Orientation
SEVILLA
Sevilla can be divided into a few loosely separated neighborhoods. Apart from the prominent geographic feature of the canal, which divides the city center from Triana, there are few absolute barriers between Santa Cruz, El Centro, and La Macarena. As a general rule, the area immediately surrounding the Alcázar and Catedral is regarded as Santa Cruz, the Alameda de Hercules denotes La Macarena, and the dominant shopping trio of Calle Sierpes, Calle Cuna, and Calle de Velázquez hold strong in El Centro. The divisions aren’t merely geographic—Santa Cruz is tourist-filled, El Centro is commercial,La Macarena is a mix of religious and reckless, and Triana is slow-paced and mellow. Ultimately, Sevilla is a small, walkable city, making it easy to move from one barrio to the next without even noticing.
SANTA CRUZ
Santa Cruz is the historic center of Sevilla, featuring its two most exceptional historic landmarks, the Catedral and the Alcázar. There’s an array of narrow streets that radiate outward lined with kitschy tourist shops and ice-cream stands, but also many of the city’s classic restaurants, bars, and bodegas. This area can be difficult to navigate, so stop by the tourist office to pick up a free map. Beyond this nucleus of tightly wound meandering streets you’ll find the University and Plaza de España just a 5min. walk south of the barrio. Santa Cruz is also easily accessible to the Prado de San Sebastion, which is 5min. east across Av. de Menéndez y Pelayo.
EL CENTRO
Sevilla’s commercial center, El Centro is crossed by the trio of Calle Cuna, Calle Sierpes, and Calle de Velázquez, which all run from north to south in parallel and are packed with international chain stores like Zara and H&M. While perhaps not the most charming part of town, these streets are a great way to navigate from Santa Cruz to the north of the city. The cultural center of El Centro is the Plaza de la Encarnación. If Sevilla had a Pl. Mayor, this would be it, but this is one of the few cities in Spain that seems to have avoided this lazy naming habit. Pl. de la Encarnación is the site of political protests as well as outdoor concerts and cultural programs sponsored by the city. To the west of El Centroyou will find Estación de Autobuses Plaza de Armas, where buses from within the province of Andalucía arrive.
LA MACARENA
La Macarena’s biggest landmark is the Alameda de Hercules, a center for eating, drinking, and clubbing. Radiating outward you’ll find a residential neighborhood with simple shops, markets, the occasional bar, and neighborhood tapas joints. Calle Feria runs from north to south in the neighborhood lined witha number of good restaurants and bars. While La Macarena is quite active at night, the neighborhood is best known as a religious center, with a number of small convents, monasteries, and churches. Calle Torneo and Calle Resolana are major thoroughfares that border La Macarena at the west and northrespectively.
EL ARENAL AND TRIANA
These two neighborhoods sandwich the canal between the Puente de San Telmo and Puente de Triana. On the northern side of the canal, El Arenal’s main street is Paseo de Cristóbal Colón, and its main center is the Plaza de Armas, at the base of the Puente de Triana. Making your way to the “other side of the tracks,” you’ll find the neighborhood of Triana. While the main streets, Avenida de la República Argentina and Calle San Jacinto are useful landmarks, the layout of Triana is generally much less confusing compared to the rest of Sevilla. Calle Betis along the water is home to some of the best seafood restaurants and bars in Sevilla, and Calle de Salado is lined with inexpensive ethnic restaurants.