Seville

 

Hola Senoritas!

 

I have just returned from the stylish city of Sevilla and what a shopping haven!

 

 

 

Strolling down Calle Sierpes I was over whelmed by the chic and stylish shops and shopping in the capital of Andalusia is a serious business!

 

Seville has everything for the shopper from craft works and souvenirs to sophisticated fashion all sold in its many shops, workshops, shopping centres and street markets. 

 

          

 

The main shopping area is in the old, historic part of the city where you can find all kinds of shops.  In the Plaza Nueva are the pedestrian streets of Sierpes and Tetuán and the adjacent streets.  Along these streets you find the Spanish fashion stores Zara and Mango, crammed full of stunning clothes not seen in the UK as well as the unknown Sfera displaying the latest fashion garments.  Spain’s largest department store – El Corte Ingles – claims to offer 500,000 items in their 200 departments and it is no exaggeration to say you can buy almost anything there.

 

The purchase of bags, jewellery and shawls is a serious hobby for Sevillano women and the city has an array of shops stocking bags of every shape, size and colour along with the essential element of the flamenco outfit the mantones – the triangular fringed shawls, which are often embroidered. 

 

                

For you ladies who adore shoes, Sevilla is your ultimate heaven!  The shoe store selection is impressive, with different stores offering a wide variety of styles to suit everybody’s taste.  With many of these stores selling bags to match your shoes, as the Spanish love their juegos – matching sets.

                       

In Seville, shopping fits with the climate and an afternoon siesta is never hurried.  Seville shops and stores generally open from around 9.30am then close at 1.30pm, reopening at around 4.30pm and then staying open until 8pm or sometimes later, with the opening hours varying depending on the individual shop.  However, Seville department stores and some other shops, such as Zara do not close during the afternoon siesta in Seville and stay open throughout the day.

 

So if you are in need of a spot of shopping in a beautiful city, with a warm climate, then Seville is the place to go! 

 Rachel Costa