Seville is a city of vivid colours and many facets. You could spend days and days wandering among its historic palaces and museums, getting lost in the markets and the little streets of the centre. But it is also a city where, especially in summer, the heat can be hard to bear: that is why it can be good every now and then to take a break in the shade of the trees. Fortunately, there is no shortage of parks; indeed, some are genuine green monuments, absolutely worth visiting.
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María Luisa Park
The Parque de María Luisa is the main green area in the city centre, and to call it simply a park would be an understatement. Between wide lawns, tree-lined avenues and flowering gardens, stand the main buildings inherited from the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition. Think of the two splendid palaces that now house the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, as well as Plaza de España itself, which in effect forms part of the same complex and provides the most beautiful entrance to the enormous park.
Parque de María Luisa: our guide
Jardines de las Delicias
The Paseo de las Delicias separates the main area of Parque de María Luisa from a smaller section of it and, precisely because it is separated by the avenue, is often overlooked. I’m talking about the Jardines de las Delicias, which, although they do not officially form part of the aforementioned park, share the same historical origin because they too are a legacy of the Ibero-American Exposition. Strolling along the paths, you come across various statues, including some mythological ones such as those of Venus, Urania or Pan, and others of cultural figures such as the painter Joaquín Sorolla.
Gardens of the Real Alcázar
Many people describe them as the most beautiful gardens in Spain, and they are certainly among the top in this ranking: the gardens of the Real Alcázar are one of the reasons why you absolutely must visit the majestic Seville palace. Labyrinths of hedges and fountains frame the Pabellon de Carlos V and its beautiful dome, while strolling around you can breathe in the scents of the flowers and luxuriant plants in this garden.
Murillo Gardens
The current perimeter wall of the Real Alcázar is relatively recent: it dates back to 1911, when King Alfonso XIII decided to gift the city of Seville a section of the palace gardens. Just a quick look at the map is enough to see how this wall separates the Alcázar gardens from a strip of green that, in fact, once formed part of the very same park. Before that there was an orchard, and in 1915 the present park was designed, a few years later dedicated to the painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. A lovely rectangular garden, with paths running between the flowerbeds and, in the centre, the monument to Christopher Columbus.
Jardines del Prado de San Sebastian
One of Seville’s most famous events is the Feria de Abril, which was once the livestock fair and was held in the area now occupied by the Jardines del Prado de San Sebastian. Over the centuries this large plot of land has been used for very different purposes: as an “emergency cemetery” during the plague of 1649, which led to the deaths of a great many citizens, but also as a funfair in 1846. In 1997 the gardens we see today were opened, laid out around a fountain with a large rectangular basin, while all around flourish lush plants of every kind, including some enormous ficus trees.
Parque de los Príncipes
The Parque de los Príncipes is located in the Triana district and is dedicated to the former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, who were prince and princess when it was inaugurated in 1973. Although today it is not among the city’s best-known parks, when it was conceived and created it was a real novelty for the city of Seville. First of all, it was the first large park to be inaugurated after the historic Parque de María Luisa, which until then had been known simply as “the park” because there were no others to distinguish it from.
But above all, it was the first public green space to appear on the western bank of the river, finally giving Triana residents a place of this kind. Lastly, it was the first Sevillian garden no longer designed according to the canons of flowerbeds surrounded by hedges, but with a much more free and open landscape design, and therefore also more usable by the public. The area around the pond, where there is also a kiosk, is the most popular place to find a bit of shade and perhaps sip something to drink.
Parque del Alamillo
On Isla de la Cartuja, the island created by the course of the Guadalquivir river and its Alfonso XII canal, there is not only the famous district of Triana: in the northernmost area we also find the large Parque del Alamillo, right next to the La Cartuja Olympic Stadium. Linked to the mainland by the puente del Alamillo, designed by Santiago Calatrava, it is one of Seville’s largest parks and the perfect place to escape the city’s hustle and bustle.
You can wander through it, perhaps following one of the botanical trails, or take part in guided tours on botany, either on foot or on the little train. There is also the opportunity to hire a bicycle and lose yourself on the paths among the trees, or a kayak to paddle along the river. It is therefore one of the city’s most varied parks and is perfect for anyone staying in Seville for several days and wanting to spend a few hours or a day in the open air.
Parque de San Jerónimo
Opposite Parque del Alamillo, on the other bank of the river, is the smaller Parque de San Jerónimo. Named after the nearby Monastery of San Jerónimo de Buenavista, dating back to the 15th century and of which only the ruins remain today, it is a park that can almost be considered an extension of the former, reached via a pedestrian bridge over the river. The most interesting feature is the work by the Russian artist Tseretelli Zurab Konstantinovich dedicated to Christopher Columbus, which represents the birth of a new man: an enormous bronze sculpture, 40 metres high and weighing over 600 tonnes.
Isla Mágica
Especially if you are travelling with children, but not only then, it can be useful to know whether there are any amusement parks in a city or nearby. In Seville, you will find Isla Mágica, an amusement park with water slides and roller coasters, where you can spend a day having fun and perhaps also find some respite from the summer heat thanks to the water attractions.
