Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Seville

Seville is Spain's 4th largest city with a population of some 710,000. It is a city with soaring summer temperatures which have approached 50ºC on occasions during the last two summers so avoid July and August if possible.

There is nowhere else in Spain that complies so closely with the foreigner's perception of stereotypical Spain as Seville. For it is here that flamenco, bullfighting and fiesta are a way of life. Never more so than during the Feria de Abril (2 weeks after Easter Sunday) when everyone seems to hit the streets for a week long party.

There is plenty to see including the Cathedral which is now reckoned to be the world's largest church. There are steps from inside the Cathedral to the top of the 90m high Giralda which is the minaret of the former Mosque. The climb to the top provides some great views but stay at the bottom and buy the postcard if you've got a weak heart! Next to the Cathedral is the Alcázar which is a great introduction to Moorish art especially if you're going to visit Granada's Alhambra Palace later during your visit to Spain.

A word of advice ... One well known US guide book warns of the dangers of Barrio Santa Cruz to the extent that many North American visitors that we have dealt with seem terrified of visiting Seville. These worries are unfounded. The area is beautiful with a wonderful atmosphere and with people all over the place ... tourists, locals, children going to school, university students. I suppose someone has had a bag snatched at some time but isn't that the case with any touristy destination? Exercise common sense as you would anywhere and you're most unlikely to run into any problems in Seville.


Airport Transfer

Seville’s airport is only 7km east of the city on the main NIV road to Cordoba.

There are three main options for transferring to the city centre.

Private Transfers
You can pre-book Seville airport transfers and have a driver waiting for you as you enter the airport's arrivals lounge.

Airport Bus Transfers
There is a regular bus service operated by Amarillos Tours which connects the airport with Puerta de Jerez in the city center. The service operates every hour traveling along Avda. Kansas City with a stop at the Santa Justa train station.

Taxi Transfers
There are always plenty taxis available and they charge about 20 € to the city centre.

Renting a car to drive into the city isn't a good idea as you'll almost certainly get lost in what is Spain's 4th largest city and parking can be a nightmare.

We've teamed up with Auto Europe to offer you car rental at the guaranteed minimum rate. They will beat any major competitor's rate that offers a car hire with comparable service, location and terms. All rentals come with fully comprehensive insurance and no excess.

Weather

In summer the Seville weather is hot, hot, hot particularly in July and August. In these months the streets tend to be empty during the day with people leaving their houses in the early morning and then not leaving them again until late in the evening. This makes for quite a nocturnal life during these months. There is very little rain from June to September.

The winter temperatures tend to be very pleasant and although there can be some rain there are still lots of clear and sunny days.

There are lots of terrace bars and restaurants around Seville where people can sit out most months to have a drink or some food.

More Information:

Seville Top Popular Hotels

Seville Top Tourist Attractions

Seville Pictures

Seville Map


Click for Sevilla, Spain Forecast

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