10 Things to Do in Seville in Fall

It is often said that spring is the best season to see all that Seville has to offer because in summer the temperatures are too high and winter is not the best time to travel. But autumn is often forgotten and, in my opinion, this is the best time to visit the Andalusian city.

The temperatures are mild and the crowds are much smaller than in spring. As a bonus, in the autumn months there are several dates and events that offer unique plans for this time of the year. Here are my 10 favourite autumn events and everything you need to know about them.

Flamenco is an essential part of Seville's cultural calendar and autumn is one of its best times, as this is when the Flamenco Biennial takes place.

This event is organised every two years and is a real flamenco party. The best artists in this genre are always part of the line-up of the biennial in Seville.

The festival is held in the months of September and October in the theatres of the city, but if it does not coincide with your year of visit you can always enjoy the best flamenco shows or book a visit to the Museum of Flamenco Dance in Seville itself.

Booking tickets to Seville Cathedral means getting to know the city's monument par excellence. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, along with another must-see: the Alcázar of Seville.

The main reason to visit it in autumn is that there are far fewer tourists and the visit is much more comfortable, as the queues are almost non-existent at this time of year.

In terms of activities, a celebration is held every year on 10 October to mark the anniversary of its completion (1506). Two days later, on Columbus Day, a wreath is laid at the tomb of Christopher Columbus in the cathedral itself.

Autumn is a time of harvests and routes full of special colours. In Seville, the most popular crops are turned into must and the Aljarafe is transformed to receive thousands of visitors ready to enjoy this delicacy in its taverns.

The Aljarafe is a group of villages closely linked to the production of must and which form part of the ring of Seville. A great advantage is that many of them are directly connected to Seville by metro, making it very easy to visit them.

The traditional taverns in these villages are part of what is known as the "must route", which is at its most splendid in autumn, more specifically in November. This is the month when I recommend this route for food lovers. But if you go with children or just don't like wine, I recommend you to book a visit to the Aljarafe in a different way, on the back of a horse. Do you like the idea?

If you are travelling with children to Seville and you are going to be in the city on Halloween (31st October), they are sure to love visiting the Isla Mágica amusement park at this time of year.

It is an amusement park inspired by the discovery of America and was built using the facilities of the 1992 Expo.

Halloween is one of the most important dates in the park as special events are held and the atmosphere is set according to this terrifying day.

Since 1993, the Festival of Nations has been held in Seville every autumn, an event that revives the international spirit of the 1992 Seville Expo and brings together various countries that set up their stalls with cultural, gastronomic and other activities.

It is a festival for all the senses which also includes a line-up of concerts by international artists. As it starts at the end of September and lasts until November, it is one of the highlights of autumn in Seville.

This festival is held in the Prado de San Sebastián gardens and I recommend that you take advantage of your visit to the event to get to know the Plaza de España, as it is very close by.

Triana is the most picturesqueneighbourhood in Seville. It is one of the best neighbourhoods in the city, as it captures all its essence and in whose streets you can enjoy all the best that Seville has to offer.

It contains an immense range of bars and restaurants where you can sample the gastronomy, shops and businesses, streets and squares full of life... In short, it is a festival for all the senses.

And why is it special in autumn? Because it is the start of the cultural season and in the Triana neighbourhood this is celebrated in a special way:

• There is the possibility of booking flamenco shows in its bars.
• Its famous corrales, the typical Sevillian patios, open their doors in autumn so that you can visit them.

Parks are the best places to enjoy autumn if the city you are visiting has one worth visiting. And fortunately this is the case in Seville. Visiting Maria Luisa Park in the heart of the city is not just any park, as it is one of the most beautiful parks you can find in any Spanish city and I would dare say in Europe.

In autumn, it takes on the typical reddish colours of the season and brings out its beauty even more. The park has several floral areas, fountains and squares that are well worth a stroll.

Seville's famous Plaza de España is located in this park which, apart from being the lungs of the city, is one of its main attractions.

The character created by José Zorilla is a symbol of Seville and the city has always been closely linked to this figure. And in autumn there is a date on which Juan Tenorio takes on special prominence: All Saints' Day. On this date, celebrated on 1 November, the performances of this play are already a classic.

You can, and should, take advantage of the excuse to go to the city's theatres and enjoy this classic of Spanish literature. The classical theatre in Seville is my recommended option.

It's not the only thing you can do, as Don Juan Tenorio is set in the city itself, and by booking a tour of Seville you can see some of the real settings that appear in the play: the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, the Plaza de la Alianza, the Plaza de Santa Marta and the Plaza de Doña Elvira.

Along the same lines as the previous activity and in connection with Halloween, there is another highly recommended activity to do in Seville: book the tour of mysteries and legends of the city. Seville has its own myths and fables and you can explore them with these tours especially interesting on Halloween.

These legends originate from the city's Moorish era and take place mostly in the streets of Santa Cruz. There are stories for everything from ghosts to love stories to duels to the death. A highly recommended experience to do in autumn.

Autumn is usually a season closely linked to music and culture, and Seville is no exception. Given the good temperatures during these months, the city of Seville hosts several very interesting musical events that go beyond flamenco:

• Candlelight: a series of concerts held in more than 90 cities around the world, consisting of performances of classical music on an improvised stage surrounded by candles and generally in important places in the city.

• La noche en blanco: usually held on the first Friday of October, it consists of a series of cultural activities such as concerts, exhibitions or theatres that take place in the evening. Most of these activities are free and take place all over Seville.

Seville's autumn weather is perfect for visiting the city. In the three months it lasts we can find temperatures similar to summer, but milder, especially at the end of September, and a little cooler as winter approaches.

October is the in-between month for those who don't want to be too hot or too cold, with highs of around 20 degrees and lows of around 10 degrees.

The Guadalquivir River flows through the city, making the climate much milder, and even in autumn clear days are common and there is plenty of sunshine. It is also the rainiest time of the year, but in Seville this does not mean that it rains frequently, far from it. In short, the weather in autumn is the most balanced of the year in Seville.

The greatest virtue of autumn in Seville is that it offers an outstanding balance between the weather and the number of tourists visiting the city. From September to November the crowds are much thinner and it is easier to find good deals on accommodation than, for example, in spring.

Prices also fall as a result of fewer tourists. In fact, autumn is, after winter, the cheapest time to travel to Seville.

Given the mild autumn weather, you won't have to make life too complicated when it comes to packing your luggage. But to be on the safe side, here is a short list of the essentials you should take with you to Seville in autumn:

• If you're travelling in early autumn, in September or early October, it's still a bit warm, so it's best to take long but light clothes and a jacket for the evenings.
• Later in the autumn it is enough to wear long clothes and a jumper or sweatshirt and something warmer for when the sun goes down.
• Footwear is also important as Seville is best explored on foot. So choose your footwear with comfort in mind.
• The sun in Seville is still strong in early autumn so don't forget sunglasses, a hat and sun cream.
• If you go in October or November it's a good idea to bring an umbrella just in case, although there's not much chance of rain.