For two centuries Seville was Spain's gateway to the Americas, and the wealth that passed through its river port paid for one of the largest churches ever built. Almohad towers, Mudéjar palaces, orange trees and flamenco do the rest. Here are the facts and stories that make the city special.
10 curiosidades sobre Sevilla
- Un alminar convertido en campanario: la Giralda se terminó en 1198 como alminar de la gran mezquita almohade. Dentro, en lugar de escaleras, 35 rampas suben hasta arriba, lo bastante anchas, según se dice, para un caballo.
- A weathervane that named a tower: the bronze figure of Faith on top of the Renaissance belfry, added in 1568, turns with the wind. It is called the Giraldillo, from girar, 'to turn', and the tower took its name from it.
- La mayor catedral gótica del mundo: la catedral de Sevilla se empezó en 1401 en el solar de la mezquita. Sus constructores, según cuenta la tradición, querían una iglesia tan grande que quienes la vieran los tomaran por locos.
- Columbus, carried by kings: Christopher Columbus's tomb in the cathedral is borne by four figures representing the kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon and Navarre. DNA studies have supported the view that the bones inside are at least partly his.
- A palace still in royal use: the upper floors of the Real Alcázar are the Spanish royal family's residence in Seville, and its Mudéjar palace was built for King Peter I in the 14th century. Its gardens played the Water Gardens of Dorne in Game of Thrones.
- Streets lined with oranges: tens of thousands of bitter orange trees grow along Seville's streets and squares. The fruit is too sour to eat raw, and much of the crop has long been shipped to Britain for marmalade.
- A square built for a world's fair: the Plaza de España was designed by Aníbal González for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Its 48 tiled alcoves each represent a Spanish province, and it appears in Star Wars: Episode II.
- Una torre de oro: la Torre del Oro, junto al río, la construyeron los almohades hacia 1220 como torre de vigilancia del puerto.
- Carmen worked here: the vast 18th-century Royal Tobacco Factory, where Bizet's opera Carmen is set, is now the main building of the University of Seville.
- Mushrooms over the old town: the Metropol Parasol, nicknamed Las Setas, 'the mushrooms', opened in 2011 and is one of the largest wooden structures in the world, with a rooftop walkway.
La leyenda del NO8DO
Look at Seville's manhole covers, buses and town hall and you will see the letters NO8DO. In the 13th century, the story goes, King Alfonso X the Wise faced a revolt led by his own son, Sancho. Much of Castile sided with the prince, but Seville stayed loyal to the king, and in gratitude Alfonso gave the city this motto. The figure in the middle is not an eight but a skein of wool, a madeja. Read aloud, NO-madeja-DO sounds like 'no me ha dejado': 'it has not abandoned me'. Historians still debate the origin, but the symbol has been the city's emblem for centuries.
Triana, explicada
Across the Guadalquivir from the old town lies Triana, long the district of potters, sailors and flamenco singers. Its workshops produced many of the painted tiles you see all over Seville, and ceramics shops still line its streets. The Castle of San Jorge, at the end of the Triana bridge, was the seat of the Spanish Inquisition; its remains lie in a small museum under the Triana Market. In 1519 Magellan's fleet set out from Seville on the voyage that became the first circumnavigation of the globe.
Qué comer en Sevilla
- Espinacas con garbanzos: espinacas guisadas con garbanzos, comino y pan frito, una tapa con raíces en la cocina andalusí.
- Pescaíto frito: pescado pequeño y calamares enharinados y fritos, mejor en un cucurucho de papel.
- Montadito de pringá: un panecillo relleno de las carnes del cocido, cocinadas a fuego lento.
- Torrijas: pan empapado en leche o vino, frito y bañado en miel o azúcar, el dulce clásico de Semana Santa.
Antes de ir
- En julio y agosto las temperaturas superan a menudo los 40 °C. Deja las visitas al aire libre para la mañana y la tarde-noche, y guarda las horas de más calor para interiores a la sombra.
- Reserva las entradas del Alcázar por internet con mucha antelación. La entrada de la catedral incluye la subida a la Giralda.
- En Semana Santa y durante la Feria de Abril la ciudad se llena y las procesiones cortan calles, así que reserva el alojamiento pronto.
- Córdoba está a menos de una hora en AVE, y la ciudad romana de Itálica, cuna del emperador Trajano, está justo a las afueras de Sevilla.
Descubre Sevilla con World City Trail
Nuestra búsqueda del tesoro en Sevilla convierte estos lugares en un juego en tu móvil. La ruta une 10 paradas y dura unas tres horas, con unos 49 minutos a pie, y entre sus paradas están la Puerta del León del Alcázar y la Plaza de España.
En cada parada resuelves un acertijo y escuchas una historia breve, a tu ritmo. Puedes empezar cuando quieras.
Juega a la búsqueda del tesoro de Sevilla →
Datos comprobados en octubre de 2026.