Making the most of Sevilla
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Only smaller cruise ships can reach Sevilla sailing 60 km up the Guadalquivir River. A new cruise terminal is in place, it is a rather ingenious construction made of sea containers. The terminal is close to the Expo '29 Park.The terminal here is quite close to the city center. It's only about 1-2 kilometers from downtown Seville.
Larger ships usually dock in Cadiz.If your cruise docks at Cádiz, it is approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Seville. You can take a bus, train, or arrange a private transfer to Seville, which typically takes around 1.5 to 2 hours
Most of the cruise lines do an "overnight" here. Great if you like to indulge in the vibrant night life, which usually starts late, most restaurants etc. open their doors as late a 10 PM.
Printable map to take along.
One of the most charming cities of Spain. Seville’s rich history has left the city filled with innumerable monuments like the awesome cathedral, the third largest in the world, the Giralda tower, the wonderful palace of the Reales Alcázares, the magical Barrio of Santa Cruz with its narrow streets, the Maestranza bullfighting ring and the passion for Flamenco an the perfume of orange blossoms on every corner.
For nice views visit the Metropol Parasol. € 3.00
Getting around
The Hop on/off bus makes a rather extensive tour of the highlights of the city. There is a stop very close to the terminal. Stop#3 next to Seville Aquarium
Sevilla has a great public transportation system. The buses run frequently and cover the majority of the city in their routes. You can purchase bus cards at many news stands. Trips cost € 1.40 when bought from the driver.
Nearby places
One of Andalucia's most dramatically positioned pueblos blancos (white villages), Arcos de la Frontera balances atop a rocky limestone ridge, its whitewashed houses and stone castle walls stopping abruptly as a sheer cliff face plunges down to the fertile valley of the river Guadalete below. Take a bus from Prado de San Sebastian bus station in Seville down to Arcos in about 2 hours for under €10.
Plaza Espana, a stunning building with lovely gardens and a tiny canal/moat, is very close to the cruise terminal.
Food and shopping
Stores are typically open from 9:30am-2pm in the mornings and then open again in the afternoon from 5-8pm. El Corte Inglés, the giant Spanish department store with just about everything you could imagine, is open all day from 10am-10pm. Larger stores are often open on Sundays. The main shopping area in the center are the two parallel streets Sierpes and Tetuan. Around the Triana market, across the river, there are plenty of ceramics shops. On sundays most stores are closed.
In Sevilla, dinner is usually served between 9 and 11 p.m. (sometimes as late as midnight), leaving significant time between work and dinner. Therefore, locals often go "bar hopping" and eat tapas in the time between finishing work and having dinner.
Money
The euro
The euro is divided into 100 cents. • There are eight different coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent, and 1 and 2 Euro. • There are seven different bank notes, for the following amounts: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro.
Staying connected
Spanish is the official language in the entire national territory. However, other languages coexist with Spanish in certain regions of Spain. These are: Catalan in Catalonia, Galician in Galicia, Euskera/Basque in the Basque Country, Valencian in the Valencia Region and a particular variety of Catalan spoken on the Balearic Islands.
Wifi is available at many establishments. Passwords can be very long and are often written at the bottom of a napkin dispencer.
Emergency number: Dial 112 free of charge (valid throughout Spain). Service is given in Spanish, and also in English, French and German in some tourist areas.