Experience in Seville, Spain, by Alicia

What's it like to live in Seville? Would you recommend it? What's the city like?

It's a calm city in general, you can lose yourself in its streets without having to watch the time constantly or be stressed. If you choose to get a bike you can go for loads of little trips, and personally I love crossing the cities distinct bridges and going down to the river Guadalquivir. The weather tends to be quite good if you like the sun, because you can make the most of your day, although in the summer it can get too hot. In any case there are thousands of ways to cool down, and around the city we have a lot of beaches close by such as Matalascañas...

Additionally, I would advise you to go to two of our most popular and traditional festivals, La Semana Santa (Easter) and the Feria, which both happen in April.

What's the student lifestyle like in Seville?

The student lifestyle is very lively in general. Seville is divided into many areas and each just depends on the taste of each person, so you just have to know where to look. In fact, there's a little bit of everything, there are thousands of bars, clubs, terraces, museums, little markets, loads of parks...

Also there are lots of universities, as Seville has quite a big zone just for universities. The areas Viapol and Reina Mercedes without a doubt are the main university zones, and during the academic year there is always a good atmosphere round there, when it comes to both studying and having a drink or a rest.

With regard to studying in Seville, there is a website called "Wuolah" where you have two options:

- You go to a class and upload your notes afterwards where you win money every time you upload.

- If you need some notes for whatever reason you can download the ones that have been uploaded by other students, for free.

How much does it cost to live in Seville?

Day to day it's quite cheap regarding food, transport and other necessities. There are various options for the bus card, and as students we can buy one for the whole academic year, with unlimited journeys (€210) or for only a trimester (€78). Also, you can buy another for a month, also with unlimited journeys (€35. 30) or for a whole year (€320). But, one journey costs €1. 40 if you buy one on the bus, and if you pay with your normal card it's €0. 69 without changes and €0. 76 with changes. The minimum top-up on these types of cards is €7 and the maximum is €50, plus €1. 50 or €2 if you buy said card as well.

Also we have a bike service "Sevici":

1 week = €13. 33 (without a lock) / €14. 33 (with a lock)

1 year = €33. 33 (without a lock) / €39. 99 (with a lock)

There are other options as well such as the Metro or the Metrocentro. The Metro has its own card, but the Metrocentro uses the same card as the bus. There is also a "Consorcio" card, which works for the city bus, the Metro and "the green buses", which take you to many of the towns within Seville.

Another way of moving through the areas around Seville is with companies such as Amovens and Blablacar, where you can share a car to travel in a more economical way.

When it comes to taxis, there is also an app that actually offers quite a profitable service, if you register yourself, fill out your personal details you get a discount coupon code that gives you €20 for your first trip. It's really comfortable and easy to use.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Seville? Can you give any advice?

I have always lived here so I can't help much with this. But at the universities there are plenty of boards with adverts for flats in the area, just as there are in the university areas where they put up loads of posters advertising flat rentals. Another option would be to look on the Internet beforehand.

The cost of rent in a flat tends to be quite expensive, and even more for a student, the price will be somewhere between €200 and €500, although it's true that the houses in general are much more expensive than sharing a flat.

What's the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Spanish food is really tasty and varies a lot. Specifically in Andalucia we play around a lot with fresh food. From Seville, the gazpacho and salmorejo with ham and egg stand out. Also, the cocidos (stews) and the homemade pringá croquettes (filled with slow-cooked meat). The "serranitos" (warm sandwiches with grilled meat) are really good, and the same goes for the snails, which are a very typical dish in Seville.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Seville?

In the city of Seville, of course the centre, the Giralda, the Cathedral, the viewpoint from Las Setas, the boroughs Triana and Los Remedios, Santa Cruz, the bank of the river Guadalquivir, Marialuisa Park... Also there are loads of very interesting museums, in the Cartuja area is the CAAC (Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo/The Centre of Andalucian Contemporary Art), which I very much recommend. But Seville doesn't just have these things to offer, even though that's what a lot of people tend to think. In the outskirts of the city there are a lot of towns that are amazing, for example Cazalla de la Sierra is a beautiful town. San Nicolas del Puerto in particular is one of my favourite places, there are natural lakes, waterfalls... It's perfect to spend really hot days there, always respecting nature. Also, if you have the opportunity and you like extreme sports, in Aznalcóllar you can go bungee jumping for an affordable price, I'm sure the price is around €20-30.

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Is it good to eat out in Seville? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

In Triana there are loads of typical Sevillian bars such as Las Golondrinas, behind the cathedral there is the Bodega Santa Cruz (where you can have a "montadito de pringá"). Also, on the way to the Alameda is No Lugar, which is incredible. For students, if you prefer cheap places then of course 100 Montaditos, the Gitana Loca, Sureña, the Gorda te da de comer, Marbella, are some great places.

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Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Seville?

The area where all the clubs are is called Prado San Sebastián (Casino, Bandalai, Líbano, Bilindo), and Cartuja (Rosso, Antique), also next to the Nervión Plaza is Abril, and there are many other areas. Additionally, there are also a lot of pubs and terraces throughout the city but the area by the river Guadalquivir there is a huge variety (Muelle de Nueva York, Capote, Boga). Bilindo tends to be the best place for Erasmus students, and it often has special offers that they give out if you buy a wristband.

When regarding the typical areas where you can drink on the street, generally for pre-drinks before a night out you could go to Chile or Conversatorio in the Prado San Sebastián area. In Cartuja people usually drink close enough to the clubs, so you don't waste any time. Also there are zones where a lot of people frequently meet to drink during both the day and night, in a more "relaxed" way and without needing to go out to a club or a party, such as: along the riverbank (the Capote area), Alameda, Lipa (in Los Remedios), etc.

If you prefer a different kind of atmosphere that doesn't revolve around Reggaeton and clubs, there is the Alfalfa (where many Erasmus students meet up), around the Alameda and Feria Street (Munich, Garraptería, the Green Trumpet, the Bicicletería, the Red House... ), around the Puerta Osario there is a rock bar, Urban Bar, which I really recommend although it's quite expensive compared to other bars. If you like the last option, you can look up some of the other local places, that are like Urban Bar, in the brochure Yuzin. It's free and a new one comes out every month, it shows lots of interesting ideas of things to do every day such as jam sessions, poetry recitals, plays, concerts, etc.

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What advice could you give any future students coming to Seville?

Try and get to know and go out with people from Seville so that you can have the opportunity to know even more about the city. I know many Erasmus students that have only gone out with their friends and because of this they didn't know about many of the interesting places that the city has to offer.

But, above all, enjoy it!

P. S. If you ever have any doubts or you need something and there is anything I can do/say to help, please don't hesitate in writing a comment.