When to visit Seville |
Do a little planning before you arrive in Seville, as the season can affect your activities. Avoid summer if you can, as the buildings and streets turn into an oven, with the temperatures soaring to ridiculous heights. Even the locals make a point of leaving during July and August, although the Patios Andaluces (Andalusian Patios) found in the more traditional houses have historically provided a respite from the excessive heat, with their interior fountains and small gardens. If you plan ahead, you’ll also make the most of the city’s annual festivals, which turn this normally lively town into quite a party spot. This section of the guide will help you choose when to visit Seville so you can fully enjoy what it has to offer. With spring comes the internationally renowned Semana Santa (Holy Week). Christian Fraternities parade down the streets in hooded cloaks while toting candles and hoisting floats to the cathedral from their respective churches. Although a devoutly religious festival, there’s still music and drink on offer in local bars and a festive atmosphere with crowds wandering about late into the night. After Semana Santa, Seville hosts the Feria de Abril de Sevilla (Seville’s Spring Fair), with dancing and celebrations filling out the week. Casetas (colourful fairground tents) line the far bank of the river. Social groups and prominent families provide food and drink for the spectators and Sevillanas dancing their dynamic flamenco-inspired steps. Events often continue until past sunrise. The Spring Fair also marks the start of the bullfighting season. If you decide to brave Seville’s formidable summer heat, then head out in late July for the Velá de Santa Ana in Triana, right next to the Guadalquivir River. Grilled fish and Jerez wine figure prominently in the night time festivities. Other holidays include Corpus Christi, La Inmaculada (the Day of the Immaculate Conception), Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the Día de los Reyes Magos (the Day of the Three Kings), as well as various national holidays, like Labour Day (May 1st), Día del la Hispanidad (Columbus Day, Oct. 12th) and Día de La Constitución, on December 6th. Seville is accessible from most major cities in Spain, and quite a few minor ones, as well as the rest of Europe and from overseas. A wide selection of national and international carriers land in Seville’s Aeropuerto San Pablo, located just a few kilometres north-east of the centre. Buses and trains depart daily for the Plaza de Armas and Prado de San Sebastián Bus Stations, and Santa Justa Train Station, respectively, with a high-speed AVE (alta velocidad Española) train service (www.renfe.es) linking Seville and the national capital, Madrid. If you’re heading to or coming from Portugal by bus, Estación de Autobuses de Armas is your best bet. It’s possible to take a car into the city, but you’ll have to pay for parking. Seville is a well-travelled to destination, with a plethora of transportation options, making arrival a piece of cake, saving you time and energy better spent out on the town.
For more information on the climate, please visit the Seville Weather page. |