Guadalquivir and Paseo Colón

You are on the banks of the Guadalquivir, the river that made Sevilla. Its name comes from the Arabic Al-wādī al-kabīr, the great river, and that is what it has been: a water highway connecting Sevilla to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and, for centuries, the Americas. Here, on these quays, the fleets of the Indies were loaded and unloaded; silver from Potosí and cocoa from Veracruz arrived here, and Castilian olive oil, wine and iron set sail. The arm of water you see today is not exactly the original river: it has been channelled, especially in the 20th century, to prevent the great floods the city used to suffer. The Corta de la Cartuja, the walls of the Marqués de Contadero promenade and the modern docks are the fruit of patient engineering. Walk along the bank and look across: in front of you stands Triana, the sailor, potter and flamenco quarter. To your right or left, depending on where you are, you'll glimpse the Torre del Oro, the Triana Bridge, the bullring, the bell tower of Santa Ana or the modern Alamillo Bridge. If you go down to the water, you'll see canoes and rowing teams training. Short commented river cruises are a comfortable way to read the skyline from below. Visitor tip: come at sunset, especially from the Triana Bridge or Calle Betis. The light turns golden and you understand, without anyone telling you, why Sevilla was born right here.