Along Seville's River

We were tired of the busyness in the city so we thought it would be nice to walk along the banks of a branch of the Guadalquivir river that flows through Seville. We read that there may be an arts and crafts market along the walkway so we thought that we would look for it.

The Guadalquivir is the second-longest (650 km) river in Spain and is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from Seville to the Gulf of Cádiz, but in Roman times it was navigable from Córdoba.

We crossed the river on a famous landmark, the Triana Bridge, also known as Puente de Isabel II. It’s the oldest bridge in Seville and was constructed in 1852. This bridge is seen in many photographs and postcards of Seville with its famous circle design along the bottom. There are 180 circles in total. Before this bridge was built, people got to the other side of the river by crossing a bridge created by a series of boats tied together.

The colourful neighbourhood on the other side of the river is called Tirana. There is an old fort there and a market with seafood, vegetables and fruit.

We enjoyed looking across the river and watching the different kinds of boats that went by. Rowing teams were practicing their skulling skills on the river. Standup boarders and kayakers passed by. But there were also tour boats that transported tourists up and down the river while pointing out different landmarks. Earlier, we had wanted to book a spot on one of these boats but then decided against it.

We walked up the river and noticed a sign for an inexpensive one hour boat ride on a catamaran. We talked to Captain Miguel and he had room for two more and was leaving in 15 minutes. So we boarded. It was a cool but a lovely sunny day. Just right for a relaxing boat ride away from the crowds.

The river has an interesting history. The first around the world trip started from Seville!

In 1519, Fernando de Magellan set sail with five ships and 265 men, down the river and from there to the open sea to circumnavigate the Earth. The adventure lasted 3 years, from 1519 until the return of the only surviving vessel, the Victoria. It entered the harbour of Sanlúcar the 6th of September of 1522, with only 18 crew members that were in terrible shape after such a long voyage. Close to the San Telmo bridge, you can see the armillary sphere that commemorates the zero mile of this journey.

The Torre del Oro, tower of gold, one of the emblematic monuments of Seville, also has a history linked to the river. It is a defensive tower located on the left bank of the Guadalquivir of Arab origin. Tradition has it that a thick chain over the river linked it to another tower located on the other side of the river, thus preventing the passage of enemy ships.

Next to the tower is a museum where you can learn about what was involved in preparing for Magellan’s trip. A life-sized replica of the Nao Victoria 500 ship that made it back to Spain can be visited. This replica was started in 2004 and it took another trip around the globe starting from Seville. Up to 26,894 miles were covered during 2004 to 2006 visiting 17 countries. Maybe we will have a chance to see it…

Vespucci and Columbus also started their trips started from Seville.

Anyways, we enjoyed our boat trip and then walked along the opposite shore back to our hotel. We enjoyed seeing runners, walkers, bikers and skateboarders doing their thing as well as picnickers, readers and sunbathers on the side of the river. There was a lot of space to play so we never felt crowded.

Stopping in at our favourite tapas bar, Las Columba’s, was a perfect way to end our outing. The food is so good and reasonably priced. Muy rico!

P.S. When we had our first breakfast at the hotel, we met a retired German couple who have been travelling in Spain for two months also. They only speak a tiny bit of English but Google translate has helped with our conversations. Since we first met, we have had breakfasts together. They gave us a great breakfast suggestionand shared some of it with us.

They always carry a bag of fine oatmeal with them, add some cold water to mix it, then a container of natural yogurt, some dried fruit and nuts and a small amount of honey. A very healthy and filling breakfast while travelling. It was good. We immediately went to the local supermarket and picked up some of that oatmeal.En savoir plus