Seville - More Attractions

During your Seville visit, you will find that travelling from your hotel to the numerous activities and attractions in the city will be fairly easy. Seville's city layout is quite easy to understand. The town centre lies within the boundaries of the old Arab walls on the east bank of the Guadalquivir River and this is where you find most of the city’s attractions. These walls, which are visible in parts, enclose an area where it is difficult to drive a car. Streets are mostly still as narrow as in the Middle Ages, so buses generally don’t enter this area. The most practical way to get around here is to walk, enjoy the hustle and bustle, and when you feel tired just hail one of the many cheap taxis.

Outside this area, and to travel around the perimeter of the centre, buses are the best option for getting around in terms of cost and destinations covered, while for comfort and convenience, taxis provide a better option. If you’re only in town for a short time and want to see as much as possible during your stay, then the hop-on, hop-off tourist buses are by far your best option.

Public bus services in Seville are provided by the TUSSAM bus company and a total of 10 different routes operate on a daily basis. For visitors, the most useful services are the C1, C2, C3 and C4 circular lines which provide connections between city centre locations. Services commence at 06:00 and conclude at 23:45. Buses in Seville are easily recognised by their bright orange colour and are generally single-decker vehicles only.

Here are a few hints when you decide to ride the buses in Seville. Exact change is appreciated when paying and after 9pm it is mandatory. There are a limited number of night buses with routes that typically end around 2am. Ring the bell if you want to get off at the next stop. You may need to push a button to open the door on some buses. Route maps can be obtained in the tourist office. You can also see where most buses go by looking at the map at the bus stop itself. People generally get in line for the bus, so you should put yourself behind the others already there but realise that at some stops not all people in line will want the first bus that comes along.

Visitors requiring taxis will find hailing them in the street a fairly easy and reliable option at most times. Taxi drivers on the whole are not the best English speakers in the country, so arming yourself with a map or a phrasebook is a wise course of action. If you are staying at a reputable hotel, an English speaking hotel representative will usually call a taxi and explain the whereabouts of your desired destination to the driver on your behalf.

Bus services travelling between the most popular sites in central Seville are available to tourists. Sightseers can get on and off the buses at whim in order to spend time exploring key areas. Purchase a ticket at the beginning of the day and ride as many times as you like for the duration of that day.

Seville's tram finally opened to the public in October 2007 after much testing. At present the tram's route is short; just connecting Plaza Nueva with the Prado de San Sebastian bus station, a total of 1.3 km. This is generally though what is otherwise a pedestrian only area. The stops, from the center going further out, are Plaza Nueva, Avda. Constitución (in front of Correos), Puerta de Jerez (in front of Hotel Alfonso XII and the University) and Prado de San Sebastian (just next to the regional bus station). You can purchase single trip tickets at any of the stops using ATM like machines. The price per single trip is 1 Euro.

Seville carriages are a city institution and the romantic way to tour the city. The horse carriages are widely available around the Cathedral with an official price of €30 - 40 an hour but you will find that they ask this even for a short trip. They seat four with the possibility of a fifth passenger seated next to the driver.

A great option if you are staying in Seville for a week or more are the Sevici bikes which are available throughout the city with special docking stations that allow you to easily grab a bike and go wherever you need, then drop it off at another station when you arrive. Bikes cost 5 Euro for a week pass, which allows the first 1/2 hour free and subsequent hours are one Euro each.

Seville can really boast about its wide variety of parks, both private and public. The city has some of the most beautiful city parks in Europe, including the Park of Maria Luisa, as well as numerous plazas and open spaces where you can happily people watch for hours. For a leisurely stroll, it's hard to beat the Paseo de Colon on the banks of the Guadalquivir River which stretches from the bridge leading to the interesting area of Triana to the historic Toro de Oro.

The oldest garden remaining in Seville is the Patio de Los Naranjos (Orange Tree Patio). It was once part of the old mosque, where the worshippers washed their hands and feet in the fountains before prayer. The patio is now part of the city's cathedral. Also of the same period is the garden in the Casa de Contratacion (House of Trade) in the Alcazar. It has recently been restored with the addition of some handsome American palm trees. You will also see that the Alcázar has a host of other beautifully landscaped gardens.

The parks and gardens include many that were the former private gardens and parklands of the city's nobility. Whether it is just a small square with surrounding trees or a larger open space, they are all peaceful places to relax. But don’t forget the small private gardens that you can see everywhere. Some of the prettiest have been developed on the concrete in areas such as Santa Cruz. You can often see them through the fence or gate.

Here are a few public spaces which you could try for people watching and great relaxing.

Parque de María Luisa - Avenida de la Borbolla, Paseo de las Delicias.
This vast parkland in the centre of Seville is well planted and features an enormous amount of attractions. Named after Princess María Luisa, who donated part of the grounds from her Palacio de San Telmo to Seville in 1893, the park has been well designed and is heavily planted with trees, shrubs and flowers from around the world. The park's most impressive features are the Plaza de España and the Plaza de America.

Delicias gardens - Paseo de las Delicias
These were created during 1825-1835. In 1864 marble pedestals and busts were brought to this garden from the Gardens of the Archiepiscopal Palace of Umbrete and formally located in the Plaza del Museo. At the time of the Latin American Exhibition of 1929, the Pavilion of Guinea (which no longer exists) and the Pavilion of Morocco were constructed within extensions of these gardens.

Catalina de Ribera gardens - Ave. Menéndez y Pelayo
These gardens, nestling against the alcazar walls, were created in 1898 from the donation of a wide strip of the Huerto del Retiro. In these gardens is the monument to Caterina de Ribera, the work of Juan Talavera and Heredia.


Murillo gardens - Avd. Menéndez y Pelayo
The Murillo Gardens also stand adjacent to the Alcazar and contain many sculptures showing the artistic excellence of the Sevillian artists. The gardens were created by the cession made in 1911 by King Alfonso XIII from the Huerto del Retiro. In these gardens is the square dedicated to the painter García Ramos, which was erected on the initiative of his students.

San Telmo gardens
This is the gardened area between the Avenue of Mª Luisa and the Avenue of the Rábida. The gardens originally belonged to the Palace of San Telmo and were granted to the City by the Church, the then owner of the area, to enable the construction of several pavilions for the Latin American Exhibition of 1929. They were used from 1958 to 1980 to host the Latin American Fair of Samples.

In the 16th century, a former branch of the Guadalquivir River was dried, and on its grounds the tree-lined Alameda Promenade was built. This vast open space near the center of Seville, is surrounded by Alamo trees, that give the place part of its name – Alameda.

Two marble columns were placed at the entrance in 1574. These came from a nearby Roman temple of the 2nd century. These are the oldest monuments in Seville. Since 1754 the columns in the Alameda de Hercules carry the statues of Julius Cesar and Hercules, who, according to legend, are the two founding fathers of Seville. Seville was supposedly founded by Hercules and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilisation. It was called Hispalis under the Romans and Isbiliya with the Moors.

Nowadays it is a lively neighbourhood with many different types of bars and terraces where you can enjoy morning coffee and breakfast, evening tapas and beer, or late night drinks. The area has a certain bohemian air, which cannot be found in other areas of Seville. We found it a good place to mix with a variety of people that were enjoying their leisure time on or around the Alameda. Every Sunday morning, an interesting flea market with antiques and second-hand goods takes place on the Alameda promenade.

This area can be reached on a walking tour from central Seville. We started in Calle Jovellanos Gallegos, at the church of San Salvador, built in the 16th century and radically remodeled in Churrigueresque style at the end of the 18th century. It contains works by Montañés, including an "Ecce Homo", and a painting by Murillo.

Some 500metres east of San Salvador by way of Calle de Aguilas, in the Plaza de Pilatos, is the 16th century Casa de Pilatos, built by Moorish and Christian architects. This is popularly believed to be a copy of Pilate's house in Jerusalem. It is in a variant of the Mudéjar style, modified by Gothic and Renaissance features. The house is laid out around a beautiful patio decorated with pieces of antique sculpture. A number of rooms are occupied by a museum of Roman sculpture.

A little way north of here Pedro is the church of Santa Catalina, with a tower which was originally the minaret of a mosque. From Santa Catalina, Calle Gerona runs northwest to Seville's 15th century Palacio de las Dueñas, which has a beautiful Mudéjar-style patio.

You now head almost west to the Alameda de Hércules and you will want to sit and take in the scene. Now that you are here it is worthwhile going to the west of the Alameda de Hércules to the church of San Lorenzo, with a beautiful high altar by Montañés and a much venerated figure of Christ, Nuestro Señor del Gran Poder (by Juan de Mesa), in a side chapel.

La Macarena is a popular neighborhood of Seville. The neighborhood is best known as being home to the Virgen de la Macarena whose wooden statue dates from the 16th century and can be found in the Basilica. We stayed in this area at the Hotel Melia Macarena.
Besides the Basilica de la Macarena, there are a number of other points of interest in this traditional neighborhood. The largest surviving portion of the medieval city walls, built largely by the ruling Arabs prior to the city's reconquest in the 13th century, spans from the Basilica (Puerta de la Macarena) to the Puerta de Cordob.
This impressive, well-preserved 400-metre section in Macarena, is near the Andalucian parliament building. These are the remains of the city walls, or murallas, dating from the 12th century. It is said that Seville was once the most strongly fortified city in Europe.
It was the Romans, probably under Julius Caesar, who constructed the first city defences. But the Almoravids, Moors who ruled Andalucia in the 11th and 12th centuries, were responsible for the simple but effective 6km-long walls. They were designed to defend the city against both enemy attacks and frequent floods from the river Guadalquivir.
The murallas had numerous watchtowers and various gates, with a sentry path along the middle. In the 1860s however, the great walls were razed to allow municipal growth and development. Today only three gates remain: Puerta de Córdoba, Puerta Macarena and Postigo del Aceite, while towers you can see include the Torre de Oro (Golden Tower), by the river. The Macarena Gate and church are shown in one of the photographs.
Puerta de Córdoba is a typical Moorish horseshoe arch. St Hermenegildo was martyred there in 578 and his church is behind the gate. Puerta Macarena, in front of the church of La Macarena, dates from the 2nd century AD. It was rebuilt after the Lisbon earthquake in the 18th century. Postigo del Aceite was where oil and fat entered the city. It was built in 1107 and reformed in 1573.

The Parliament of Andalusia is found in the modern part of the Macarena, although like a number of structures it predates the 20th Century by many centuries. The pathway leading to the building is lined with palm trees and has a real tropical feel. The actual Parliament building was built in 1546 and up until 1972 it was a grand hospital (El Hospital de las Cinco Llagas). The Andalusian parliament (one of four regional legislatures in Spain) first met here in 1992. Further down the Ronda Historica, which is the broad thoroughfare that circles the enormous historic center of Seville is the Convento de los Capuchinos.

One of the great sightseeing highlights in Seville is the lovely cathedral (see my Seville Sightseeing journal) but there are many other churches and religious buildings just crying out for a piece of your time. Seville's parish churches display a fascinating variety of architectural styles. Several are converted mosques with belfries built over their minarets, while others range through Mudejar and Gothic (sometimes in combination), to Renaissance and Baroque.
Although our time was limited (when is it not?) we took the opportunity to see the following and we were not disappointed that we did.
Iglesia del Salvador - Plaza del Salvador, Seville, 41002
In the historic centre of Seville, the Iglesia del Salvador was constructed on the remains of a mosque that dates back well over 1,000 years. With some remains of the mosque still present, this is a famous church located not far from the cathedral. Highlights include a tall bell tower, a collection of altarpieces dating back to the 18th century, fountains and large, established orange trees.
Church open: Monday to Saturday - 08:45 to 10:00 and 18:30 to 21:00, 10:30 to 14:00 and 19:00 to 20:45 Sunday and holidays.

Iglesia de San Julián - Plaza de San Julián, 2, Seville, 41003
The Iglesia de San Julián is a 14th-century Gothic-style church that is situated in a slightly inconvenient location south of the Alameda de Herculesl. Dedicated to the Patron of the town hall, the Virgen de la Hiniesta, this church has many beautiful features, such as a 400-year-old statue, sculptures, silver lights and an 18th-century altarpiece. The church is only open for limited hours: Monday to Friday - 18:30 to 20:30, Saturday - 18:30 to 21:00, Sunday - 09:30 to 12:30

Iglesia de San Nicolás - Muñoz y Pabón, Seville, 41004
The Iglesia de San Nicolás was built in the 18th century and is situated north of the more well-known Iglesia del Salvador. Highlights include five naves, a large altar, marble columns, ornate silverwork and some splendid sculptures, such as the statue of San José that was created in 1678.
This church is also open for limited hours: Monday to Saturday - 19:30 to 20:30, Sunday - 11:30 to 12:30

Iglesia de San Marcos - Plaza de San Marcos, Seville, 41002
This beautiful 14th-century church out towards the old city walls has much to offer visitors. Inside are several detailed, 17th-century baroque sculptures and outside, the large tower based on the minaret of an earlier mosque is an impressive feature of the chapel.
In the plaza at the back of the church is the Convento de Santa Isabel, founded in 1490. It became a women's prison in the 19th century. The church dates from 1609. Its baroque portal, facing onto Plaza de Santa Isabel, has a bas-relief of the Visitation.

Iglesia de San Ildefonso - Plaza de San Ildefonso, Seville, 41004
Built in the mid-19th century, Seville's Iglesia de San Ildefonso is full of numerous works of art, including paintings and beautiful, stone sculptures. The church has two impressive baroque-style towers that give the church a temple-like appearance. Situated in the historic centre of Seville, the individual Iglesia de San Ildefonso is near Iglesia de San Nicolás.