Top Outdoor Activities in Sevilla

Torre del Oro

Built by 13th-century Almohad rulers of Seville to control shipping along the River Guadalquivir, this attractive tower is within easy walking distance of the cathedral, Giralda Tower and Maestranza Bullring. There are a few legends that attempt to explain why it's called Torre del Oro (The Golden Tower). One says that the gold from the New World was stored here in the 16th and 17th centuries. Another claims that the Almohads originally covered its outer walls in golden tiles. The battlements on the upper part were added in the 18th century.

Parque de María Luisa

Sitting in the centre of the city is a huge expanse of parkland planted with a wide variety of trees from all over the world. This is the perfect place to spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon. It has been carefully laid out with lots of space to wander among the exotic plants and numerous areas where you can sit and rest. You can rent bicycles and even take a horse-drawn carriage ride. It's named after Princess María Luisa who donated some of the land and plants from her palace gardens to start the public park. Inside, you'll find examples of all styles of architecture in the buildings erected as pavilions for Seville's 1929 Ibero-American Expo. Join one of the free guided tours given by students of the tourism school on weekends. Admission: free.

Plaza de España

A magnificent semi-circular square that has become a symbol of the city. Along with the adjacent building it was designed by Aníbal González for Seville's 1929 Ibero-American Expo in a style that has become known as Andalusian regionalist because it employed a mixture of architectural influences from the past including Renaissance and Gothic. The most oustanding feature is the overwhelming use of exposed red brick. The inner part of the square contains a series of glazed-tile depictions of historical scenes from every province in Spain. A canal runs around the perimeter of the square where you can hire a rowing boat or motor boat for a short pleasure trip.

Museo Militar Regional

Found in the Plaza de España, emblematic site of the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, and close to other constructions from the event such as the Pabellón Mudéjar (Mudéjar Pavilion), today the Museum of Art and Popular Customs (Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares), the Archeological Museum, and the Pabellón Real (Royal Pavilion). The Regional Military Museum is heir to a large part of the Ancient Equestrian Artillery Society of Seville (Antigua Maestranza de Artillería de Sevilla) collection, to which elements of Military Firearms and other arms from different units, centers, and organizations of the Southern Military Region have been added. The Museum contains many different rooms. The Capitanía Room, in rememberance and hommage to this military institution, exhibits a collection of antique steel weapons from the 15th Century, as well as diverse firearms from Spain and other countries. The parapet and the crank harquebus (matchlock gun from the 15th Century) deserve special mention. The Adalid Room receives its name in memory of the Adalid, a war-time leader, a position in the Spanish militia that equaled what would later be the Field Master. In this room a money-storage box from the United States and a trunk from the 16th Century with an interesting security mechanism in perfect working condition are carefully kept. The Huestes and Mesnadas Room evokes the craftsmanship that served as a base for the first military industry. Diverse crafts such as carpentry, steel working, printing, chemical, electrical, etc. The Cuartel Maestre Avenue is the principal artery of the museum. Here two cannons from the era of Felipe V, authentic jewels of bronze melting are displayed. Admission is free.

Ciclo El Teatro y la Escuela

Since 1991 the Alameda Theatre has directed its shows to audiences comprised of children and adolescents. The specialization arrived from the need to fill the void in this sector in Seville and Andalusia. In fact, in Spain there are only five theatres of this type. This way, participation of schools in activities for school-aged children is increased. Each year about 60000 spectators visit the Alameda Theatre, as do more than 60 companies and about 200 shows.

Circuito Deportivo Parque del Alamillo

The spacious and pleasant Sevillian Alamillo park has the added bonus of an exercise course to enjoy sports in the great outdoors. The circuit runs parallel to the track that crosses the park, and along its route athletes can discover the diverse vegetation that grows here. This new course offers nine different apparatuses, all made of wood: parallel bars, longitudinal bars, abdominal apparatus, rings, apparatus for exercising the feet, weights, balance beams, stairs, and hurdles. You can access this complete facility directly from outside the park and you can get started as soon as you reach the entrance, located next to the main door. The course's opening times are the same as the park's.

Centro Deportivo Mar del Plata

With exemplary facilities and an enviable quality, the Mar del Plata Sporting Center offers its clients the possibility of practicing just about any sport. And variety is the spice of life and when we're talking about the cult to the body, demand is a very important thing. This center meets all these requirements. In addition, badminton, basketball, handball, volleyball, indoor soccer, fencing, swimming, maintainance exercises, tennis, aerobics and karate are just some of the services and sports that you can enjoy in this sporting complex dedicated to today's athletes and sports enthusiasts.

Club Zaudin

Inaugurated in November 1992 and located 3km from Seville, the golf course designed by Gary Player, with 18 holes and a par of 71, has wide fareways among olive trees, ducks, and beautiful greens, in a perfect synthesis of nature and design. It is a Parkland-style course, with abundant water obstacles and bunkers. If you decide to visit the course, you will find many services that make playing sports a little easier, such as raquetball, tennis, and squash courts. Likewise, if you want to treat yourself to a rest, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery on horesback, given that there are also equestrian facilties, as well as sauna, billiards, car and bicycle rental, daycare, swimming pool, and fishing. If you are a golf enthusiast, you can enjoy this wonderful course year-round, except on December 25, January 1 and Good Friday.

Biblioparques

One of the main aims of the cultural affairs section of Seville's council is to encourage reading among children. As well as maintaining libraries in district civic centres, they have also created an initiative called "Biblioparques" or "Library-parks".These are small mobile libraries that are stationed in the city's parks and offer a large selection of books written about subjects relating to Seville.These mobile libraries park every Sunday morning in the Plaza de América, Alameda de Hércules, Parque del Alamillo, Parque Amate and Parque Miraflores.

Centro Ecuestre Pinar Grande

The Pinar Grande Equestrian Center is a formative school where you can enroll in private horse riding courses, working uniquely with purebred Spanish horses. They are specialists in taming and in horsemanship training, from beginning levels to perfecting skills in the superior school, with sports training in classical taming somewhere in the middle. Their facilities are also prepared to board horses, and they even organize excursions through the beautiful landscapes that surround the equestrian center. The facilities are perfectly adapted to the practice of horsemanship, and all are open to anyone who hopes to learn a little about the sport or to perfect their existing abilities.