Learn Spanish in Seville: Social Life
All students are encouraged to make the most of their time in Seville by participating in guided excursions and activities offered by the college. A weekly guided tour around Seville and two weekly social events such as a Spanish video at school, talks, sporting activities or college parties enabling the students to meet informally and learn more about the city and Spanish culture.
A sample of a Week’s cultural programme:
Sunday: Arrival day in Seville or a free day
Monday: Once a fortnight, meet at the college for a guided tour around Seville
Tuesday: Half-day guided visit in the city / Spanish movie at the school
Wednesday: Student football match
Thursday: Optional lesson – Pronunciation class in school. Tapas evening in Seville
Friday: Free afternoon for your own exploration of the city
Saturday: Full day excursion e.g. Ronda, Granada, Vejer de la Frontera etc
Seville’s historic sites and museums include the Cathedral and Alcazares (Royal Palaces) as well as the Museum of Fine Art and various stately homes. There is also a thriving range of theatres and cinemas in the city. For shopping in Seville, try the Calle Siernes for ceramics and mosaics, Calle Tetuan for clothes and shoes, or hunt for bargains in the flea market in the Alamdea on Sunday mornings.
The highlights of Seville’s year is always the spectacular Easter “Semana Santa” celebrations, with the processions of the penitents carrying crosses on the shoulders and floats carrying 17 th century images of the Virgin or Christ. The main focus of the celebrations being Good Friday morning, after the processions have made their way around the city for most of the night. Thousands of spectators pour into Seville for this, originally, religious festival which now takes up most of the week. Nowadays it is used as a wonderful excuse to party. If you want to be in Seville at this time of year, please book well in advance and be aware that lessons are somewhat disrupted during the week (on the grounds that neither the staff nor the students can reach the college front door)! The other key event takes place around two weeks later, the “Feria de Abril”. There are daily bull fights during the week. Officially it runs from Sunday to Sunday and involves rows of temporary pavilions known as “casetas” set up along the “Real de la Feria”, by Seville’s southern river bank, where various families and trade groups enjoy “Jerez” sherry, flamenco singing and dancing throughout the night, for the whole week.
For those who want to explore Seville’s night life we recommend the bars and restaurants in the Barrio Santa Cruz (many bars will close around midnight, but there are some great tapas bars, “Maria Luisa” park, popular summer terraces where local play dance music and party until dawn, alongside the river banks where there are plenty of open air bars to chose from or try the areas near the “Iglesia del Salvador” where the bar life spills on to the streets in good weather.
