SEVILLA, CHARACTERISTICS BY ITS LOCATION.
Seville, as some of you know, is located in the Guadalquivir Valley, which is a low level above sea level, some neighborhoods are only 8 meters above sea level just, and the whole of the city barely reaches sixteen metres, which allows the tide to rise in the Guadalquivir, and this, makes it feasible to navigate its channel, from small private boats to large cruise chips, so it is another way for tourists to get to the city.
But it was not always like this, in 1948, a year full of major floods caused the Guadalquivir to create a new channel in Cartuja, which was joined at San Juan de Aznalfarache with the old abandoned channel by the creation of the Alfonso XIII Channel, and the river was “plugged” or blocked off at Chapina, the northern entrance of the river into the city.
The dock remained, which has the name of Alfonso XIII Channel, as a dead arm of the river, closed to the north by the aforementioned blockage, and to the south by the port lock.
Until November 25, 1992, the river Guadalquivir was not navigable again by its old channel, it took 43 years for the river to reopen to the city of Seville and disappear the famous “plug” of Chapina.
The river Guadalquivir has always been very important for Seville, in the past because it was the main Atlantic sea route traffic for more than 200 years, and today because it gives a lot of life to the city, as it offers many enjoyable activities as walking along its banks with the magnificent views of both river banks (on one side Triana Neighborhood and on the other the Old Historic Town), take a boat day or at night time (or the interesting option of a small cruise to Sanlucar de Barrameda) and you can enjoy during the walk along the river passing under its famous bridges while a guide explains things about Seville, until we can reach a Water Sports Center where we can do many water activities, from kayaking to paddle surfing for the most sporty while you enjoy its lively atmosphere.
Here are the contact details of some companies that offer the service in case you are interested:
CRUISES
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TORRE DEL ORO
TELEFONO: +34 954 561 692 / +34 678 720 207 E-MAIL: reservas@ctosevilla.com WEB: www.crucerosensevilla.com
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SUN SAIL CHARTER
TELEFONO: +34 692 538 942 E-MAIL: hmisa@bergantesevilla.com
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GUADALUXE ECOCRUCEROS
TELEFONO: +34 661 278 826 / +34 647 886 985 E-MAIL: iinfo@guadaluxe.com WEB: www.guadaluxe.com
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ESTURION TOURS
TELEFONO: +34 682 200 700 / +34 682 400 700 E-MAIL: info@esturiontours.es WEB: www.esturiontours.es |
WATER ACTIVITIES
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KAYAK SEVILLA
TELEFONO: +34 683 335 954 / +34 678 800 689 E-MAIL: kayasksevilla@gmail.com WEB: www.kayaksevilla.com
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PADDLE SURF SUP GUADALQUIVIR
TELEFONO: +34 674 858 870 E-MAIL: info@supguadalquivir.com |
It should also be noted, that the geographical location of Seville is in the warmest part of the temperate zone, and the proximity to Africa with its Saharan winds, greatly influences our climate which is one of the hottest in all Europe, so in summer the temperatures can reach up to 38 and 40 degrees in the shade, which represents ten degrees more in the sun, on the other hand, in winter those same conditions soften the temperatures, therefore it can never be said that it is excessively cold, so Seville can be visited at almost any time of the year, because there are also many tourists who dare to visit us in summer despite the high temperatures.
Because of our climate, the urban landscape of Seville had to adapt to the high temperatures, for example, one characteristic is the narrow streets in the Old Historic Town designed to provide shade to protect against the intensed heat of the sun in summer.
The narrow streets shaped in a crossbow curve, relieves tourists of the heat, in addition they were also painted with a limestone paint on its facades, in order to reflect the sun rays and prevent heat from penetrating the houses.
Another distinctive feature is that of the tall palm trees that appear in the neighbourhoods gardens and squares which also provide shade.
And finally, as we have already commented on several occasions, it is the flat terrain which the local people in the past took advantage of to construct buildings, incredibly in Seville the Giralda is visible from every part of the city and its height previously dominated the city (now no longer, after much controversy, the Pelli Tower was built, which is now the highest in the city).
Nowadays, the flatness of the city has been used to encourage travel around Seville by bicycle, building a wide network of bike lanes and thus, enabling the city to be able to make a small contribution to help the environment.
