Seville Hotels

The southern rhythm of Seville, the pulsating heart of Andalucia, beats late into the night and sweeps away all who experience it. Although blessed with Moorish and gothic architecture, Seville is very much a city to have a wild time in.

The gothic Cathedral harks back to medieval Spain, while the Giralda (bell tower) and Alcázar (royal palace) ooze Moorish influence. Explore the sumptuous courtyards and narrow alleys of the old Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz and learn to navigate with one Christopher Columbus at the Archives of the Indies. Even heathens will find themselves taking a closer look at Seville's vast and varied churches, a number of which were once mosques.

Modern Spanish chains share the pedestrian shopping streets with shops that have traded their wares for an age. Snap up flamenco shawls, fans, embroidery and sherry, along with Spanish designer wear on and around Calles Sierpes and Tetúan and on Plaza Del Duque. For colourful ceramics head over the river to Triana while the neighbourhood of Los Remedios is home to classy boutiques.

Take time out from Seville's bustle and stroll around Spain in miniature by the fountains of the Renaissance-inspired Plaza de España. Take a boat trip along the River Guadalquivir or make a beeline for the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla for a royal round, a short drive from Seville.

Seville, once the clashing point of the Islamic, Hispanic and Romany worlds, is where a whole new form of musical expression sprung up and continues to the present day in the numerous flamenco clubs and bars dotted around the city. Opera, dance and classical music fill the bill at the ornate Teatro de la Maestranza. Works by 17th-century artist Velázquez and those of other Spanish greats, including fellow Sevillano Murillo, grace the walls of the Museo de Bellas Artes.

Enjoying local cuisine is a central part of anybody's stay in Seville. Andalucian staple gazpacho has been whetting Sevillano appetites for many a long hot summer, while ternera a la sevillana (veal with olives and white wine) is a favourite on many menus. Nibble on ham, anchovies and garlic mushrooms in tapas bars around the old Jewish quarter of Barrio Santa Cruz, sipping dry sherry (fino) as you go.

Mix with the students of Seville's university, housed in the majestic ex-tobacco factory, work-place of Bizet's Carmen. As you explore the neo-classical building, imagine the operatic heroine and her colleagues at work.