On the left bank of the Guadalquivir River is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seville: the Arenal, where culture, tradition and leisure come together in equal parts to make it one of the most interesting and bustling areas of the city. And that is why it is one of the favourites for those who visit the capital of Seville and for its own citizens.
Bounded by Paseo Colón and Adriano and Dos de Mayo streets, the Arenal is located in what was once the walled enclosure of the city. The weight of its historical past (during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it connected Spain with the Indies and was one of the most important port areas in the world, after the discovery of America) is felt at every step you take through the neighborhood. It is home to some of the most famous and important monuments in Seville such as the Torre del Oro, the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, the Maestranza Theatre or the Royal Shipyards and its cultural and gastronomic offer is closely linked to bullfighting, opera and brotherhoods.
If you want to know more about its history, we recommend that you read another of our blog posts, ‘Corral de San José and Arenal building, living history of Seville’, in which, in addition, we detail the characteristics and benefits offered by the two tourist apartment buildings that Singular Apartments has in this emblematic place: Singular Corral de San José and Singular Arenal.
These two apartment buildings are perfect if you are looking for a central area full of history, monuments and traditions on your trip. And, although in all our accommodations you will find the comforts and tools necessary to enjoy the day to day, many times we miss things out of our luggage that we may later miss (objects that we sometimes do not include in our suitcases with the idea of acquiring them at our destinations). Don’t worry, we provide you with a list of useful places or places to take into account if you are staying in the Arenal or surroundings. Read on.
Useful sites in the Arenal
- Supermarkets or small shops: While it is true that in the heart of Seville it is difficult to find large supermarkets, there are some smaller ones from large chains and quite a few grocery stores in this area. Among the supermarkets you can find the Carrefour Express on Calle Harinas. This is practically the only supermarket of these characteristics in the place, but a walk away you will find a Mercadona, in Plaza de Armas s/n; the La Cantinela supermarket, in Castelar Street; a Supersol in the Plaza de la Alfalfa; the Más supermarkets in Bobby Deglané and Cuesta del Rosario streets; or the Mas supermarket.of Alfalfa. To get out of trouble you can find several grocery stores, some with authentic tradition such as ‘Alimentación Agustín Sánchez’, on Calle Arfe 12; the mythical ‘Alimentación Conchi’; on Calle Arfe 22 and the ‘Ultramarinos’ on Calle Arfe 22.
- Mercado de Abastos: A must-see in this area is the Mercado del Arenal or old Mercado de Entradores (open Monday from 09.00 to 19.00, Tuesday to Saturday from 09.00 to 00.00 and Sundays from 09.00 to 19.00). A place where you can go to mingle with parishioners who do their daily shopping in traditional meat, fish and vegetable stalls, along with others of gourmet, organic and vegan products. Located in the heart of the city, next to the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza on Calle Pastor y Landero, the building was built in 1947 by the architect Juan Talavera on the site of the old Pópulo prison, being one of the oldest food markets in the city. There you can also find wine tasting courses.
- Pharmacies: In the heart of the area, at Calle García de Vinuesa 38, is the Arenal Pharmacy. She also specializes in homeopathy and cosmetics. In the nearby Pastor y Landero street (number 33) are the Del Pópulo Pharmacy and the González Molina Nieves Pharmacy; on Arfe Street, the R. Alcón pharmacy; and another already on Avenida de la Constitución (at number 27).
- Health Centers: Although the emergencies of large hospitals in Spain attend to all patients, it never hurts to know the situation of the nearest health centers in case any mishap occurs during the trip. In the Arenal you will have at hand the Arenal Medical Center (Pastor y Landero, 11); the C.P. E. Virgen de los Reyes (in Marqués de Paradas, 49); the Andalusian Health Service (Marqués de Paradas, 18); or the San Luis Health Center (Inocentes Street s/n).
Means of transport
The Arenal neighbourhood is in the heart of Seville and we assure you that you can reach all the places of interest by taking a pleasant walk from our apartments. Even so, you may want to move from the center to another neighborhood of the city or even change municipality. In this case, we detail the possibilities:
- City buses (in the capital of Seville managed by Tussam) are the best option. During daytime hours they are operational from 06.00 to 23.00 hours. During the night there are 9 lines that have daily departures from the center of Seville (from the Prado station in San Sebastian) from 00:00 to 02:00 on weekdays and until 05:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. The lines that pass through the Arenal area are 3, 21 and EA (Special Airport). There are also those that reach the Plaza del Duque or the Prado de San Sebastián.
- The nearest metro stop is Puerta de Jerez (Line 1). You also have the option of the tram that stops at Calle San Fernando or Avenida de la Constitución (closest places in the neighborhood).
- Seville is made to be toured by bicycle, so if you like to pedal this is the best option. Sevici bikes are available for hire, with stops throughout the centre. The electric scooters of the companies Lime and Bird or the electric motorcycles of Acciona and Muving have also arrived in Seville. All of them work with their own app just like Uber or Cabify VTCs. There is also a taxi service, with stops at Paseo Colón, Puerta Jerez, Plaza Nueva and the surrounding area.
- Our service provider, Cohosting, offers you the alternative of renting a vehicle for longer journeys.
- In the surroundings of the Torre del Oro there are horse-drawn carriages for rent for a walk around the city, tourist buses and even passenger boat rental companies that take tours on the Guadalquivir.
Places of interest
As we have told you repeatedly, the Arenal has a very important trace of history. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it connected Spain with the Indies and it was in this area of the city that ships loaded with gold and silver from America, recently discovered, arrived. El Arenal is also a place closely linked to opera, bullfighting and the Sevillian brotherhoods. Hence, the area is full of places to visit. We recommend a tour of the following:
- Guadalquivir River.
- Torre del Oro and its Naval Museum.
- Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, with its Bullfighting Museum.
- Teatro de la Maestranza or Teatro de la Ópera, built on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1992.
- Hospital de la Caridad, a jewel of the Sevillian Baroque that preserves works by Murillo and Zurbarán.
- Torre de la Plata, remains of the city wall and Casa de la Moneda.
- Chapel of Baratillo, Chapel of Rosario and Chapel of La Carretería.
- Reales Atarazanas (ordered to be built by Alfonso X were the shipyards of the city, among other things) and the Postigo del Aceite (nearby, in the Calle del Arte we can find the El Postigo Craft Market).
- The nearby Triana Bridge (if you cross it you will be in another of the most emblematic areas of the city) and the Naves del Barranco, a building designed by a disciple of Eiffel, which is now a gourmet market.
- The Casa de Contratación de Indias was also in this neighbourhood from its construction in 1503 until its subsequent transfer to the Alcázar and, curiously, the place where the old Customs House once stood is now occupied by a building of the Delegation of the Treasury that can be visited a few hours a week.
- Interpretation Centre of the I Circumnavigation, in Marqués de Contadero.
Gastronomic leisure
El Arenal is one of the gastronomic and nightlife areas par excellence in Seville. And Adriano Street, in the heart of the neighborhood, accumulates almost all the most recommended places, along with Paseo Colón.
Some of the places we recommend are the Bodeguita Romero, with its pringá and seasoned potatoes; Casa Morales, with traditional tapas, the typical thing is to order cheeses, sausages and a glass of manzanilla; the Casa Moreno grocery store; Enrique Becerro; La Brunilda, El Pesquero, Casa Pepe Hillo, among others.
In addition to the bars and restaurants, the Arenal is perfect for having drinks and going out with places such as Kabuki, Bestiario, Groucho, Le XIX, Rockefeller, Bribón and all those on Paseo Colón, among the wide range of options that exist.