My Experience in Seville, Spain - by Ximena

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

Seville is a spectacular city to live in. The people are friendly and are always partying, from morning 'til night. It's amazing waking up every day to be greeted by the sun with hardly a cloud in sight. For me, the city's warm climate, people, traditional Sevillian costumes, flamenco dancing, Serrano ham, beer, bike paths, plus its history and architecture are what makes Seville stand out as the best place to live. If you're an Erasmus student in Seville, there's no way you won't be dazzled by the Andalusian capital.

What's the student life like in Seville?

The student life and presence in Seville is fantastic. There's lots of people from southern Spain, and plenty of foreign students, meaning you get to know people from all over the world as well as Spaniards.

How expensive is everyday life in Seville?

For me, Seville wasn't a very expensive place to live in. We found plenty of cheap supermarkets and didn't have to spend too much money on food. In terms of eating out, this was also very affordable, most of the time costing no more than 6 euros each time.

Our accommodation wasn't expensive either, despite our flat being well-located. Four of us lived together in a flat in the city centre, and our rent was 230 euros per person for a room each, a large kitchen, dining room and living room, together with air conditioning and two bathrooms.

In terms of transport, the best choice is to use a Sebici to get around - this is a card which allows you to use the city bicycles. The bikes are highly recommendable as they are good quality and can be used to cycle to the faculty. The Sebici card only costs 27 euros per year and is much more economical than travelling by bus: to do this, you have to continually top up your card, since paying for tickets as you go along will cost you much more.

Did you find it difficult to find somewhere to live in Seville? Do you have any advice for flat-hunting?

I didn't find it very hard to find a nice flat, but what was quite hard was finding a flat which had air conditioning. During the summertime the temperature can reach a staggering 45 degrees in Seville - the city boils! So, I recommend renting a flat which has air conditioning - no exceptions!

We found the flat through www.inmobilaria.com, which worked very well for us.

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

In Spain, the food is spectacular - or rather, everything salty is. Serrano ham is my personal favourite. The sandwich known as a "serranito" is incredibly tasty: pork loin with Serrano ham, seasoned with pepper. The seafood is also fantastic.

Which places would you recommend visiting in Seville?

• Don't visit Seville without climbing las Setas on Plaza de Encarnación to get a fabulous view of the city.
• La Catedral de Sevilla is the third largest cathedral in the world, featuring Gothic, Romantic and Arabic architecture!
• Likewise, climb la Giralda, the Arabic tower attached to the cathedral, for more beautiful views.
• Make sure you stay in Seville during April for la Feria, the best festival in the world and a whole week of celebrating! This is the best time of all to see the traditional Sevillian costumes the city is famed for.
• Go for a ramble along Sierpes, the most cited street in Spanish literature, and along la Avenida Constitución.
• The incredible and unmissable El Alcázar de Sevilla. Formerly the palace of the Andalusian sultans, El Alcázar is in excellent condition, and much more beautiful than its Moroccan equivalent! Its sprawling gardens are the largest in Spain.
• The enormous public park El parque María Luisa. Very appealing, especially in the summer when its hundreds of trees offer welcoming shade from the sun.
• La plaza España is one of the most attractive and unmissable sights of the city, having been used for many films.

What about eating out in Seville? What are your favourite places?

I would highly recommend the restaurant, or better tapas bar, named "2 de mayo", for cheap and tasty tapas. "La Sureña" is great too, and of course the classic "100 montaditos".

Do you have any advice for future students coming to Seville?

My best piece of advice is not to hesitate and come to Seville! Enjoy every moment - try the local food, make friends with the Sevillian people and with foreigners. Go travelling and partying! Visit and discover every corner of the city. And definitely use the Sebici card.