History and uniqueness. The left bank of the Guadalquivir River is home to one of the most traditional and popular neighbourhoods of the Seville capital: Arenal, so called because in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it was a large open space of sandy soil, located between the Puerta de Triana and the Torre del Oro, which concentrated the city’s port activity. At that time Seville connected Spain with the Indies and ships loaded with gold and silver from America also arrived at this place.
To the weight of its historical past is added the great operatic, brotherhood and bullfighting tradition that this neighborhood has, making it an essential part of Sevillian life and a must for tourists. Singular Apartments owns two tourist apartment buildings in this emblematic place: Singular Corral de San José and Singular Arenal. Both in a central area full of, as we have already said, history, monuments and traditions.
A perfect combo to enjoy the best rest and the comforts that our accommodations provide, along with the bustling activity of its surroundings. If you want to know more about the history of El Arenal and our buildings, we recommend reading ‘Corral de San José and Arenal building, living history of Seville’ (another of our blog entries).
But today we want to concentrate in these lines the best places and plans of this neighborhood, so that you can enjoy it to the fullest on your next visit to Seville.
Walk through the Arenal
We recommend that you start your tour by visiting the neighbourhood from Paseo de Colón. This avenue pays tribute to the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus, and runs parallel to the Guadalquivir. We remember that El Arenal is in the historic center of Seville, very close to the Cathedral, delimited by Paseo Colón and Adriano and Dos de Mayo streets, two of its main arteries.
From Paseo Colón you can enjoy a pleasant walk along the river with views of another of the most popular neighborhoods of Seville, Triana and its famous Betis street, which is accessed through the Isabel II Bridge (better known as Triana Bridge) or the San Telmo Bridge. On this avenue, full of terraces and bars on both sides, is the famous 13th-century Torre del Oro, which houses the city’s Naval Museum; the imposing Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, considered one of the world’s bullfighting cathedrals; and the Teatro de la Maestranza, built for the 1992 Universal Exposition in Seville.
In the surroundings of the bullring and the theatre (also on both sides of the Paseo Colón) you can come across statues dedicated to the bullfighters Curro Romero and Pepe Luis Vázquez or Carmen la Cigarrera, protagonist of the opera ‘Carmen’ by Bizet, among other characters, which remind us of the bullfighting and operatic tradition of the neighbourhood.
At the end of the avenue, next to the Triana Bridge, are the so-called Naves del Barranco, a building designed by a disciple of Eiffel, which is now a gourmet market where you can stop to recharge your batteries.
Being a very touristy neighborhood, on this avenue you can find horse-drawn carriages and tourist bus stops, as well as several passenger boat companies that also make tours along the river.
Adriano and Dos de Mayo streets
You can continue the walk along Adriano Street, in the heart of the neighborhood. It runs from Paseo de Colón to Plaza de la Puerta del Arenal. It borders the bullring at the back and is full of bars and restaurants such as Casa Pepe Hillo, el Baratillo, Jaime Alpresa, Bar Taquilla, Bajo Guía, Buen Trago or Bodega San José.
In addition, Adriano Street hides a heritage treasure of the city: the Chapel of Baratillo, headquarters of this brotherhood that processions on Holy Saturday. (Holy Week, along with the bulls and the opera, is the other banner of the neighborhood). The chapel is so called because in the past street vending was practiced in the neighborhood.
Another of the arteries in the area is Calle Dos de Mayo, which runs from Paseo de Colón to Avenida de la Constitución. We recommend that you go to it because, in addition to being also full of bars (Bar Postiguillo, Petit Comité, Bodega Dos de Mayo, among others), you can admire the exterior of the Royal Shipyards of Seville which, among many other uses, was used as a shipyard for ships arriving and departing from Seville. Ordered to be built by Alfonso X the Wise, this medieval building has an imposing history behind it.
Very close to the old Atarazanas is the Hospital de la Caridad from the 17th century Baroque, with works by Murillo, Valdés Leal and Zurbarán, on Calle Temprado, where the Chapel of the Rosary is also located. The Postigo del Aceite, a remnant of the old wall and an emblematic place in Seville’s Holy Week, crosses Dos de Mayo Street. It is said that fats entered the city from there. From the Postigo you can go to Calle del Arte, where there is a craft market.
From the Arenal area you cannot miss the Chapel of the Carretería, on Antonia Díaz Street; the Chapel of the Mayor Dolor, on Castelar Street; the Casa de la Moneda and the Torre de la Plata, on Santander Street; the building of the current Treasury delegation where the Casa de la Contratación de Indias was located and the old Customs House; the busy Reyes Católicos street with its bars; or the old Mercado de Entradores (today known as Mercado del Arenal), on Calle Pastor y Landero. It is a building built on the site of the old Pópulo prison. It is the work of the architect Juan Talavera and in it you can find, in addition to fresh products, stalls specializing in vegan food and organic products, teas, coffees, wines and crafts. Very interesting for wine tastings.
In addition, the Arenal is perfect for nightlife. You can end your day with a few drinks and dances in places such as Kabuki, Bestiario, Groucho, Le XIX, Rockefeller, Bribón and all those on Paseo de Colón.