“Sevilla tiene un color especial…” (“Seville has a special colour…”) That is how Los del Río immortalised the Andalusian capital in song. A city rich in customs and traditions that enjoys a magnificent climate and boasts rich historic and monumental heritage, Seville, with its friendly, hospitable inhabitants, is a leading tourist destination at world level.

Bathed by the River Guadalquivir, Seville is divided into several barrios or neighbourhoods, humble but embellished by many historic monuments and buildings. Particularly outstanding is the Santa Cruz neighbourhood.

A good starting point for a tour of this magnificent city is by a visit to La Giralda, a tower originally part of a 12th-century mosque. La Giralda commands views of Seville Cathedral, the third-largest in the world. Nearby stands the Moorish fortress, or Alcázar, built in Mudéjar style in the12th century.

We can also admire the city’s artistic heritage in its 16 museums, amongst which the most outstanding are the Museum of Fine Art and the Archaeological Museum.

But to really discover Seville’s popular culture and folklore, we need to visit its different neighbourhoods, such as the Barrio de Santa Cruz, which is of Arabic and Jewish origin, where we can visit the beautiful Real Maestranza bullring, which dates back to the 18th century.

No tour of the Andalusian capital would be complete without a visit to the María Luisa Park and the Murillo Gardens, pausing in Plaza de España, with its Art Nouveau monuments built for the First Universal Exhibition, bordered by an artificial lake and two spectacular towers.

Overlooking the River Guadalquivir stands the Torre del Oro, an octagonal tower built in Moorish times which watches over the Andalusian capital. Nearby is the emblematic Puente de Triana, a 19th-century iron bridge leading into the colourful working-class neighbourhood of Triana.

Another of Seville’s outstanding attractions is its cuisine, characterised by simple dishes given intense flavour by the condiments used to season them. Typical local dishes include: pescaíto frito, fish fried in plenty of olive oil; gazpacho, a delicious cold vegetable soup; huevos a la flamenca, eggs with tomato and chorizo sausage: cocido andaluz (stew); and rabo de toro (bull’s tail) amongst many more delicious Sevillian delicacies.

But Seville is also renowned the world over for its tapas, small portions of typical regional dishes, such as pinchos morunos (spicy meat on a skewer), small pieces of batter-fried cod and snails. And for dessert, Torrijas de Semana Santa, based on an Arabic dish, or Yemas de San Leandro, typical sweet whose main ingredients are egg yolk and sugar.

Easter is the most outstanding religious festivity Seville, which also hosts the popular six-day April Fair (Feria de Abril), whose origins go back to a cattle fair.

Finally, amongst the city’s bustling markets, the best-known is the Rastro Sevillano flea market.