Seville

Lay of the Land

Seville straddles the river Guadalquivir, with most of the city sitting on the east bank, and Triana and Los Remedios neighborhoods on the west. The old center (Barrio Antiguo), originally surrounded by walls dating from Roman and Moorish times, is now ringed by broad avenues. Within this area many streets have been pedestrianized or are limited to taxis and residents only. The heart of the old center is Plaza Nueva, where you'll find the Town Hall. To the north is the main shopping area, and above that the trendy Alameda, San Vicente, and Macarena areas. A short hop south from Plaza Nueva is the Giralda cathedral, and south again of that, the Alcazar Palace, the picture-postcard-quaint Barrio Santa Cruz, and Maria Luisa Park. To the west of Plaza Nueva is the Arenal, formerly the docks, and to the east, Alfalfa, chock-full of bars.

WHEN TO GO

Summers are intensely hot in Seville—during the day, you won't want to do anything but siesta. The spring and autumn months are the best times to visit.

HOW TO GET THERE

Seville's airport is six miles from the city center (San Pablo Airport; 34-954-260-915). No airlines fly directly from the States to Seville; a connection via Madrid or a number of other European cities is required. A bus run by Amarillos Tour, S.A. goes to the city center and runs every half hour on weekdays, 6:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and every hour on weekends (34-902-210-317). You can also catch a taxi in front of the airport terminal.

GETTING AROUND

Driving in the city center is best avoided, as much of it is closed to traffic. Instead, walk or rent a bike— Sevici is the municipal bike rental service, with more than 150 pickup and drop-off points around the city (www.sevici.es; 34-902-011-032). The new 80-million-euro tram (called, confusingly, MetroCentro) trundles just over a mile from Plaza Nueva down to the Prado de San Sebastian, next to Maria Luisa Park. It stops at Puerta de Jerez, where you can catch buses, which run from 6 am to 11:30 pm (www.tussam.es; 34-902-459-954). There are also electric minibuses within the city center. For those who prefer their transport private and carbon-free but not self-powered, Segways and Hertz electric cars are both for rent at Blobject at 9 Paseo de Colon, near the Bullring (www.blobject.es).

TOURIST INFO

Andalucía Tourist Office
21B Avenida de la Constitución
Tel: 34 954 221 404
Open Mon–Sat 9–7, Sun and holidays 10–2.

Tourist Office
San Pablo Airport
Arrivals Terminal
Autopisto San Pablo
Tel: 34 954 449 128

Tourist Office
Santa Justa Station
Avenida Kansas City
Tel: 34 954 537 626