.es). Ask the TI about this and other bicycle rental options.
Train Tickets: For schedules and tickets, visit the RENFE Travel Center at the train station (daily 8:00-22:00, take a number and wait, tel. 902-320-320 for reservations and info) or the one near Plaza Nueva in the center (Mon-Fri 9:30-13:30 & 17:30-19:30, Sat 10:00-13:00, closed Sun, Calle Zaragoza 29, tel. 954-211-455). You can also check schedules at www.renfe.com. Many travel agencies sell train tickets; look for a train sticker in agency windows.
Warning: You may encounter women thrusting sprigs of rosemary into the hands of passersby, grunting, “Toma! Es un regalo!” (“Take it! It’s a gift!”). If you take one of these sprigs, you’ll be harassed for money in return. Just walk on by if you are approached.
Guided City Walks by Concepción—Concepción Delgado, an enthusiastic teacher who’s a joy to listen to, takes small groups on English-language walks. Using me as her guinea pig, Concepción has designed a fine two-hour Sevilla Cultural Show & Tell. This introduction to her hometown, sharing important insights the average visitor misses, is worthwhile even on a one-day visit (€15/person, minimum 4 people, Feb-July and Sept-Dec Mon-Sat at 10:30; Jan and Aug on Mon, Wed, and Fri only; meet at statue in Plaza Nueva).
For those wanting to really understand the city’s two most important sights—which are tough to fully appreciate—Concepción also offers in-depth tours of the cathedral and the Alcázar (both tours last 1.25 hours; €7 plus entrance fees, €2 discount if you also take the Show & Tell tour; meet at 13:00 at statue in Plaza del Triunfo; minimum 4 people; cathedral tours—Mon, Wed, and Fri; Alcázar tours—Tue, Thu, and Sat; no Alcázar tours Jan and Aug).
Although you can just show up for Concepción’s tours, it’s smart to confirm the departure times and reserve a spot (tel. 902-158-226, mobile 616-501-100, www.sevillawalkingtours.com, info@sevillawalkingtours.com). Concepción does no tours on Sundays or holidays. Because she’s a busy mom of two young kids, Concepción sometimes sends her colleague Alfonso (who’s also excellent) to lead these tours.
Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours—Two competing city bus tours leave from the curb near the riverside Torre del Oro (Gold Tower). You’ll see the parked buses and salespeople handing out fliers. Each tour does about an hour-long swing through the city with recorded narration (€16-17, daily 10:00-21:00, green route has shorter option). The tours, which allow hopping on and off at four stops, are heavy on Expo ’29 and Expo ’92 neighborhoods—both zones of little interest in 2013. While the narration does its best, Sevilla is most interesting where buses can’t go.
Bike Tours—Really Discover takes up to 15 riders on a 2.5-hour journey around the city, stopping at—but not entering—all the major sights (€25, includes bike, one daily tour in English at 10:30, meet by fountain across street from Alcázar TI, call or email to confirm as tours may be canceled for lack of interest, www.reallydiscover.com, davidcox@reallydiscover.com, tel. 955-113-912).
Horse and Buggy Tours—A carriage ride is a classic, popular way to survey the city and a relaxing way to enjoy María Luisa Park (€40-50 for a 45-minute clip-clop, find a likable English-speaking driver for better narration). Look for rigs at Plaza América, Plaza del Triunfo, Torre del Oro, Alfonso XIII Hotel, and Avenida Isabel la Católica.
Boat Cruises—Boring one-hour panoramic tours leave every 30 minutes from the dock behind Torre de Oro. The low-energy recorded narration is hard to follow, but there’s little to see anyway (overpriced at €15, tel. 954-561-692).
More Tours—Visitours, a typical big-bus tour company, does €95 all-day trips to Córdoba (Tue, Thu, and Sat; tel. 955-999-760, mobile 686-413-413, www.visitours.es, visitours@visitours.es). For other guides, contact one of the Guide Associations of Sevilla: AUITS (tel. 699-494-204, www.auits.com, guias@auits.com) or APIT (tel. 954-210-037, www.apitsevilla.com, visitas@apitsevilla.com).
Of Sevilla’s once-thriving Jewish Quarter, only the tangled street plan and a wistful Old World ambience survive. This classy maze of lanes (too slender for cars), small plazas, tile-covered patios, and whitewashed houses with wrought-iron latticework draped in flowers is a great refuge from the summer heat and bustle of Sevilla. The streets are narrow—some with buildings so close they’re called “kissing lanes.” A happy result of the narrowness is shade: Locals claim the Barrio Santa Cruz is three degrees cooler than the rest of the city.
Orange trees abound—because they never lose their leaves, they provide constant shade. But forget about eating any of the oranges. They’re bitter and used only to make vitamins, perfume, cat food, and that marmalade you can’t avoid in British B&Bs. But when they blossom (for three weeks in spring, usually in March), the aroma is heavenly.
The Barrio is made for wandering. Getting lost is easy, and I recommend doing just that. But to get started, here’s a plaza-to-plaza walk that loops you through the corazón (heart) of the neighborhood and back out again. Ideally, don’t do the walk in the morning, when the Barrio’s charm is trampled by tour groups. Early evening (around 18:00) is ideal.
Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes: Start in the square in front of the cathedral, at the base of the Giralda Bell Tower.
This square is dedicated to the Virgin of the Kings. See her tile on the white wall
facing the cathedral. She is one of several different versions of Mary you’ll see
in Sevilla, each appealing to a different type of worshipper. This one is big here
because the Spanish king reportedly carried her image with him when he retook the
town from the Moors in 1248. The fountain dates from 1929. From this peaceful square,
look up the street leading away from the cathedral and notice the characteristic (government-protected)
19th-century architecture. The ironwork is typical of Andalucía and the pride of Sevilla.
You’ll see it and the traditional color scheme of whitewash-and-goldenrod all over
the town center.
Another symbol you’ll see throughout Sevilla is the city insignia: “NO8DO,” the letters “NODO” with a figure-eight-like shape at their center. Nodo meant “knot” in the old dialect, and this symbol evokes the strong ties between the citizens of Sevilla and King Alfonso X (during a succession dispute in the 13th century, the Sevillans remained loyal to their king).
• Walk with the cathedral on your right into the...
Plaza del Triunfo: The “Plaza of Triumph” is named for the 1755 earthquake that destroyed Lisbon and
rattled Sevilla, but left most of the city intact. Find the statue thanking the Virgin,
located at the far end of the square, under a stone canopy. That Virgin faces another
one (closer to you), atop a tall pillar honoring Sevillan artists, including the painter
Murillo (see “Casa de Murillo,” later).
• Pass through the opening in the crenellated Alcázar wall under the arch. You’ll emerge into a courtyard called the...
Patio de Banderas: Named for “flags,” not Antonio, the Banderas Courtyard was once a kind of military
parade ground for the royal guard. The barracks surrounding the square once housed
the king’s bodyguards. Today, the far end of this square is a favorite spot for a
postcard view of the Giralda Bell Tower.
• Exit the courtyard at the far corner, through the Judería arch. Go down the long, narrow passage. Emerging into the light, you’ll be walking alongside the Alcázar wall. Take the first left, then right, through a small square and follow the narrow alleyway called...
Calle Agua: As you walk along the street, look to the left, peeking through iron gates for occasional
glimpses of the flower-smothered patios of exclusive private residences. The patio
at #2 is a delight—ringed with columns, filled with flowers, and colored with glazed
tiles. The tiles are not only decorative; they keep buildings cooler in the summer
heat. Emerging at the end of the street, turn around and look back at the openings
of two old pipes built into the wall. These pipes once carried water to the Alcázar
(and today give the street its name). You’re standing at an entrance into the pleasant
Murillo Gardens (to the right), formerly the fruit-and-vegetable gardens for the Alcázar.
• Don’t enter the gardens now, but instead cross the square diagonally and continue 20 yards down a lane to the...
Plaza de la Santa Cruz: Arguably the heart of the Barrio, this is a pleasant square of orange and olive trees
and draping vines. It was once the site of a synagogue (the Barrio had three; now
there are none), which Christians destroyed. They replaced the synagogue with a church,
which the French (under Napoleon) then demolished. It’s a bit of history that locals
remember when they see the blue, white, and red French flag marking the French consulate,
now overlooking this peaceful square. The Sevillan painter Murillo, who was buried
in the now-gone church, lies somewhere below you. On the square you’ll find the recommended
Los Gallos flamenco bar, which combusts nightly after midnight with impromptu flamenco.
• At the far end of the square, a one-block (optional) detour along Calle Mezquita leads to the nearby...
Plaza de Refinadores: Sevilla’s most famous (if fictional) 17th-century citizen is honored here with a
statue (see photo). Don Juan Tenorio—the original Don Juan—was a notorious sex addict
and atheist who proudly thumbed his nose at the stifling Church-driven morals of his
day.
• Backtrack to Plaza de la Santa Cruz and turn right (north) on Calle Santa Teresa. At #8 (on the left) is...
Casa de Murillo: One of Sevilla’s famous painters, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-1682), lived here,
soaking in the ambience of street life and reproducing it in his paintings of cute
beggar children.
• Directly across from Casa de Murillo is the...
Monasterio de San José del Carmen: This is where St. Teresa stayed when she visited from her hometown of Ávila. The
convent (closed to the public) keeps artifacts of the mystic nun, such as her spiritual
manuscripts.
Continue north on Calle Santa Teresa, then take the first left on Calle Lope de Rueda, then left again, then right on Calle Reinoso. This street—so narrow that the buildings almost touch—is one of the Barrio’s “kissing lanes.” A popular explanation suggests the buildings were built so close together to provide maximum shade. But remember this was the Jewish ghetto, where all the city’s Jews were forced to live in a very small area. That’s why the streets of Santa Cruz are so narrow.
• Just to the left, the street spills onto the...
Plaza de los Venerables: This square is another candidate for “heart of the Barrio.” The streets branching
off it ooze local ambience. When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, this area
became deserted and run-down. But in 1929, for its world’s fair, Sevilla turned the
plaza into a showcase of Andalusian style, adding the railings, tile work, orange
trees, and other too-cute Epcot-like adornments. A different generation of tourists
enjoys the place today, likely unaware that what they’re seeing in Santa Cruz is far
from “authentic” (or, at least, not as old as they imagine).
The large, harmonious Baroque-style Hospital de los Venerables (1675), once a retirement home for old priests (the “venerables”), is now a cultural foundation and museum (€4.75, includes audioguide). The highlight is the church and courtyard, featuring a round, sunken fountain. The museum also has a small Velázquez painting of Santa Rufina, one of two patron saints protecting Sevilla. The painting was acquired at a 2007 auction for more than €12 million.
• Continuing west on Calle Gloria, you soon reach the...
Plaza de Doña Elvira: This small square—with orange trees, tile benches, and a stone fountain—sums up our
Barrio walk. Shops sell work by local artisans, such as ceramics, embroidery, and fans.
• Cross the plaza and head north along Calle Rodrigo Caro into the...
Plaza de la Alianza: Ever consider a career change? Gain inspiration at the site that once housed the
painting studio of John Fulton (1932-1998; find the small plaque on the other side
of the square), an American who pursued two dreams. Though born in Philadelphia, Fulton
got hooked on bullfighting. He trained in the tacky bullrings of Mexico, then in 1956
he moved to Sevilla, the world capital of the sport. His career as matador was not
top-notch, and the Spaniards were slow to warm to the Yankee, but his courage and
persistence earned their grudging respect. After he put down the cape, he picked up
a brush, making colorful paintings in his Sevilla studio.
• From Plaza de la Alianza, you can return to the cathedral by turning left (west) on Calle Joaquin Romero Murube (along the wall). Or head northeast on Callejón de Rodrigo Caro, which intersects with Calle Mateos Gago, a street lined with tapas bars.
Sevilla’s cathedral is the third-largest church in Europe (after St. Peter’s at the Vatican and St. Paul’s in London) and the largest Gothic church anywhere. When they ripped down a mosque of brick on this site in 1401, the Reconquista Christians bragged, “We’ll build a cathedral so huge that anyone who sees it will take us for madmen.” They built for 120 years. Even today, the descendants of those madmen proudly display an enlarged photocopy of their Guinness Book of Records letter certifying, “Santa María de la Sede in Sevilla is the cathedral with the largest area: 126.18 meters x 82.60 meters x 30.48 meters high.”
Cost and Hours: €8, €3 for students and those over age 65 (must show ID), kids under age 18 free, includes free entry to the Church of the Savior; July-Aug Mon-Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun 14:30-18:00; Sept-June Mon-Sat 11:00-17:00, Sun 14:30-18:00; last entry to cathedral one hour before closing, last entry to bell tower 30 minutes before closing; WC and drinking fountain just inside entrance and in courtyard near exit, tel. 954-214-971. Most of the website www.catedraldesevilla.es is in Spanish, but following the “vista virtual” links will take you to a virtual tour with an English option.
Crowd-Beating Tip: Though there’s usually not much of a line to buy tickets, you can avoid it altogether by buying your ticket at the Church of the Savior (Iglesia de Salvador), a few blocks north. See that church first, then come to the cathedral and waltz past the line to the turnstile.
Tours: My self-guided tour covers the basics. The €3 audioguide explains each side chapel for anyone interested in all the old paintings and dry details. For €7 you can enjoy Concepción Delgado’s tour instead (see “Tours in Sevilla,” earlier).
Self-Guided Tour: Enter the cathedral at the south end (closest to the Alcázar, with a full-size replica
of the Giralda’s weathervane statue in the patio).
• First, you pass through the...
Art Pavilion: Just past the turnstile, you step into a room of paintings that once hung in the
church, including works by Sevilla’s two 17th-century masters—Bartolomé Murillo (St. Ferdinand—the king who freed Sevilla from the Moors) and Francisco de Zurbarán (St. John the Baptist in the Desert). Find a painting showing two of Sevilla’s patron saints—Santa Justa and Santa Rufina.
Potters by trade, these two are easy to identify by their pots and palm branches,
and the bell tower symbolizing the town they protect. As you tour the cathedral, keep
track of how many depictions of this dynamic and saintly duo you spot. They’re everywhere.
• Walking past a rack of church maps and a WC, enter the actual church. In the center of the church, sit down in front of the...
High Altar: If restoration work on the high altar is finished, you’ll be able to look through
the wrought-iron Renaissance grille at what’s called the largest altarpiece (retablo mayor) ever made—65 feet tall, with 44 scenes from the life of Jesus carved from walnut
and chestnut, blanketed by a staggering amount of gold leaf (and dust). (If restoration
is still ongoing, you’ll see a to-scale image of the altar covering the scaffolding.)
The work took three generations to complete (1481-1564). The story is told left to
right, bottom to top. Find Baby Jesus in the manger, in the middle of the bottom row,
then follow his story through the miracles, the Passion, and the Pentecost. Crane
your neck to look way up to the tippy-top, where a Crucifixion adorns the dizzying
summit.
• Turn around and check out the...
Choir: Facing the high altar, the choir features an organ of 7,000 pipes (played Mon-Fri
at the 10:00 Mass, Sun at the 10:00 & 13:00 Mass, not in July-Aug, free for worshippers). A choir area like this one (an
enclosure within the cathedral for more intimate services) is common in Spain and
England, but rare in churches elsewhere. The big, spinnable book holder in the middle
of the room held giant hymnals—large enough for all to chant from in a pre-Xerox age
when there weren’t enough books for everyone.
• Now turn 90 degrees to the left and march to find the...
Tomb of Columbus: In front of the cathedral’s entrance for pilgrims are four kings who carry the tomb
of Christopher Columbus. His pallbearers represent the regions of Castile, Aragon,
León, and Navarre (identify them by their team shirts). Columbus even traveled a lot
posthumously. He was buried first in Spain, then in Santo Domingo in the Dominican
Republic, then Cuba, and finally—when Cuba gained independence from Spain, around
1900—he sailed home again to Sevilla. Are the remains actually his? Sevillans like
to think so. (Columbus died in 1506. Five hundred years later, to help celebrate the
anniversary of his death, DNA samples gave Sevillans the evidence they needed to substantiate
their claim.) On the left is a mural of St. Christopher—patron saint of travelers—from
1584. The clock above has been ticking since 1788.
• Facing Columbus, turn right and duck into the first chapel (on your left) to find the...
Antigua Chapel: Within this chapel is the gilded fresco of the Virgin Antigua, the oldest art in
the church. It was actually painted onto a horseshoe-shaped prayer niche of the mosque
formerly on this site. After Sevilla was reconquered in 1248, the mosque served as
a church for about 120 years—until it was torn down to make room for this huge cathedral.
Builders, captivated by the beauty of the Virgin holding the rose and the Christ Child
holding the bird (and knowing that she was considered the protector of sailors in
this port city), decided to save the fresco.
• Exiting the chapel, we’ll tour the cathedral counterclockwise. As you explore, note that its many chapels are described in English, and many of the windows have their dates worked into the design. Just on the other side of Columbus, walk through the small chapel and into the...
Sacristy: This space is where the priests get ready each morning before Mass. The Goya painting
above the altar features Justa and Rufina—patron saints of Sevilla who were martyred
in ancient Roman times. They’re always shown with their trademark attributes: the
town bell tower, pots, and palm leaves. I say they’re each holding a bowl of gazpacho (particularly refreshing on hot summer days)
and sprigs of rosemary from local Gypsies (an annoyance even back then). Art historians
claim that since they were potters, they are shown with earthenware, and the sprigs
are palm leaves—symbolic of their martyrdom. Whatever.
• Two chapels down is the entrance to the...
Main Sacristy: Marvel at the ornate, 16th-century Plateresque dome of the main room, a grand souvenir
from Sevilla’s Golden Age. The intricate masonry resembles lacy silverwork (it’s named
for plata—silver). God is way up in the cupola. The three layers of figures below him show
the heavenly host; relatives in purgatory—hands folded—looking to heaven in hope of
help; and the wretched in hell, including a topless sinner engulfed in flames and
teased cruelly by pitchfork-wielding monsters. Locals use the 110-pound silver religious
float that dominates this room to parade the holy host (communion wafer) through town during
Corpus Christi festivities.
• At the far end of the main sacristy, at the left-hand corner, is a door leading to our next stop. (If it’s closed, you can backtrack to the main part of the church and head next door.)
Treasury: The tesoro fills several rooms in the corner of the church. Wander deeper into the treasury
to find a unique oval dome. It’s in the 16th-century chapter room (sala capitular), where monthly meetings take place with the bishop (he gets the throne, while the
others share the bench). The paintings here are by Murillo: a fine Immaculate Conception (1668, high above the bishop’s throne) and portraits of saints important to Sevillans.
The wood-paneled “room of ornaments” shows off gold and silver reliquaries, which hold hundreds of holy body parts, as well as Spain’s most valuable crown. The jeweled crown by Manuel de la Torres (the Corona de la Virgen de los Reyes) sparkles with 11,000 precious stones and the world’s largest pearl—used as the torso of an angel.
• Leave the treasury and cross through the church to see...
More Church Sights: First you’ll pass the closed-to-tourists Royal Chapel, the burial place of several of the kings of Castile (open for worship only—access
from outside), then the Chapel of St. Peter, which is dark but filled with paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán (showing scenes
from the life of St. Peter). At the far corner—past the glass case displaying the
Guinness certificate declaring that this is indeed the world’s largest church by area—is the
entry to the Giralda Bell Tower. You’ll finish your visit here. But for now, continue
your counterclockwise circuit. Near the middle (and high) altar, crane your neck skyward
to admire the Plateresque tracery on the ceiling, and take in the enormous 
Altar de Plata rising up in a side chapel. The gleaming silver altarpiece adorned with statues looks
like a big monstrance, those vessels for displaying the communion wafer.
The 
Chapel of St. Anthony (Capilla de San Antonio), the last chapel on the right, is used for baptisms. The
Renaissance baptismal font has delightful carved angels dancing along its base. In
Murillo’s painting, Vision of St. Anthony (1656), the saint kneels in wonder as a Baby Jesus comes down surrounded by a choir of angels.
Anthony is one of Iberia’s most popular saints. As he is the patron saint of lost
things, people come here to pray for Anthony’s help in finding jobs, car keys, and
life partners. Above the Vision is The Baptism of Christ, also by Murillo. You don’t need to be an art historian to know that the stained glass
dates from 1685. And by now you must know who the women are....
Nearby, a glass case displays the 
pennant of Ferdinand III, which was raised over the minaret of the mosque on November 23, 1248, as Christian
forces finally expelled the Moors from Sevilla. For centuries, it was paraded through
the city on special days.
Continuing on, stand at the 
back of the nave (behind the choir) and appreciate the ornate immensity of the church. Can you see
the angels trumpeting on their Cuban mahogany? Any birds? The massive candlestick
holder to the right of the choir dates from 1560.
Turn around. To the left is a niche with 
Murillo’s Guardian Angel pointing to the light and showing an astonished child the way.
• Backtrack the length of the church toward the Giralda Bell Tower, and notice the back of the choir’s Baroque pipe organ. The exit sign leads to the Court of the Orange Trees and the exit. But first, some exercise.
Giralda Tower Climb: Your church admission includes entry to the bell tower. Notice the beautiful Moorish
simplicity as you climb to its top, 330 feet up, for a grand city view. The spiraling
ramp was designed to accommodate riders on horseback, who galloped up five times a
day to give the Muslim call to prayer.
• Go back down into the cathedral interior, then visit the...
Court of the Orange Trees: Today’s cloister was once the mosque’s Court of the Orange Trees (Patio de los Naranjos).
Twelfth-century Muslims stopped at the fountain in the middle to wash their hands,
face, and feet before praying. The ankle-breaking lanes between the bricks were once
irrigation streams—a reminder that the Moors introduced irrigation to Iberia. The
mosque was made of bricks; the church is built of stone. The only remnants of the
mosque today are the Court of the Orange Trees, the Giralda Bell Tower, and the site
itself.
• You’ll exit the cathedral through the Court of the Orange Trees (if you need to use the WCs, they’re at the far end of the courtyard, downstairs). As you leave, look back from the outside and notice the arch over the...
Moorish-Style Doorway: As with much of the Moorish-looking art in town, it’s actually Christian—the two
coats of arms are a giveaway. The relief above the door shows the Bible story of Jesus
ridding the temple of the merchants...a reminder to contemporary merchants that there
will be no retail activity in the church. The plaque on the right honors Miguel de
Cervantes, the great 16th-century Spanish writer. It’s one of many plaques scattered
throughout town showing places mentioned in his books. (In this case, the topic was
pickpockets.) The huge green doors predate the church. They are a bit of the surviving
pre-1248 mosque—wood covered with bronze. Study the fine workmanship.
Giralda Tower Exterior: Step across the street from the exit gate and look at the bell tower. Formerly a Moorish minaret from which Muslims were called to prayer, it became the cathedral’s bell tower after the Reconquista. A 4,500-pound bronze statue symbolizing the Triumph of Faith (specifically, the Christian faith over the Muslim one) caps the tower and serves as a weather vane (in Spanish, girar means “to rotate”—so a giraldillo is something that rotates). Locals actually use it to predict the weather. (If the wind is blowing from the southwest, it means moist ocean air will soon bring rain.) In 1356, the original top of the tower fell. You’re looking at a 16th-century Christian-built top with a ribbon of letters proclaiming, “The strongest tower is the name of God” (you can see Fortísima—“strongest”—from this vantage point).
Now circle around for a close look at the corner of the tower at ground level. Needing more strength than their bricks could provide for the lowest section of the tower, the Moors used Romancut stones. You can actually read the Latin chiseled onto one of the stones 2,000 years ago. The tower offers a brief recap of the city’s history—sitting on a Roman foundation, a long Moorish period capped by our Christian age. Today, by law, no building can be higher than the statue atop the tower.
• Your cathedral tour is finished. If you’ve worked up an appetite, get out your map and make your way a few blocks for some...
Nun-Baked Goodies: Stop by the El Torno Pasteleria de Conventos, a co-op where various orders of cloistered
nuns send their handicrafts (such as babies’ baptismal dresses) and baked goods to
be sold. “El Torno” is the lazy Susan that the cloistered nuns spin to sell their
cakes and cookies without being seen. You won’t actually see the torno (this shop is staffed by non-nuns), but this humble little hole-in-the-wall shop
is worth a peek, and definitely serves the best cookies, bar nun. It’s located through the passageway at 24 Avenida
de la Constitución, immediately in front of the cathedral’s biggest door: Go through
the doorway marked Plaza del Cabildo into the quiet courtyard (Sept-July Mon-Fri 10:00-13:30 & 17:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 10:30-14:00,
closed Aug, Plaza del Cabildo 2, tel. 954-219-190).
Originally a 10th-century palace built for the governors of the local Moorish state, this building still functions as a royal palace—the oldest in use in Europe. The core of the palace features an extensive 14th-century rebuild, done by Muslim workmen for the Christian king, Pedro I (1334-1369). Pedro was nicknamed either “the Cruel” or “the Just,” depending on which end of his sword you were on. Pedro’s palace embraces both cultural traditions.
Today, visitors can enjoy several sections of the Alcázar. Spectacularly decorated halls and courtyards have distinctive Islamic-style flourishes. Exhibits call up the era of Columbus and Spain’s New World dominance. The lush, sprawling gardens invite exploration. Even the palatial rooms used by today’s king and queen can be visited (reservations required).
Cost and Hours: €8.50; €2 for students and seniors over 65—must show ID, free for children under 16; ticket also includes Antiquarium at Plaza de la Encarnación, April-Sept daily 9:30-19:00, Oct-March daily 9:30-17:00, tel. 954-502-324, www.patronato-alcazarsevilla.es.
Crowd-Beating Tips: Tour groups clog the palace and rob it of any mystery in the morning (especially on Tue); come as late as possible.
Tours: The fast-moving €4 audioguide gives you an hour of information as you wander. My self-guided tour hits the highlights, or you could consider Concepción Delgado’s Alcázar tour (see “Tours in Sevilla,” earlier).
The Upper Royal Apartments can only be visited with a separate tour, reserved in advance (€4.20, includes audioguide, must check bags in provided lockers). Groups leave every half-hour from 10:00 to 13:30—if interested, book a spot as soon as you arrive at the Alcázar. You tour in a small group of 15 people, escorted by a security guard, following a 25-minute audioguide. For some it’s worth it just to escape the mobs in the rest of the palace.
Self-Guided Tour: This royal palace is decorated with a mix of Islamic and Christian elements—a style called Mudejar. It’s a thought-provoking
glimpse of a graceful Al-Andalus (Moorish) world that might have survived its Castilian
conquerors...but didn’t. The floor plan is intentionally confusing, to make experiencing
the place more exciting and surprising. While Granada’s Alhambra was built by Moors
for Moorish rulers, what you see here is essentially a Christian ruler’s palace, built
in the Moorish style.
• Buy your ticket and enter through the turnstiles. Pass through the garden-like Patio of the Lions and through the arch into a courtyard called the . . .
Patio de la Montería (Courtyard of the Hunt): Get oriented. The palace’s main entrance is directly ahead, through the elaborately
decorated facade. WCs are in the far-left corner. In the far-right corner is the staircase
(and ticket booth) for the Upper Royal Apartments—reserve an entry time now, if you’re
interested (see details at the end of this tour).
The palace complex was built over many centuries. It has rooms and decorations from the many rulers who’ve lived here. Moorish caliphs built the original 10th-century palace and gardens. After Sevilla was Christianized, King Pedro I built the most famous part of the complex. During Spain’s Golden Age, Ferdinand and Isabel and, later, their grandson Charles V lived here; they all left their mark. Successive monarchs added still more luxury. And today’s king and queen still use the palace’s upper floor as one of their royal residences.
• Before entering the heart of the palace, start in the wing to the right of the courtyard. Step inside.
Admiral’s Room (Cuarto del Almirante): When Queen Isabel debriefed Columbus at the Alcázar after his New World discoveries,
she realized this could be big business. She created this wing in 1503 to administer
Spain’s New World ventures. In these halls, Columbus recounted his travels, Ferdinand
Magellan planned his around-the-world cruise, and mapmaker Amerigo Vespucci tried
to come up with a catchy moniker for that newly discovered continent.
In the pink-and-red Audience Chamber (once a chapel), the altarpiece painting is of St. Mary of the Navigators (Santa María de los Navegantes, by Alejo Fernández, 1530s). The Virgin—the patron saint of sailors and a favorite of Columbus—keeps watch over the puny ships beneath her. Her cape seems to protect everyone under it—even the Native Americans in the dark background (the first time “Indians” were painted in Europe).
Standing beside the Virgin (on the right, dressed in gold, joining his hands together in prayer) is none other than Christopher Columbus. He stands on a cloud, because he’s now in heaven (as this was painted a few decades after his death). Notice that Columbus is blond. Columbus’ son said of his dad: “In his youth his hair was blond, but when he reached 30, it all turned white.” Many historians believe this to be the earliest known portrait of Columbus. If so, it also might be the most accurate. On the left side of the painting, the man with the gold cape is King Ferdinand.
Left of the painting is a model of Columbus’ Santa María, his flagship and the only one of his three ships not to survive the 1492 voyage. Columbus complained that the Santa María—a big cargo ship, different from the sleek Niña and Pinta caravels—was too slow. On Christmas Day it ran aground off present-day Haiti and tore a hole in its hull. The ship was dismantled to build the first permanent structure in America, a fort for 39 colonists. (After Columbus left, the natives burned the fort and killed the colonists.) Opposite the altarpiece (in the center of the back wall) is the family coat of arms of Columbus’ descendants, who now live in Spain and Puerto Rico. Using Columbus’ Spanish name, it reads: “To Castile and to León, Colón gave a new world.”
Return to the still-used reception room, filled with big canvases. The biggest painting (and most melodramatic) shows the turning point in Sevilla’s history: King Ferdinand III humbly kneels before the bishop, giving thanks to God for helping him liberate the city from the Muslims (in 1248). Ferdinand promptly turned the Alcázar of the caliphs into the royal palace of Christian kings.
Pop into the room beyond the grand piano for a look at ornate fans (mostly foreign and well-described in English). A long painting shows 17th-century Sevilla during Holy Week. Follow the procession, which is much like today’s, with traditional floats carried by teams of men and followed by a retinue of penitents.
• Return to the Patio de la Montería. Face the impressive entrance facade of the...
Palace of King Pedro I (Palacio del Rey Pedro I): This is the entrance to the 14th-century nucleus of the complex. The facade’s elaborate
blend of Islamic tracery and Gothic Christian elements introduces us to the Mudejar
style seen throughout Pedro’s part of the palace.
• Enter the palace. Pass through the Vestibule (impressive, yes, but we’ll see better), and continue left through the maze of rooms and passageways until you emerge into the big courtyard with a long pool in the center. This is the...
Courtyard of the Maidens (Patio de las Doncellas): You’ve reached the center of King Pedro’s palace. It’s an open-air courtyard, surrounded
by rooms. In the center is a long, rectangular reflecting pool. Like the Moors who
preceded him, Pedro built his palace around water. The pool has four (covered) cisterns,
two at each end. They distribute water to the four quadrants of the palace and—symbolically—to
the four corners of the world.
King Pedro cruelly abandoned his wife and moved into the Alcázar with his mistress, then hired Muslim workers from Granada to re-create the romance of that city’s Alhambra in Sevilla’s stark Alcázar. The designers created a microclimate engineered for coolness: water, plants, pottery, thick walls, and darkness. This palace is considered Spain’s best example of the Mudejar style. Stucco panels with elaborate designs, colorful ceramic tiles, coffered wooden ceilings, and lobed arches atop slender columns create a refined, pleasing environment. The elegant proportions and symmetry of this courtyard are a photographer’s delight.
• Explore the rooms branching off the courtyard. Through the door at the end of the long reflecting pool is the palace’s most important room, called the...
Hall of the Ambassadors (Salón de Embajadores): Here, in his throne room, Pedro received guests and caroused in luxury. The room
is a cube topped with a half-dome, like many important Islamic buildings. In Islam,
the cube represents the earth, and the dome is the starry heavens. In Pedro’s world,
the symbolism proclaimed that he controlled heaven and earth. Islamic horseshoe arches
stand atop columns with golden capitals. Lattice windows (a favorite of Pedro’s) are
above those.
The stucco on the walls is molded with interlacing plants, geometrical shapes, and Arabic writing. Imagine, here in a Christian palace, that the walls are inscribed with unapologetically Muslim sayings: “None but Allah conquers” and “Happiness and prosperity are benefits of Allah, who nourishes all creatures.” The artisans added propaganda phrases such as “Dedicated to the magnificent Sultan Pedro—thanks to God!”
The Mudejar style also includes Christian motifs. Find the row of kings, high up at the base of the dome, chronicling all of Spain’s rulers from the 600s to the 1600s. Throughout the palace, you’ll see coats of arms—including the castle of Castile and the lion of León. There are also natural objects (shells and birds) you wouldn’t normally find in Islamic decor, which traditionally avoids realistic images of nature.
Wander through adjoining rooms. Straight ahead from the Hall of the Ambassadors, in the Philip II Ceiling Room (Salón del Techo de Felipe II), look above the arches to find peacocks, falcons, and other birds amid interlacing vines. Imagine day-to-day life in the palace—with VIP guests tripping on the tiny but jolting steps.
• Make your way to the second courtyard, nearby (in the Hall of the Ambassadors, face the Courtyard of the Maidens, then walk to the left). This smaller courtyard is the...
Courtyard of the Dolls (Patio de las Muñecas): This delicate courtyard was for the king’s private and family life. Originally, the
center of the courtyard had a pool, cooling the residents and reflecting the decorative
patterns once brightly painted on the walls. The columns are different colors—alternating
white, black, and pink marble. (Pedro’s original courtyard was a single story. The
upper floors and skylight were added centuries later.) The courtyard’s name comes
from the tiny doll faces found at the base of one of the arches. Circle the room and
try to find them.
• The long adjoining room with the gilded ceiling, the Prince’s Room (Cuarto del Príncipe), was Queen Isabel’s bedroom, where she gave birth to a son, Prince Juan.
Return to the Courtyard of the Maidens. Look up and notice the second story. Isabel’s grandson, Charles V, added it in the 16th century. See the difference in styles: Mudejar below (lobed arches and elaborate tracery), and Renaissance above (round arches and less decoration).
As you stand in the courtyard with your back to the Hall of the Ambassadors, the door in the middle of the right side leads to the...
Charles V Ceiling Room (Salón del Techo del Carlos V): Emperor Charles V, who ruled Spain at its peak of New World wealth, expanded the
palace. The reason? His marriage to his beloved Isabel, which took place in this room.
Devoutly Christian, Charles celebrated his wedding night with a midnight Mass, and
later ordered the Mudejar ceiling in this room to be replaced with a less Islamic
(but no less impressive) one.
• We’ve seen the core of King Pedro’s palace, with the additions by his successors. Return to the Courtyard of the Maidens, turn right, and find the staircase in the corner. This leads up to rooms decorated with bright ceramic tiles. Pass through the chapel and into two big, long, parallel rooms, the...
Banquet Hall (Salón Gótico) and Hall of Tapestries (Salón Tapices): The first room you enter is the big, airy banquet hall where Charles and Isabel’s
wedding reception was held. Tiles of yellow, blue, green, and orange line the room,
some decorated with whimsical human figures with vase-like bodies. The windows open
onto views of the gardens.
Next door, the walls are hung with large Brussels-made tapestries showing the conquests, trade, and industriousness of Charles’ prosperous reign. (The highlights are described in Spanish along the top and in Latin along the bottom.) The map tapestry of the Mediterranean world has south pointing up. Find Genova, Italy, on the bottom; Africa on top; Lisbon (Liboa) on the far right; and the large city of Barcelona in between. The artist included himself holding the legend—with a scale in both leagues and miles.
• At the far end of the Banquet Hall, head outside to...
The Gardens: This space is full of tropical flowers, feral cats, cool fountains, and hot tourists.
The intimate geometric zone nearest the palace is the Moorish garden. The far-flung
garden beyond that was the backyard of the Christian ruler. The elevated walkway (Galería del Grutesco—the Grotto Gallery) along the left side of the gardens provides
fine views. (Enter it from the palace end.) Descending to the lower garden, find the
entrance to the Baths of María de Padilla—an underground rainwater cistern named for Pedro’s mistress. (Renovation of the baths
should be complete by the time you visit in 2013.)
Garden lovers could linger here for hours. Even arborophobes will find it fascinating. Here in the gardens, the Christian and Islamic traditions merge. Both cultures used water and nature as essential parts of their architecture. The garden’s pavilions and fountains only enhance this. Wander among palm trees, myrtle hedges, and fragrant roses, and experience a small sample of the heavenly paradise that both cultures believed lay beyond.
• If you’d like to see more, return to the Patio de la Montería and go upstairs to visit the Upper Royal Apartments (requires reservation and separate entry fee). Otherwise, skip to the conclusion of this tour, below.
Upper Royal Apartments (Cuarto Real Alto): This is the royal palace of today’s monarchs. Fifteen public reception rooms are
open to visitors: the official dining room, Audience Hall, and so on. The rooms are
amply decorated with Versailles-like furniture, chandeliers, carpets, and portraits
of 19th-century nobility. The highlight is the Audience Room, a Mudejar-style room
overlooking the Patio de la Montería. You don’t get to see the actual living quarters
of the present king and queen, but they’re just down the hall.
• When you’re ready to go, head for the exit, through the Patio de Banderas—enjoying a classic Giralda Bell Tower view as you leave. In former times, this courtyard was the entrance for those arriving by horse carriage.
Your Royal Alcázar tour is over. From Moors to Pedro the Cruel to Isabel and Charles to King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, we’ve seen the home of a millennium of kings and queens. After digesting all those names, I need some Alcaseltzer.
Archivo de Indias—The Lonja Palace, across the street from the Alcázar, was designed by royal architect Juan de Herrera, the same person who became the principal designer of El Escorial. Originally a market for traders, this is the top building from Sevilla’s 16th-century glory days. Today, it houses the archive of documents from the discovery and conquest of the New World, which are shown in rotating exhibits. This could be fascinating, but generally little of importance makes it on display (old maps of Havana, anyone?). The displays are in Spanish, with limited English information.
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Sat 9:30-16:45, Sun 10:00-13:45, Avenida de la Constitución 3, tel. 954-500-528.
Avenida de la Constitución—Old Sevilla is bisected by this grand boulevard. Its name celebrates the country’s 1978 adoption of a democratic constitution, as the Spanish people moved quickly to re-establish their government after the 1975 death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco. Long a commercial street, the avenue was converted into a pedestrian boulevard in 2007. Overnight, the city’s paseo route took on a new dimension. And suddenly cafés and shops here had fresh appeal. (Two Starbucks moved in, strategically bookending the boulevard, but they’re having a tough time winning over locals who like small €1 coffees rather than mammoth €4 ones.) The new tram line (infamously short at only three-quarters of a mile) is controversial, as it violates what might have been a more purely pedestrian zone.
Hospital de la Caridad—This Charity Hospital was founded by a nobleman in the 17th century. Peek into the fine courtyard. On the left, the chapel has some gruesome art (above both doors) illustrating that death is the great equalizer, and an altar so sweet only a Spaniard could enjoy it. The Dutch tiles depicting scenes of the Old and New Testament are a reminder that the Netherlands was under Spanish rule in the mid-16th century.
Cost and Hours: €5, includes slightly interesting audioguide, erratic hours, but typically Mon-Sat 9:00-13:00 & 15:30-19:00, Sun 9:00-12:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing, tel. 954-223-232.
Torre del Oro (Gold Tower) and Naval Museum—Sevilla’s historic riverside Gold Tower was the starting and ending point for all shipping to the New World. It’s named for the golden tiles that once covered it—not for all the New World booty that landed here. Since the Moors built it in the 13th century, it has been part of the city’s fortifications, with a heavy chain draped across the river to protect the harbor. Today it houses a dreary little naval museum. Looking past the dried fish and charts of knots, find the mural showing the world-spanning journeys of Vasco da Gama, the model of Columbus’ Santa María (the first ship to land in the New World), and an interesting mural of Sevilla in 1740. Enjoy the view from the balconies upstairs. The Guadalquivir River is now just a trickle of its former self, after canals built in the 1920s siphoned off most of its water to feed ports downstream.
Cost and Hours: €3, includes audioguide, Mon-Fri 9:30-18:45, Sat-Sun 10:30-18:45, tel. 954-222-419.
Plaza Nueva—This “New Square” is marked by a statue of King Ferdinand III, who liberated Sevilla from the Moors in the 13th century and was later sainted. This is the end of the line for Sevilla’s short tram system (which zips down Avenida de la Constitución to the El Prado bus station). Running along the top of the square is the relatively modern City Hall. For a more interesting look at this building, circle around to the other end (on the smaller square, called Plaza de San Francisco) where you can see how the structure has expanded right along with the city it governs: architectural styles evolve, from left to right, along the facade. The newest, right part of the facade is more or less undecorated—a blank canvas for future artists to leave their mark. This square has been used for executions, bullfights, and (today) big city events.
▲Church of the Savior (Iglesia del Salvador)—Sevilla’s second-biggest church after its cathedral was built on the site of a mosque dating from the ninth century. (In the courtyard next to the church, you can still see the remains of the mosque’s patio and the foot of the former minaret.) The spacious interior, which was recently renovated, now gleams with freshly scrubbed Baroque pride. Explore its 14 richly decorated altarpieces, many from the 18th century and most with excellent descriptions in English. You’ll also find sculptures by some of Sevilla’s most celebrated Baroque artists, such as Jesus of the Passion by Martinez Montañés and Christ of Love by Juan de Mena. Plaza del Salvador, the pleasant square in front of the church, is cozy and intimate—a favorite meeting point for locals.
Cost and Hours: €3, free with €8 cathedral ticket, audioguide-€2.50; July-Aug Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 15:00-19:00; Sept-June Mon-Sat 11:00-17:30, Sun 15:00-19:00; Plaza del Salvador, tel. 954-211-679. If you plan to visit this church and later go to the cathedral, avoid possible lines there by buying your cathedral ticket here.
▲Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija—This aristocratic mansion takes you back into the 18th century like no other place in town. The Countess of Lebrija was a passionate collector of antiquities. Her home’s ground floor is paved with Roman mosaics (that you can actually walk on) and lined with musty old cases of Phoenician, Greek, Roman, and Moorish artifacts—mostly pottery. To see a plush world from a time when the nobility had a private priest and their own chapel, take a quickie tour (in both English and Spanish) of the upstairs, which shows the palace as the countess left it when she died in 1938.
Cost and Hours: €5 for unescorted visit of ground floor, €8 includes tour of “lived-in” upstairs offered every 45 minutes; July-Aug Mon-Fri 9:00-15:00, Sat 10:00-14:00, closed Sun; Sept-June Mon-Fri 10:30-19:30, Sat-Sun 10:00-14:00; free and obligatory bag check, Calle Cuna 8, tel. 954-227-802, www.palaciodelebrija.com.
Plaza de la Encarnación—This formerly nondescript square recently underwent a dramatic renovation and now makes a bold architectural statement in the heart of old Sevilla. A gigantic undulating canopy of five waffle-patterned, mushroom-shaped, hundred-foot-tall structures provides shade to the formerly sun-baked square. Under the canopy is a gazebo for performances, and in the concrete structure below are a food market and an antiquarium (a museum displaying Roman ruins found during the excavation of the site). The canopy, named the Metropol Parasol, was designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer H., who won a contest to create a new iconic structure for Sevilla (trendy-to-the-max Jürgen shifted his middle initial to become his last name). The dynamic vaulting is intended to echo the interior of Sevilla’s vast cathedral. The wooden structure, unbelievably, is held together with glue. And—as you might guess for a cutting-edge architectural work with a hefty price tag (reportedly €86 million) completed several years behind deadline—it has been controversial. Architecture critics greeted its March 2011 unveiling with a mix of appreciation and puzzlement, and the structure has yet to win over the hearts of most Sevillans. Fans of modern architecture (or experimental civic projects) will find it worth the short walk from Plaza Nueva to take a peek (especially handy if you’re visiting the Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, just a block farther up and to the right).
▲Flamenco Dance Museum (Museo del Baile Flamenco)—If you want to understand more about the dance that embodies the spirit of southern Spain, this small but good museum—overpriced at €10—does the trick. The grande dame of flamenco, Cristina Hoyos, has collected a few artifacts and costumes and put together a series of well-produced videos explaining the art of flamenco. Ride the red elevator to floor 1 to tour the main exhibition, with videos, flamenco dresses and other objects, and posters celebrating notable flamenco artists over time. The place is heavy on evocative video clips, but a bit light on actual information. One particularly interesting film illustrates the key elements of the dance form: pain, joy, elegance, seduction, soul, and—I believe—love of ham. Floor 2 and the basement (-1) feature temporary exhibits—mostly artwork relating to flamenco. On the ground floor and in the basement, you can watch flamenco lessons in progress—or even take one yourself.
Cost and Hours: €10, 10 percent discount with this book in 2013, daily 10:00-19:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, pick up English guide at front desk, Manuel Rojas Marcos 3, about 3 blocks east of Plaza Nueva, tel. 954-340-311, www.museoflamenco.com.
Classes: You can participate in a one-hour lesson and take a little olé home (up to €60/person, prices go down with more people, shoes not provided).
Performances: Regular dance shows run daily at 19:00 (€20). A combo-ticket includes the museum and a show (€24; 10 percent discount off museum, show, or combo-ticket with this book in 2013).
▲Museo de Bellas Artes—Sevilla’s passion for religious art is preserved and displayed in its Museum of Fine Arts. While most Americans go for El Greco, Goya, and Velázquez (not a forte of this collection), this museum gives a fine look at other, less-appreciated Spanish masters: Zurbarán and Murillo. Rather than exhausting, the museum is pleasantly enjoyable.
Cost and Hours: €1.50, Tue-Sat 9:00-20:30, Sun 9:00-14:30, closed Mon, last entry 15 minutes before closing, tel. 954-786-500, www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/museos.
Getting There: The museum is at Plaza Museo 9; it’s a 15-minute walk from the cathedral, or a short ride on bus #C5 from Plaza Nueva. If coming from the Basílica de La Macarena, take bus #C4 to the Torneo stop and walk inland four blocks. Pick up the English-language floor plan, which explains the theme of each room.
Background: Sevilla was Spain’s wealthy commercial capital, similar to New York City, whereas Madrid was a newly built center of government, like Washington, D.C. In the early 1800s, Spain’s liberal government was disbanding convents and monasteries, and secular fanatics were looting churches. Thankfully, the region’s religious art was rescued and hung safely here in this convent-turned-museum.
Spain’s economic Golden Age (the 1500s) blossomed into the Golden Age of Spanish painting (the 1600s). Several of Spain’s top artists—Zurbarán, Murillo, and Velázquez—lived in Sevilla during the 1600s. Artists labored to make the spiritual world tangible, and forged the gritty realism that marks Spanish painting. You’ll see balding saints and monks with wrinkled faces and sunburned hands. The style suited Spain’s spiritual climate, as the Catholic Church used this art in its Counter-Reformation battle against the Protestant rebellion.
Self-Guided Tour: The permanent collection features 20 rooms in neat chronological order. It’s easy
to breeze through once with my tour, then backtrack to what appeals to you.
• Enter and follow signs to the permanent collection, which begins in sala I (room 1).
Rooms 1-4: Medieval altarpieces of gold-backed saints, Virgin-and-babes, and Crucifixion scenes attest to the religiosity that nurtured Spain’s early art. Spain’s penchant for unflinching realism culminates in room 2 with Pedro Torrigiano’s 1525 statue of an emaciated San Jerónimo, and in room 3 with the painted clay head of St. John the Baptist—complete with severed neck muscles, throat, and windpipe. This kind of warts-and-all naturalism would influence the great Sevillan painter Velázquez (whose few works are often displayed in room 4).
• Continue through the pleasant outdoor courtyard to the former church that is now room 5.
Room 5: The works of another hometown boy, Bartolomé Murillo (mur-EE-oh, 1617-1682), are displayed here. His signature subject is the Immaculate Conception, the doctrine that holds that Mary was exempt from original sin. Several Inmaculadas may be on display. Typically, Mary is depicted as young, dressed in white and blue, standing atop the moon (crescent or full). She clutches her breast and gazes up rapturously, surrounded by tumbling winged babies. Murillo’s tiny Madonna and Child (Virgen de la Servilleta, 1665; at the end of the room in the center, where the church’s altar would have been) shows the warmth and appeal of his work.
Murillo’s sweetness is quite different from the harsh realism of his fellow artists, but his work was understandably popular. For many Spaniards, Mary is their main connection to heaven. They pray directly to her, asking her to intercede on their behalf with God. Murillo’s Marys are always receptive and ready to help.
Besides his Inmaculadas, Murillo painted popular saints. They often carry sprigs of plants, and cock their heads upward, caught up in a heavenly vision of sweet Baby Jesus. Murillo is also known for his “genre” paintings—scenes of common folk and rascally street urchins—but the museum has few of these.
Also in Room 5 is The Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas (Apteosis de Santo Tomás de Aquino) by Francisco de Zurbarán—considered to be Zurbarán’s most important work. It was done at the height of his career, when stark realism was all the rage. In a believable, down-to-earth way, Zurbarán presents the pivotal moment when the great saint-theologian experiences his spiritual awakening. We’ll see more of Zurbarán upstairs in room 10.
• Now head back outside and up the stairs to the first floor.
Rooms 6-9: In rooms 6 and 7, you’ll see more Murillos and Murillo imitators. Room 8 is dedicated to yet another native Sevillan (and friend of Murillo), Juan de Valdés Leal (1622-1690). He adds Baroque motion and drama to religious subjects. His surreal colors and feverish, unfinished style create a mood of urgency.
Room 10: Francisco de Zurbarán (thoor-bar-AHN, 1598-1664) painted saints and monks, and the miraculous things they experienced, with an unblinking, crystal-clear, brightly lit, highly detailed realism. Monks and nuns could meditate upon Zurbarán’s meticulous paintings for hours, finding God in the details.
In Zurbarán’s St. Hugo Visiting the Refectory (San Hugo en el Refectorio), white-robed Carthusian monks gather together for their simple meal in a communal dining hall. Above them hangs a painting of Mary, Baby Jesus, and John the Baptist. Zurbarán created paintings for monks’ dining halls like this. His audience: celibate men and women who lived in isolation, as in this former convent, devoting their time to quiet meditation, prayer, and Bible study. Zurbarán shines a harsh spotlight on many of his subjects, creating strong shadows. Zurbarán’s people often stand starkly isolated against a single-color background—a dark room or the gray-white of a cloudy sky. He was the ideal painter of the austere religion of 17th-century Spain.
Find The Virgin of the Caves (La Virgen de las Cuevas) and study the piety and faith in the monks’ weathered faces. Zurbarán’s Mary is protective, with her hands placed on the heads of two monks. Note the loving detail on the cape embroidery, the brooch, and the flowers at her feet. But also note the angel babies holding the cape, with their painfully double-jointed arms. Zurbarán was no Leonardo.
The Rest of the Museum: Spain’s subsequent art, from the 18th century on, generally followed the trends of the rest of Europe. Room 12 has creamy Romanticism and hazy Impressionism. You’ll see typical Sevillan motifs such as matadors, cigar-factory girls, and river landscapes. Enjoy these painted slices of Sevilla, then exit to experience similar scenes today.
University—Today’s university was yesterday’s fábrica de tabacos (tobacco factory), which employed 10,000 young female cigareras—including the saucy femme fatale of Bizet’s opera Carmen. In the 18th century, it was the second-largest building in Spain, after El Escorial. Wander through its halls as you walk to Plaza de España. The university’s bustling café is a good place for cheap tapas, beer, wine, and conversation (Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00, Sat 9:00-13:00, closed Sun).
Plaza de España—This square, the surrounding buildings, and the nearby María Luisa Park are the remains of the 1929 international fair, where for a year the Spanish-speaking countries of the world enjoyed a mutual-admiration fiesta. When they finish the restoration work here (it’s taking years), this delightful area—the epitome of world’s fair-style architecture—will once again be great for people-watching (especially during the 19:00-20:00 peak paseo hour). The park’s highlight is the former Spanish Pavilion. Its tiles (a trademark of Sevilla) show historic scenes and maps from every province of Spain (arranged in alphabetical order, from Álava to Zaragoza). Climb to one of the balconies for a fine view. Beware: This is a classic haunt of thieves and con artists. Believe no one here. Thieves, posing as lost tourists, will come at you with a map unfolded to hide their speedy, greedy fingers.
▲▲ Basílica de la Macarena—Sevilla’s Holy Week (Semana Santa) celebrations are Spain’s grandest. During the week leading up to Easter, the city is packed with pilgrims witnessing 60 processions carrying about 100 religious floats. If you miss the actual event, you can get a sense of it by visiting the Basílica de la Macarena and its accompanying museum to see the two most impressive floats and the darling of Holy Week, the statue of the Virgen de la Macarena.
Cost and Hours: Church-free, treasury museum-€5, audioguide-€1, Mon-Sat 9:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, Sun 9:30-14:00 & 17:00-21:00. Although far from the city center, it’s located on Sevilla’s ring road and easy to reach. Wave down a taxi and say “Basilica Macarena” (about €6 from city center). All the #C buses go there, including bus #C3 or #C4 from Puerta de Jerez (near the Torre de Oro) or Menéndez Pelayo (the ring road east of the cathedral), tel. 954-901-800, www.hermandaddelamacarena.es.
Self-Guided Tour: Despite the long history of the Macarena statue, the Neo-Baroque church was only
built in 1949 to give the oft-moved sculpture a permanent home.
• Grab a pew and study the...
Weeping Virgin: La Macarena is known as the “Weeping Virgin” for the five crystal teardrops trickling down her cheeks. She’s like a Baroque doll with human hair and articulated arms, and is even dressed in underclothes. Sculpted in the late 17th century (probably by Pedro Roldán), she’s become Sevilla’s most popular image of Mary.
Her beautiful expression—halfway between smiling and crying—is ambiguous, letting worshippers project their own emotions onto her. Her weeping can be contagious—look around you. She’s also known as La Esperanza, the Virgin of Hope, and she promises better times after the sorrow.
Installed in a side chapel (on the left) is the Christ of the Judgment (from 1654), showing Jesus on the day he was condemned. This statue and La Macarena stand atop the two most important floats of the Holy Week parades.
• To see the floats and learn more, visit the treasury museum to the left of the church.
Tesoro (Treasury Museum): This small three-floor museum tells the history of the Virgin statue and the Holy Week parades. Though rooted in medieval times, the current traditions developed around 1600, with the formation of various fraternities (hermandades). During Holy Week, they demonstrate their dedication to God by parading themed floats throughout Sevilla to retell the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. The museum displays ceremonial banners, scepters, and costumed mannequins; videos show the parades in action (some displays in English).
The three-ton float that carries the Christ of the Judgment is slathered in gold leaf and shows a commotion of figures acting out the sentencing of Jesus. (The statue of Christ—the one you saw in the church—is placed before this crowd for the Holy Week procession.) Pontius Pilate is about to wash his hands. Pilate’s wife cries as a man reads the death sentence. During the Holy Week procession, pious Sevillan women wail in the streets while relays of 48 men carry this float on the backs of their necks—only their feet showing under the drapes—as they shuffle through the streets from midnight until 14:00 in the afternoon every Good Friday. The men rehearse for months in advance to get their choreographed footwork in sync.
La Macarena follows the Christ of the Judgment in the procession. Mary’s smaller 1.5-ton float seems all silver and candles—“strong enough to support the roof, but tender enough to quiver in the soft night breeze.” Mary has a wardrobe of three huge mantles, worn in successive years. They are about 100 years old. Her six-pound gold crown/halo is from 1913. This float has a mesmerizing effect on the local crowds. They line up for hours, clapping, weeping, and throwing roses as it slowly sways along the streets, working its way through town. My Sevillan friend explained, “She knows all the problems of Sevilla and its people. We’ve been confiding in her for centuries. To us, she is hope. That’s her name—Esperanza.”
The museum collection also contains some matador paraphernalia. La Macarena is the patron saint of bullfighters, and they give thanks for her protection. Copies of her image are popular in bullring chapels. In 1912 the bullfighter José Ortega, hoping for protection, gave La Macarena the five emerald brooches she wears. It worked for eight years...until he was gored to death in the ring. For a month, La Macarena was dressed in widow’s black—the only time that has happened.
• Exit the church into the...
Macarena Neighborhood: Outside, notice the best surviving bit of Sevilla’s old walls. Originally Roman, what remains today was built by the Moors in the 12th century to (unsuccessfully) keep the Christians out. And yes, it’s from this city that a local dance band (Los del Río) changed the world by giving us the popular 1990s song “The Macarena.” He-e-y-y, Macarena!
Itálica—One of Spain’s most impressive Roman ruins is found outside the sleepy town of Santiponce, about six miles northwest of Sevilla. Founded in 206 B.C. for wounded soldiers recuperating from the Second Punic War, Itálica became a thriving town of great agricultural and military importance. It was the birthplace of famous Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Today its best-preserved ruin is its amphitheater—one of the largest in the Roman Empire—with a capacity for 30,000 spectators. Other highlights include beautiful floor mosaics, such as the one in Casa de los Pájaros (House of the Birds) that shows more than 30 species of birds. To avoid the midday heat in summer, plan your visit to arrive early or late, and definitely bring water.
Cost and Hours: €1.50; April-Sept Tue-Sat 8:30-21:00, Sun 9:00-15:00; Oct-March Tue-Sat 9:00-18:30, Sun 9:00-15:00; closed Mon year-round; last entry 30 minutes before closing, tel. 955-622-266, www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/italica.
Getting There: You can get to Itálica on bus #M-172A (30-minute trip, frequent departures from Sevilla’s Plaza de Armas station). If you’re driving, head west out of Sevilla in the direction of Huelva; after you cross the second branch of the river, turn north on SE-30/A-66, and after a few miles, get off at Santiponce. Drive past pottery warehouses and through the town to the ruins at the far (west) end.
▲Bullfights—Some of Spain’s most-intense bullfighting is done in Sevilla’s 14,000-seat bullring, Plaza de Toros. Fights are held (generally at 18:30) on most Sundays in May and June; on Easter and Corpus Christi; daily during the April Fair; and at the end of September (during the Feria de San Miguel). These serious fights, with adult matadors, are called corrida de toros and often sell out in advance. On many Thursday evenings in July, there are novillada fights, with teenage novices doing the killing and smaller bulls doing the dying. Corrida de toros seats range from €25 for high seats looking into the sun to €150 for the first three rows in the shade under the royal box; novillada seats are half that—and easy to buy at the arena a few minutes before show time (ignore scalpers outside; get information at a TI, your hotel, by phone, or online; tel. 954-210-315, www.plazadetorosdelamaestranza.com).
▲▲Bullring (Plaza de Toros) and Bullfight Museum (Museo Taurino)—Follow a bilingual (Spanish and English) 40-minute guided tour through the bullring’s strangely quiet and empty arena, its museum, and the chapel where the matador prays before the fight. (Thanks to readily available blood transfusions, there have been no deaths in nearly three decades.) The two most revered figures of Sevilla, the Virgen de la Macarena and the Jesús del Gran Poder (Christ of All Power), are represented in the chapel. In the museum, you’ll see great classic scenes and the heads of a few bulls—awarded the bovine equivalent of an Oscar for a particularly good fight. The city was so appalled when the famous matador Manolete was killed in 1947 that even the mother of the bull that gored him was destroyed. Matadors—dressed to kill—are heartthrobs in their “suits of light.” Many girls have their bedrooms wallpapered with posters of cute bullfighters.
Cost and Hours: €6.50, entrance with escorted tour only—no free time inside, 3/hour, daily May-Oct 9:30-20:00, Nov-April 9:30-19:00, until 14:00 on fight days, when chapel and horse room are closed. The last tour departs 15 minutes before closing. While they take groups of up to 50, it’s still wise to call or drop by to reserve a spot in the busy season (tel. 954-210-315, www.realmaestranza.com).
For a seven-day period that falls a week or two after Easter, much of Sevilla is packed into its vast fairgrounds for a grand party (April 16-21 in 2013). The fair, seeming to bring all that’s Andalusian together, feels friendly, spontaneous, and very real. The local passion for horses, flamenco, and sherry is clear—riders are ramrod straight, colorfully clad girls ride sidesaddle, and everyone’s drinking sherry spritzers. Women sport outlandish dresses that would look clownish elsewhere, but are somehow brilliant here en masse. Horses clog the streets in an endless parade until about 20:00, when they clear out and the streets fill with exuberant locals. The party goes for literally 24 hours a day for the entire week.
Countless private party tents, or casetas, line the lanes. Each tent is the private party zone of a family, club, or association. You need to know someone in the group—or make friends quickly—to get in. Because of the exclusivity, it has a real family-affair feeling. In each caseta, everyone knows everyone. It seems like a thousand wedding parties being celebrated at the same time.
Any tourist can have a fun and memorable evening by simply crashing the party. The city’s entire fleet of taxis (who’ll try to charge double) and buses seems dedicated to shuttling people from downtown to the fairgrounds. Given the traffic jams and inflated prices, you may be better off hiking: From the Torre del Oro, cross the San Telmo Bridge to Plaza de Cuba and hike down Calle Asunción. You’ll see the towering gate to the fairgrounds in the distance. Just follow the crowds (there’s no admission charge). Arrive before 20:00 to see the horses, but stay later, as the ambience improves after the caballos giddy-up on out. Some of the larger tents are sponsored by the city and open to the public, but the best action is in the streets, where party-goers from the livelier casetas spill out. Although private tents have bouncers, everyone is so happy that it’s not tough to strike up an impromptu friendship, become a “special guest,” and be invited in. The drink flows freely, and the food is fun and cheap.
For the best local shopping experience, follow my shopping stroll (described next). The popular pedestrian streets Sierpes and Tetuán/Velázquez—along with the surrounding lanes near Plaza Nueva—are packed with people and shops. Small shops close between 13:30 and 16:00 or 17:00 on weekdays, as well as on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. But big ones such as El Corte Inglés stay open (and air-conditioned) right through the siesta. El Corte Inglés also has a supermarket downstairs and a good but expensive restaurant (Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, closed Sun). Popular souvenir items include ladies’ fans, shawls, mantillas, other items related to flamenco (castanets, guitars, costumes), ceramics, and bullfighting posters.
Collectors’ markets hop on Sunday: stamps and coins at Plaza del Cabildo (near the cathedral) and art on Plaza del Museo (by the Museo de Bellas Artes).
Mercado del Arenal, the covered fish-and-produce market, is perfect for hungry photographers (Mon-Sat 9:00-14:30, closed Sun, least lively on Mon, on Calle Pastor y Landero at Calle Arenal, just beyond bullring).
Although many tourists never get beyond the cathedral and the Santa Cruz neighborhood, it’s important to wander west into the lively pedestrian shopping center of town. These streets—Calle Tetuán (which becomes Velázquez), Calle Sierpes, and Calle Cuna—also happen to be part of the oldest section of Sevilla. A walk here is a chance to join one of Spain’s liveliest paseos—that bustling celebration of life that takes place before dinner each evening, when everyone is out strolling, showing off their fancy shoes and making the scene. This walk (if done between 18:00 and 20:00) gives you a look at the paseo scene and the town’s most popular shops. You’ll pass windows displaying the best in both traditional and trendy fashion. The walk ends at a plush mansion of a local countess (open to the public).
Start on the pedestrianized Plaza Nueva, a 19th-century square facing the ornate city hall, which features a statue of Ferdinand III, a local favorite because he freed Sevilla from the Moors in 1248. From here wander the length of Calle Tetuán (notice the latest in outrageous shoes). Calle Tetuán becomes Velázquez, and ends at La Campana (a big intersection and popular meeting point, with the super department store, El Corte Inglés, just beyond, on Plaza del Duque de la Victoria). At La Campana, tempt yourself with sweets at the venerable Confitería La Campana.
Next, take two rights to get to Calle Sierpes, great for shopping and strolling. Calle Sierpes is the main street of the Holy Week processions—imagine it packed with celebrants and its balconies bulging with spectators. At the corner of Sierpes and Jovellanos/Sagasta, you’re near several fine shops featuring Andalusian accessories. Drop in to see how serious local women are about their fans, shawls, mantillas (ornate head scarves), and peinetas (combs designed to secure and prop up the mantilla). The most valuable mantillas are silk, and the top-quality combs are made of tortoise shell (though most women opt for much more affordable polyester and plastic). Andalusian women have various fans to match different dresses—they are considered an accessory. The mantilla comes in black (worn only on Good Friday and by the mother of the groom at weddings) and white (worn at bullfights during the April Fair).
From here turn left down Calle Sagasta. Notice that the street has two names—the modern version and a medieval one: Antigua Calle de Gallegos (“Ancient Street of the Galicians”). With the Christian victory in 1248, the Muslims were given one month to evacuate. To consolidate Christian control, settlers from the northwest corner of Iberia were planted here. This street was home to the Galicians.
Finally, you’ll arrive at the charming Plaza del Salvador. It’s teeming with life again, now that the Church of the Savior is completely restored. Backtrack left along Calle Cuna, famous for its exuberant flamenco dresses and classic wedding dresses. Local women save up to have flamenco dresses custom-made for the April Fair: They’re considered an important status symbol. (Flamenco miniskirts have been popular in recent years, but now hemlines are falling again.) If all this shopping makes you feel like a countess, Calle Cuna leads to the Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, and nearby is the super-modern Metropol Parasol structure towering over Plaza de la Encarnación.
This music-and-dance art form has its roots in the Roma (Gypsy) and Moorish cultures. Even at a packaged “flamenco evening,” sparks fly. The men do most of the flamboyant machine-gun footwork. The women often concentrate on the graceful turns and smooth, shuffling step of the soléa version of the dance. Watch the musicians. Flamenco guitarists, with their lightning-fast finger-roll strums, are among the best in the world. The intricate rhythms are set by castanets or the hand-clapping (called palmas) of those who aren’t dancing at the moment. In the raspy-voiced wails of the singers, you’ll hear echoes of the Muslim call to prayer.
Like jazz, flamenco thrives on improvisation. Also like jazz, good flamenco is more than just technical proficiency. A singer or dancer with “soul” is said to have duende. Flamenco is a happening, with bystanders clapping along and egging on the dancers with whoops and shouts. Get into it. For a tourist-oriented flamenco show, your hotel can get you nightclub show tickets (happily, since they snare a hefty commission for each sale). But it’s easy to book a place on your own. Aficionados will likely enjoy the Flamenco Dance Museum as well, which also has performances.
You basically have three options: serious—yet still touristy—flamenco shows, where the singing and dancing take center stage; even more touristy shows that have a bar and/or food (scurrying waiters can distract from the performers); and casual bars—the least touristy—where you can catch impromptu or semi-impromptu musicians at play.
Serious Flamenco Shows—Touristy flamenco shows give you all the clichés; at Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus (House of the Memory of Al-Andalus) you’ll enjoy an elegant and classy musical experience with a small cast and classic solos. In an alcohol-free atmosphere, 90 tourists sit on 3 rows of folding chairs circling a small stage for an intimate concert featuring flamenco and other Andalusian music. It’s all acoustic, and the nightly musical mix varies according to the personalities of the performers. It’s also a perfect place to practice your Spanish fan (abanico) skills on warm nights. One-hour concerts are nightly all year at 21:00; with demand, shows are added at 19:30 and/or 22:30 (€15, reservations smart, box office open Mon-Sat 10:00-14:00 and daily 18:00-22:00, same-day tickets generally available but better to buy tickets a day or more beforehand, arrive early for front-row seats, in Barrio Santa Cruz, adjacent to Hotel Alcántara at Ximénez de Enciso 28, tel. 954-560-670, www.casadelamemoria.es, flamencoreservas@casadelamemoria.es).
Auditorio Álvarez Quintero, another good option just a block from the cathedral, fills a small atrium with 85 folding chairs and good performers that change each evening (€17, nightly at 21:00, doors open at 20:30—worth arriving early to get a good seat, Álvarez Quintero 48, tel. 954-293-949, www.alvarezquintero.com).
Shows with Drinks and/or Food—These packaged shows can be a bit sterile, and an audience of tourists doesn’t help, but I find both Los Gallos and El Arenal entertaining and riveting. While El Arenal may have a slight edge on talent and feels slicker, Los Gallos has a cozier setting, with cushy rather than hard chairs—and it’s cheaper.
Los Gallos presents nightly two-hour shows at 20:00 and 22:30 (€30 ticket includes a drink, €3/person discount with this book in 2013—but limited to two admissions, arrive 30 minutes early for best seats, noisy bar but no food served, Plaza de la Santa Cruz 11, tel. 954-216-981, www.tablaolosgallos.com, owners José and Blanca promise goose bumps).
Tablao El Arenal has arguably more professional performers and a classier setting for its show—but dinner customers get the preferred seating, and waiters are working throughout the performance (€37 ticket includes a drink, €59 includes tapas, €72 includes dinner, 1.5-hour shows at 20:00 and 22:00, near bullring at Calle Rodó 7, tel. 954-216-492, www.tablaoelarenal.com).
El Patio Sevillano is more of a variety show, with flamenco as well as other forms of song and dance. At this venue, in a big hall with hard chairs, diners have the worst seats rather than the best (€37 ticket includes a drink, €59 includes tapas, €70 includes dinner, 1.5-hour shows at 19:00 and 21:30, next to bullring on busy riverfront road at Paseo de Cristóbal Colón, tel. 954-214-120, www.elpatiosevillano.com).
Impromptu Flamenco in Bars—Spirited flamenco singing still erupts spontaneously in bars throughout the old town after midnight. Head across the river to Triana and just follow your ears as you wander down Calle Betis, the riverfront street leading off Plaza de Cuba across the bridge. The Lo Nuestro and Rejoneo bars are local favorites (at Calle Betis 31A and 31B).
Or try La Carbonería Bar, the sangria equivalent of a beer garden. It’s a sprawling place with a variety of rooms leading to a big, open tented area filled with young locals, casual guitar strummers, and nearly nightly flamenco music after about 23:00 (no dancing). Located just a few blocks from most of my recommended hotels, this is worth finding if you’re not quite ready to end the day (no cover, €2.50 sangria, daily 20:00-3:00 in the morning; near Plaza Santa María—find Hotel Fernando III, the side alley Céspedes dead-ends at Levies, head left to Levies 18, unsigned door; tel. 954-214-460).
Sevilla is meant for strolling. The paseo thrives every non-winter evening in these areas: along either side of the river between the San Telmo and Isabel II bridges (Paseo de Cristóbal Colón and Triana district), up Avenida de la Constitución, around Plaza Nueva, at Plaza de España, and throughout the Barrio Santa Cruz. On hot summer nights, even families with toddlers are out and about past midnight. Spend some time rafting through this sea of humanity. Savor the view of floodlit Sevilla by night from the far side of the river—perhaps over dinner.
All of my listings are centrally located, mostly within a five-minute walk of the cathedral. The first are near the charming but touristy Santa Cruz neighborhood. The last group is just as central but closer to the river, across the boulevard in a more workaday, less touristy zone.
Room rates as much as double during the two Sevilla fiestas (Holy Week and the weeklong April Fair, held a week or two after Easter). In general, the busiest and most expensive months are April, May, September, and October. Hotels put rooms on the discounted push list in July and August—when people with good sense avoid this furnace—and from November through February. Prices generally include the IVA hotel tax. A price range indicates low- to high-season prices (but I have not listed festival prices).
If you do visit in July or August, the best values are central business-class places. They offer summer discounts and provide a (necessary) cool, air-conditioned refuge. But be warned that Spain’s air-conditioning often isn’t the icebox you’re used to, especially in Sevilla.
These places are off Calle Santa María la Blanca and Plaza Santa María. The most convenient parking lot is the underground Cano y Cueto garage near the corner of Calle Santa María la Blanca and Menéndez Pelayo (about €18/day, open 24/7, at edge of big park, unsigned). A self-service launderette is a couple of blocks away up Menéndez Pelayo.
$$$ Hotel Casa 1800, well-priced for its elegance, is worth the extra euros. Located dead-center in Santa Cruz (facing a boisterous tapas bar that quiets down after midnight), its 24 rooms circle an elegant chandeliered patio lounge that hosts a daily free afternoon tea for guests. With a rooftop terrace offering an impressive cathedral view and elegantly appointed rooms with high, beamed ceilings, it’s a winner (standard Db-€145, superior Db with private patio-€158, deluxe Db with terrace and outdoor Jacuzzi-€194, “grand deluxe” Db with all of the above and more-€280, breakfast-€9.50, air-con, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, Rodrigo Caro 6, tel. 954-561-800, www.hotelcasa1800.com, info@hotelcasa1800.com).
$$$ Hotel Las Casas de la Judería has 178 quiet, elegant rooms and suites, many of them tastefully decorated with hardwood floors and a Spanish flair. The rooms, which surround a series of peaceful courtyards, are a romantic splurge. Ask for one of the newer rooms to avoid the dated ones. The service can be stiff and stuffy (Sb-€100-160, Db-€120-200, extra bed-€45; low-season prices—July-Aug and late-Nov-Feb—are discounted a further 10 percent to those with this book who ask in 2013, but check their website for even better rates; expensive but great buffet breakfast-€20, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi in lobby, pool in summer, valet parking-€19/day, Plaza Santa María 5, tel. 954-415-150, fax 954-422-170, www.casasypalacios.com, juderia@casasypalacios.com).
$$$ El Rey Moro encircles its spacious, colorful patio (which tourists routinely duck into for a peek) with 19 rooms. Colorful and dripping with quirky Andalusian character, and thoughtful about including extras (such as free loaner bikes and private rooftop Jacuzzi time), it’s a class act (Sb-€79-99, Db-€100-129, breakfast-€9—or free if you reserve on their website, check their site for other specials, air-con, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, Lope de Rueda 14, tel. 954-563-468, www.hotelelreymoro.com, hotel@elreymoro.com).
$$ Hotel Amadeus is a little gem that music lovers will appreciate (it even has a couple of soundproof rooms with pianos—something I’ve never seen anywhere else in Europe). It’s lovingly decorated with a music motif around small courtyards, with elevators that take you to your choice of two roof terraces (one with an under-the-stars Jacuzzi). Though small, this 24-room place is classy and comfortable, with welcoming public spaces and a very charming staff. The €8.50 breakfast comes on a trolley—enjoy it in your room, in the lounge, or on a terrace (Sb-€85, Db-€98, big Db-€115, suites-€165-195, tax not included, cheaper July-Aug, air-con, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, laundry-€15, parking-€16/day, Calle Farnesio 6, tel. 954-501-443, fax 954-500-019, www.hotelamadeussevilla.com, reservas@hotelamadeussevilla.com, wonderfully run by María Luisa and her staff—Zaida and Cristina). They’ll even loan you a free laptop to access Wi-Fi in your room. Their next-door annex is every bit as charming and a similarly good value: $$$ La Música de Sevilla offers six additional, beautifully appointed rooms; three rooms face the interior patio, and three are streetside with small balconies (patio Db-€110, exterior Db-€130, tax not included, air-con, reserve and check in at Hotel Amadeus).
$$ YH Giralda, once an 18th-century abbots’ house, is now a charming 14-room hotel tucked away on a little street right off Mateo Gagos, just a couple of blocks from the cathedral. The exterior rooms have windows onto a pedestrian street, and a few of the interior rooms have small windows that look into the inner courtyard; all rooms are neatly appointed (Sb-€50-84, Db-€50-94, Tb-€75-115, Qb-€85-135, higher rates are for weekends, no breakfast, air-con, free Wi-Fi, Calle Abades 30, tel. 954-228-324, fax 954-227-019, www.yh-hoteles.com, yhgiralda@yh-hoteles.com).
$$ Hotel Alcántara offers more no-nonsense comfort than character. Well-located but strangely out of place in the midst of the Santa Cruz jumble, it rents 21 slick rooms at a good price (Sb-€71, small Db-€82, bigger Db twin-€93, fancy Db-€117; 10 percent discount or a free breakfast—your choice—if you book direct, pay cash, and show this book in 2013—not valid during Holy Week or April Fair; breakfast-€6, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, rentable laptop and bikes, outdoor patio, Ximénez de Enciso 28, tel. 954-500-595, fax 954-500-604, www.hotelalcantara.net, info@hotelalcantara.net). The hotel is adjacent to Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus, which offers concerts (described earlier under “Flamenco”).
$$ Hotel Murillo enjoys one of the most appealing locations in Santa Cruz, along one of the very narrow “kissing lanes.” Above its elegant, antiques-filled lobby are 57 nondescript rooms with marble floors (Sb-€65-90, Db-€80-105, about €25 more for “superior” rooms with fancier decor, breakfast-€8.50, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi in lobby, bar across the street closes at midnight, Lope de Rueda 7, tel. 954-216-095, www.hotelmurillo.com, reservas@hotelmurillo.com). They also rent apartments with kitchens (Db-€90-120, see website for details).
$ Pensión Córdoba, a homier and cheaper option, has 12 tidy, quiet rooms, solid modern furniture, and a showpiece tiled courtyard (S-€35-45, Sb-€40-55, D-€50-65, Db-€60-75, no breakfast, cash only, air-con, free Internet access and Wi-Fi in lobby, on a tiny lane off Calle Santa María la Blanca at Farnesio 12, tel. 954-227-498, www.pensioncordoba.com, reservas@pensioncordoba.com, Ana and María).
$ Pensión San Benito Abad, with eight humble rooms, faces a traditional Sevilla courtyard buried at the end of a dead-end lane just off Plaza Santa María. The rooms are dark, with windows that open onto an inner courtyard. The hardworking owners don’t speak English, but offer some of the most conveniently located cheap rooms in town (S-€25, D-€40, Db-€50, slightly cheaper if you don’t use the air-con or heat, no breakfast, limited parking-€20/day, on a tiny lane next to Cano y Cueto garage at Calle Canarios 4, tel. 954-415-255, www.hostalsanbenito.com, hostalsanbenito@gmail.com, Charo and Tomás).
$ Samay Hostel, on a busy street a block from the edge of the Barrio Santa Cruz, is a youthful, well-run slumbermill with 90 beds in 23 rooms (Db-€25-32/person, bunk in 4- to 10-bed dorm-€15-18, includes linens, buffet breakfast-€2.20, shared kitchen, air-con, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, laundry service, 24-hour reception, rooftop terrace, Menéndez Pelayo 13, tel. 955-100-160, www.samayhostels.com, Pablo).
$$$ Hotel Alminar, plush and elegant, rents 12 fresh, slick, minimalist rooms (Sb-€60-95, Db-€95-125, superior Db with terrace-€115-155, extra bed-€25, breakfast-€6, air-con, elevator, loaner laptop-€2/hour, free Wi-Fi, just 100 yards from the cathedral at Álvarez Quintero 52, tel. 954-293-913, fax 954-212-197, www.hotelalminar.com, reservas@hotelalminar.com, run by well-dressed, never-stressed Francisco).
$$ Hotel San Francisco may have a classy facade, but inside its 17 rooms are sparsely decorated, with metal doors. It’s centrally located, clean, and quiet, except for the noisy ground-floor room next to the TV and reception (Sb-€40-55, Db-€50-68, Tb-€62-80, no breakfast, air-con, elevator, small rooftop terrace with cathedral view, free Wi-Fi in lobby with loaner netbook, located on pedestrian street at Álvarez Quintero 38, tel. 954-501-541, www.sanfranciscoh.com, info@sanfranciscoh.com, Carlos).
$$$ Hotel Vincci La Rábida, part of a big, impersonal hotel chain, offers four-star comfort with its 103 rooms, huge and inviting courtyard lounge, and powerful air-conditioning. Its pricing is dictated by a magical computer that has perfect price discrimination down to a science (see website for prices—rates can spike to €400 with high demand and dip to €80 during slow times, when that air-con is most welcome; elevator, pay Wi-Fi, Castelar 24, tel. 954-501-280, fax 954-216-600, www.vinccihoteles.com, larabida@vinccihoteles.com).
$$$ Hotel Taberna del Alabardero is unique, with only seven rooms occupying the top floor of a poet’s mansion (above the recommended classy restaurant, Taberna del Alabardero). It’s nicely located, a great value, and the ambience is perfectly circa 1900 (Db-€130-160, Db suite-€200-250, tax not included, 10 percent discount with this book in 2013, includes breakfast, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, parking-€20, closed in Aug, Zaragoza 20, tel. 954-502-721, fax 954-563-666, www.tabernadelalabardero.es, rest.alabardero@esh.es).
$$ Hotel Maestranza, sparkling with loving care and charm, has 18 small, clean, simple rooms well-located on a street just off Plaza Nueva. It feels elegant for the price. To escape the noise from the tapas bars below, ask for an interior room, especially on weekends (Sb-€41-53, Db-€57-87, family suite-€105-135, extra bed-€20, 5 percent cash discount, no breakfast, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, Gamazo 12, tel. 954-561-070, fax 954-214-404, www.hotelmaestranza.es, sevilla@hotelmaestranza.es, Antonio).
$ Oasis Backpackers Hostel is a good place for cheap beds and for hanging out and connecting with young backpackers. Each of the eight rooms, with up to eight double bunks, comes with a modern bathroom and individual lockers. The rooftop terrace—with lounge chairs, a small pool, and adjacent kitchen—is well-used (€15-20/bed, includes breakfast, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, just off Plaza de la Encarnación behind the church at #29 1/2 on the tiny and quiet lane, tel. 954-293-777, www.hostelsoasis.com, sevilla@hostelsoasis.com). They also have popular branches in Granada, Málaga, and Lisbon.
Local soups, such as salmorejo (Córdoba-style super-thick gazpacho) and ajo blanco (almond-based with garlic), are tasty. A popular Andalusian meal is fried fish, particularly marinated adobo. I like taquitos de merluza (hake fish), but for a mix of fish, ask for frito variado.
Restaurants generally serve lunch from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 20:00 until very late (Spaniards don’t start dinner until about 21:00). If you’re hungry for dinner before the locals are, do the tapas tango. Wash down your tapas with fino (chilled dry sherry) or the more refreshing tinto de verano (“summer red wine”), an Andalusian red wine with soda, like a mild sangria. A good, light white wine is barbadillo. And for a heavy red, always go for the Rioja.
The colorful Triana district—on the west bank of the river, between the San Telmo and Isabel II bridges—is filled with rustic and fun eateries. The riverside and traffic-free Calle Betis is lined with a variety of places to eat, from fine riverside restaurants to sloppy fish joints. It also comes with good picnic and take-out opportunities for romantics.
Bars along the river and the parallel street one block inland are good for tapas. Before sitting down, walk to the Santa Ana church (midway between the bridges, two blocks off the river), where tables spill onto the square behind the church (Plazuela de Santa Ana) in the shadow of the floodlit spire. It feels like the whole neighborhood is out celebrating.
Bar Bistec, with most of the square’s tables, does grilled fish with gusto. They’re enthusiastic about their cod fritters and calamari, and brag about their pigeon, quail, and snails in sauce. Consider the indoor seating and the fun at the bar before sitting out on the square (€8 half-raciones, €14 raciones, daily 11:30-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, Plazuela de Santa Ana, tel. 954-274-759).
Taberna La Plazuela is self-service, doing simpler fare with enticing €10 tostones (giant fancy Andalusian bruschetta, good for 3-4 people) and €2.30 montaditos (little sandwiches). Get what you want and grab a table on the leafy square. Ignore the printed menu and read the daily specials board (same hours and owners as Bar Bistec, above).
Bar Santa Ana, just a block away alongside the church, is a rustic neighborhood sports-and-bull bar with great seating on the street. Peruse the interior, draped in bullfighting and Weeping Virgin memorabilia. It’s always busy with the neighborhood gang enjoying fun tapas like delicia de solomillo (tenderloin) and the bar’s willingness to serve even cheap tapas at the outdoor tables. If you stand at the bar, they’ll keep track of your bill by chalking it directly on the counter in front of you (long hours, typically closed one day per week—closed Sun during April Fair, facing the side of the church at Pureza 82, tel. 954-272-102).
Restaurante Río Grande is your stuffy, candlelit-fancy option—the place for a restaurant dinner, with properly attired waiters and a full menu rather than tapas. Dining on the terrace is less expensive and more casual (€10-20 starters, €18-25 main dishes, daily 13:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, air-con, 2-person minimum for house specialties—paella and rice dishes, also lots of seafood, next to the San Telmo Bridge, tel. 954-273-956).
El Faro de Triana is actually the old yellow bridge tower overlooking the Isabel II Bridge. While professional, it’s less formal and quirkier than Río Grande. They offer inexpensive tapas, €7-9 half-raciones, €12-18 raciones, and grand views over the river from the top floor (the views are better than the food; some diners object to strong river aroma). Choose from four dining zones: rooftop, outdoor terrace just below the rooftop (perhaps the best), riverside metal tables on the sidewalk, and the bar. There’s no cover charge, but they don’t serve tapas on the roof or riverside (open daily, bar—8:00-24:00, restaurant—13:00-24:00, tel. 954-336-192).
La Taberna del Pescador, with tablecloths on its riverside tables, is a fancy dining option (€6-12 half-raciones, €10-16 raciones, daily 8:00-24:00, 50 yards from Puente de Isabel II on Calle Betis, tel. 954-330-069).
Bodega Restaurante La María also offers fine tableclothtype restaurant seating on the riverside, but with a formal menu focusing on fresh fish and grilled meat rather than tapas (€5-10 half-raciones, €9-16 raciones, Wed-Mon 13:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, closed Tue, Calle Betis 12, tel. 954-338-461).
These eateries—for tapas, dining, and cheaper eats—are handy to my recommended Barrio Santa Cruz accommodations.
For tapas, the Barrio Santa Cruz is trendy and romántico. Plenty of atmospheric-but-touristy restaurants fill the neighborhood near the cathedral and along Calle Santa María la Blanca. From the cathedral, walk up Mateos Gago, where several classic old bars—with the day’s tapas scrawled on chalkboards—keep tourists and locals well fed and watered. (Turn right at Mesón del Moro for several more.)
A block farther, you’ll find Bodega Santa Cruz (a.k.a. Las Columnas), a popular, user-friendly standby with cheap, unpretentious tapas. You’re not coming here for the food (which is basic), but for the bustling atmosphere, as locals and tourists alike crowd the place, inside and out, for hours on end. You can keep an eye on the busy kitchen from the bar, or hang out like a cowboy at the tiny stand-up tables out front. Separate chalkboards list €2 tapas and €2 montaditos (little sandwiches served on a bun).
Las Teresas is a characteristic small bar draped in fun photos. It serves good tapas from a tight little menu. Prices at the bar and outside tables (for fun tourist-watching) are the same, but they serve tapas only at the bar. The hams (with little upside-down umbrellas that catch the dripping fat) are a reminder that the Spanish are enthusiastic about their cured-meat dishes (€3-4 tapas, €8-10 half-raciones, €14-19 raciones, open daily, Calle Santa Teresa 2, tel. 954-213-069).
Cervecería Giralda is a long-established meeting place for locals. With an almost genteel tiled setting and stiff waiters, it has an upscale air. It’s famous for its fine tapas, but feels particularly touristy (confirm prices, stick with straight items on menu rather than expensive trick specials proposed by waiters; daily 9:00-24:00, Mateos Gago 1).
Corral del Agua Restaurante, a romantic pink-tablecloth place with a smart interior and charming courtyard seating, serves fine Andalusian cuisine deep in the Barrio Santa Cruz (€7-14 starters, €16-23 main dishes, three-course lunch special with a glass of wine—€20, Mon-Sat 12:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, closed Sun, arrive early or reserve ahead, Calle Agua 6, tel. 954-224-841).
Restaurante Modesto is a local favorite serving pricey but top-notch Andalusian fare—especially fish—with a comfortable dining room and atmospheric outdoor seating in the bright, bustling square just outside the Barrio Santa Cruz. They offer creative, fun meals—look around before ordering—and a good €20 fixed-price lunch or dinner served by energetic, occasionally pushy waiters. Their €9 house salad is a meal, and their €15.10 fritura modesto (fried seafood plate) is popular (€7-15 starters, €12-20 main dishes, inside open daily 12:00-17:00 & 20:00-24:00, outside tables open daily 12:00-24:00, near Santa María la Blanca at Cano y Cueto 5, tel. 954-416-811). Across the street is the related Modesto Tapas, with stand-up tables and a more basic all-tapas menu (also with outdoor seating; at Cano y Cueto 2).
Freiduría Puerta de la Carne and Bar Restaurante El 3 de Oro are a two-for-one operation. Freiduría is a fried-fish-to-go place, with great outdoor seating, while El 3 de Oro is a fancier restaurant across the street that serves fine wine or beer to the fry shop’s outdoor tables. First go into the fry shop and order a cheap cone of tasty fried fish with a tomato salad. Study the photos of the various kinds of seafood available; un quarto (250 grams for €5-7) serves one person. Then head out front and flag down a server to order a drink (technically from the restaurant), all while enjoying a great outdoor setting—almost dining for the cost of a picnic (Freiduría open daily in summer 20:00-24:30, also open for lunch in off-season; El 3 de Oro open Mon-Sat 13:00-16:30 & 19:30-24:00, Sun lunch only; Santa María la Blanca 34, tel. 954-426-820).
Restaurante San Marco offers reasonably priced pizza and fun, basic Italian cuisine under the arches of what was a Moorish bath in the Middle Ages (and a disco in the 1990s). The air-conditioned atmosphere feels upscale but is easygoing and family-friendly with live Spanish guitar every night (€7-9 salads, pizza, and pasta; €10-17 meat dishes; daily 13:00-16:15 & 20:00-24:00, Calle Mesón del Moro 6, tel. 954-564-390, staff speaks English, welcoming Angelo).
Breakfast and Dessert on Plaza Santa María la Blanca: Several nondescript places seem to keep travelers happy at breakfast time on the sunny main square near most of my recommended hotels. I like Café Bar Carmela. For the cost of a continental breakfast at your hotel (€5.50-7.50), you can have a hearty American-style breakfast on the square (easy menus, open from 8:30, Calle Santa María la Blanca 6, tel. 954-540-590). For dessert, head to the family-owned gelato shop Villar. Maestro Heladero Antonino has been making ice cream in Sevilla for the past 40 years, with a focus on fresh, natural, and inventive products. Try flavors like sangria or Sevilla mora, which tastes just like Christmas pudding (daily 12:00-24:00, Puerto de la Carne 3, tel. 664-608-335, Antonino’s friendly wife Cecilia speaks English and doles out samples).
I don’t like the restaurants surrounding the cathedral, but many good places are just across Avenida de la Constitución. In the area between the cathedral and the river, you can find tapas, cheap eats, and fine dining.
Calle García de Vinuesa leads past several colorful and cheap tapas places to a busy corner surrounded with happy eateries.
Horno San Buenaventura, across from the cathedral on the corner of García de Vinuesa and the Avenida, is a big, venerable bakery with a quiet dining room upstairs. Its slick, chrome-filled, spacious main floor is lined with long display cases of sandwiches and desserts. The tapas bar upstairs has table service only (open daily, light meals are posted by the door, avoid the frozen paella).
Bodega Morales, farther up Calle García de Vinuesa (at #11), oozes old Sevilla ambience. The front area is more of a drinking bar; for food, go in the back section (if it’s crowded, use the separate entrance around the corner). Here, sitting among huge adobe jugs, you can munch tiny sandwiches (montaditos) and tapas. Both are the same price (€2 montaditos, €2 tapas, €6 half-raciones—order at the bar, Sun-Fri 12:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, closed Sat, tel. 954-221-242).
Freiduría La Isla, across the street, has been frying fish since 1938 (they renovated a few years ago...and changed the oil). Along with pescado frito (€5.50-7.50), they also sell wonderful homemade potato chips and fried almonds. It’s family-friendly, with an easy English menu. Try their €6 adobo (marinated shark) or frito variado for a fish sampler. It’s pretty much all fried fish, except for a tomato and pepper dish and their €1.50 gazpacho, offered only in the summer (Mon 20:00-23:00, Tue-Sat 13:00-15:30 & 20:00-23:00, closed Sun).
Bodega Paco Góngora is colorful and a bit classier than most tapas bars, with a tight dining area and delightful tapas served at the bar. Its sit-down meals are well presented and reasonably priced (€2-5 tapas, €8-10 half-raciones, daily 12:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, ask for the English menu, off Plaza Nueva at Calle Padre Marchena 1, tel. 954-214-139).
Mesón Serranito has a long hall with a mural-tile bar and ham hocks on one side, and bulls’ heads over tables on the other. It’s relatively spacious and typically full of happily munching locals (€8-9 platos combinados, daily 8:00-24:00, Antonia Díaz 11, tel. 954-211-243).
Mercado del Arenal, the covered fish-and-produce market, is ideal for both snapping photos and grabbing a cheap lunch. As with most markets, you’ll find characteristic little diners with prices designed to lure in savvy shoppers, not to mention a crispy fresh world of picnic goodies—and a riverside promenade with benches just a block away (Mon-Sat 9:00-14:30, closed Sun, sleepy on Mon, on Calle Pastor y Landero at Calle Arenal, just beyond bullring). There’s also a fancier fish restaurant in the market with a great lunch deal (see Taberna del Alabardero, in next section).
Marisquería Arenal Sevilla is a popular fish restaurant that thrives in the middle of the Arenal Market. When the market closes (daily at 14:30), this eatery stays open. You’ll be eating in the empty Industrial Age market with workers dragging their crates around. It’s a great family-friendly, finger-licking-good scene much appreciated by its enthusiastic local following. Fish is priced by weight, so be careful when ordering, and always double-check the bill (€6-18 fish plates, generally open 13:00-17:00 & 21:00-24:00, closed Sun night and all day Mon, reservations smart for dinner, Mercado del Arenal, enter on Calle Pastor y Landero 9, tel. 954-220-881).
La Societé is an antidote for the same old variations-on-a-theme Sevillan tapas bars. With a sleek, Ikea-mod ambience and a long chalkboard menu of €3 montaditos (sandwiches), it’s a welcome break (€3-5 tapas, €6-9 half-raciones, €10-12 raciones, daily 12:00-17:00 & 20:00-24:00, Adriano 8).
Restaurante Enrique Becerra is a fancy little 10-table place popular with local foodies. It’s well-known for its gourmet Andalusian cuisine and fine wine. Muscle past the well-dressed locals at the tapas bar for gourmet snacks and wine by the glass, or head to the quieter upstairs dining room. While the restaurant satisfies its guests with quality food, given the tight seating and its popularity with tourists, it can feel like a trap (€3-4 tapas available only at the bar, otherwise €11-18 starters and €19-26 main dishes, Mon-Sat 13:00-16:30 & 20:00-24:00, closed Sun, reservations essential, Gamazo 2, tel. 954-213-049).
Taberna del Alabardero, one of Sevilla’s finest restaurants, serves refined Spanish cuisine in chandeliered elegance just a couple of blocks from the cathedral. If you order à la carte, it adds up to about €45 a meal, but for €48 (or €58 with wine) you can have a fun five-course fixed-price meal with lots of little surprises from the chef. Or consider their €18/person (no sharing) starter sampler, followed by an entrée. The service in the fancy upstairs dining rooms gets mixed reviews (carefully read and understand your bill)...but the setting is stunning (daily 13:00-16:30 & 20:00-24:00, closed Aug, air-con, reservations smart, Zaragoza 20, tel. 954-502-721).
Taberna del Alabardero Student-Served Lunch: The ground-floor dining rooms (elegant but nothing like upstairs) are popular with local office workers for a great-value, student-chef-prepared, fixed-price lunch sampler (three delightful courses-€13 Mon-Fri, €18 Sat-Sun; €20 dinner available daily, drinks not included, open daily 13:00-16:30 & 20:00-23:30). To avoid a wait, arrive before 14:00 (no reservations possible).
Note that many destinations are well served by both trains and buses.
From Sevilla by AVE Train to Madrid: The AVE express train is expensive (€81, €8 cheaper during off-peak times, minimum €10.35 reservation fee with railpass) but fast (2.5 hours to Madrid; hourly departures 7:00-23:00). Departures between 16:00 and 19:00 can book up far in advance, but surprise holidays and long weekends can totally jam up trains as well—reserve as far ahead as possible.
From Sevilla by Train to Córdoba: There are three options for this journey: slow and cheap regional trains (6/day, 80 minutes, €14), fast and cheap regional high-speed Avant trains (9/day, 45 minutes, €21, requires reservation), and fast and expensive AVE trains en route to Madrid (2-3/hour, 45 minutes, €36, requires reservation). Unless you must be on a particular departure, there’s no reason to pay double for AVE; Avant is just as quick and half the price. (If you have a railpass, you still must buy a reservation: €6.50 for Avant or €10.35 for AVE.)
Other Trains from Sevilla to: Málaga (7/day, 2 hours on AVE or Avant; 6/day, 2.5 hours on slower regional trains), Ronda (2/day, 4 hours, transfer in Bobadilla), Granada (4/day, 3 hours), Jerez (12/day, 1.25 hours), Barcelona (11/day, 5.5-6 hours; plus one overnight train, 13 hours), Algeciras (3/day, 5 hours, transfer at Córdoba, Antequera, or Bobadilla). Trains run to Lisbon, Portugal, but they take a long time, since they go through Madrid; buses to Lisbon are far better (see later). Train info: toll tel. 902-320-320, www.renfe.com.
Sevilla has two bus stations: The El Prado station, just south of the Alcázar, primarily serves regional destinations; the Plaza de Armas station, farther north (near the bullring), handles most long-distance buses. Bus info: tel. 954-908-040 but rarely answered, go to TI for latest schedule info.
From Sevilla’s El Prado station to Andalucía and the South Coast: Regional buses are operated by Comes (www.tgcomes.es), Los Amarillos (www.losamarillos.es), and Linesur (www.linesur.com). Connections to Jerez are frequent, as many southbound buses head there first (7-10/day, 1.5 hours, run by all three companies; note that train is also possible—see above). Los Amarillos runs buses to some of Andalucía’s hill towns, including Ronda (8/day, 2-2.5 hours, some via Villamartín, fewer on weekends) and Arcos (2/day, 2 hours; many more departures possible with transfer in Jerez). For the South Coast, a handy Comes bus departs Sevilla four times a day and heads for Tarifa (2.5-3.25 hours), Algeciras (3-4 hours), and La Línea/Gibraltar (4-4.5 hours). However, if Algeciras is your goal, Linesur has a much faster direct connection (7-8/day, 2.5 hours). There are also two buses a day from this station to Granada (3 hours); the rest depart from the Plaza de Armas station.
From Sevilla’s Plaza de Armas station to: Madrid (departures generally on the hour, 6 hours, €20, tel. 902-229-292), Córdoba (7/day, 2.5 hours), Granada (7/day, 3 hours directo, 3.5-4.5 hours ruta), Málaga (6/day direct, 2.5-3 hours, connects to Nerja), Nerja (2/day, 4.75 hours), Barcelona (2/day, 16.5 hours, including one overnight bus). Information: tel. 902-450-550.
By Bus to Portugal: The best way to get to Lisbon, Portugal, is by bus (2/day, departures at 15:00 and 24:00, 7 hours, €37, departs Plaza de Armas station, tel. 954-905-102, www.alsa.es). The midnight departure continues past Lisbon to Coimbra (arriving 10:30) and Porto (arriving 12:15). Sevilla also has direct bus service to Lagos, Portugal, on the Algarve (4/day in summer, 2/day off-season, about 4.5 hours, €21, buy ticket a day or two in advance May-Oct, tel. 954-907-737, www.damas-sa.es). The bus departs from Sevilla’s Plaza de Armas bus station and arrives at the Lagos bus station. If you’d like to visit Tavira on the way to Lagos, purchase a bus ticket to Tavira, have lunch there, then take the train to Lagos.
