The Port of Seville is the capital of the Province of Seville in Andalusia, Spain. Lying on the eastern bank of the Guadalquivir River about 54 miles inland from the Atlantic coast, Seville is Andalusia’s most important city and the fourth biggest city in Spain.

The Port of Seville is the country’s most important inland port, exporting olives, fruit, wines, cork, and minerals. Its imports include coal, oil, and metal products. The city is home to several manufacturing industries making armaments, porcelain, tobacco, airplane parts, agricultural machinery, and chemical products. After World War II, shipbuilding and textile manufacturing became important to the local economy, as did commercial services and tourism. In 2006, almost 695 thousand people lived in the city, and over 1.4 million lived in the metropolitan area.

The Port of Seville was born more than 2,000 years ago, giving it a large, well-preserved historic city center. The Romans knew it as Hispalis, and it was near the Roman city called Italica (where Emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born) that may reveal what Seville looked like at the time. Modern Seville boasts remnants of a Roman aqueduct. The city flourished under Roman rule from the 2nd Century BC, being their administrative center for the Baetica colony.

As the Roman Empire weakened, the area was raided by Vandals and Visigoths in the 5th and 6th Centuries. In the 5th Century AD, the Vandals used it as the seat of their kingdom until 461 when it fell to the Visigoths.

Then in the early 8th Century, the Moors conquered the city (calling it Ixvillia) and much of southern Spain. It was the 12th Century capital for the Almohad confederation, and it enjoyed great prosperity and development during their rule. The Port of Seville was controlled by the Muslims until the mid-13th Century when Fernando III re-took it for Christianity. Yet, the city still has a Moorish character and many Moorish structures, including sections of the city wall.

The new Spanish king drove Moors and Jews into exile, and the city’s economy was decimated for a time. As Spanish trade with the New World increased, however, the Port of Seville experienced a golden age of wealth and development, as it was awarded a monopoly on trade with Spain’s colonies. The House of Trade (Casa de Contratacion) was established there in 1503 to control Spain’s commerce with the New World. The Port of Seville dominated Spain’s colonial commerce for two hundred years, and the country’s main mint for gold and silver from the New World was located there. It soon became the biggest city in Spain. By 1588, the city was home to about 150 thousand people.

As the Guadalquivir River silted up and colonial trade decreased, the Port of Seville fell into a period of economic decline in the 17th Century. Its cultural life flowered, though. Seville boasts painters Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Zurbaran, and Bartolome Esteban Murillo, sculptor Juan Montanes, and poet Fernando de Herrera. Cervantes had the idea for Don Quixote while he was imprisoned in Seville’s jail.

During the 18th Century, Spain’s kings attempted to develop a local economy that was not dependent on trade. But 19th Century invasions, revolutions, and civil war were serious barriers to the Port of Seville’s progress. The April Fair, an annual gala after Easter, was established in 1847.

In 1929, the Iberoamerican Exposition started a renaissance for the Port of Seville. During the 20th Century, a new industrial and commercial revival began, and the port was expanded. In 1992, the Universal Exposition world’s fair opened in the Port of Seville, bringing modernization and new monuments to the city as well as new rail and road connections to the rest of Spain. Supporting the revival of the port was an effort to bring the Guadalquivir River, which had been diverted for centuries, into its natural riverbed through the city.

Early in the Spanish Civil War, the Port of Seville fell quickly to General Francisco Franco’s troops in 1936. While the working class resisted Franco’s control for a time, a series of terrible reprisals ended the resistance.

Because Franco’s troops held the city through most of the Spanish Civil War, the city’s monuments survived the war. The oldest part of the city, on the bank of the river, survives with its maze of winding narrow streets, enclosed squares, and Moorish-styled houses. In the city center are the historic Cathedral of Santa Maria and the Alcazar Palace.

The Port Authority of Seville is responsible for developing, managing, operating, and marketing the Port of Seville. In 2001, the Port of Seville handled almost 4.9 million tons of cargo, including three million tons of solid bulk, 1.6 million tons of general cargoes, and over 264 thousand tons of liquid bulk. Almost 1500 vessels brought cargo into the port, including more than 101 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo.

The entrance to the Port of Seville is protected by a lock that regulates the water level in the commercial area. Thus, the port is free of tidal influences and has constant water depths. Incoming vessels pass a series of terminals, berths, and wharves that end in the passenger terminal and marina in the city center.

The Port of Seville covers over 106 hectares of water surface and 660 hectares of land area. It contains 38 hectares of quays and an industrial zone of 247 hectares. Its quays total five kilometers, and the port is served by 18 kilometers of roads. Railways connect the wharves and industrial zone with Spain’s rail network and the rest of Europe.

The Port of Seville contains over 186 thousand square meters of open storage space, almost 62 thousand square meters of covered storage space, and more than eight thousand square meters of cold storage. Further, the Avda. de la Raz Warehouse has capacity for 38 thousands square meters of cargo and almost 12.3 thousand square meters of cold stores.

The Port of Seville contains over 2.7 thousand meters of berths for public use and 1.1 thousand meters of private berths. These docks and berths are used for solid and liquid bulk cargoes, roll-on/roll-off cargoes, containers, and cruise lines.

The City of Seville is one of Spain’s most beautiful, historic, and romantic cities. With a well-preserved historic city center, it is home to many beautiful structures visitors will not want to miss.

The Port of Seville’s 15th Century cathedral was constructed atop the Moors’ mosque. One of the largest medieval Gothic cathedrals, it contains the longest nave in Spain with much golden decoration. In addition to the columns from the old mosque, the cathedral’s tower (called La Giralda) was originally a minaret with interior ramps that allowed the Muezzin to ride to the top on horseback.

The Real Alcazar is a beautiful 14th Century Moorish palace. Blessed by extravagant architecture, courtyards, gardens, and ponds, it is an adventure to explore. Visitors can see the room where much of Columbus’ journey to the Americas was planned, marked by his coat of arms. Students can visit the Alcazar for free.

The Barrio Santa Cruz is the city’s old Jewish Quarter, and it’s very popular with tourists. A charming neighborhood with narrow cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses, visitors can choose to relax at one of the many bars or restaurants, walk through ancient gardens, or stroll the covered passageway off the Alcazar’s Patio de Banderas.

The 13th Century Torre de Oro (Tower of Gold), which houses a maritime museum today, is said to once have been covered with gold.

The 17th Century Hospital de los Venerables was a retirement home and hospital for priests. It has been restored to preserve its charming Andalusian architecture and beautiful Baroque chapel.

The Museo de Bellas Artes may be the second most important museum for fine arts in Spain (only after Madrid’s Prado). Housed in a 17th Century mercy convent, its exhibitions include Sevillian art from the Gothic to modern periods.

Easter is a special time in the Port of Seville. During Semana Santa, serious processions fill the streets during the Catholic celebration of Easter. The April Fair is a release from the seriousness. This huge party covers much of the city. During the day, costumed riders boast traditional Spanish attire fill the streets with horses and carriages. After 8 pm, the “Calle Enferno” begins, a nighttime celebration of everything Spanish. Visitors will enjoy traditional dress, Flamenco dancers, guitars, wine, tapas, and fun that last well into the morning hours.

No matter what time of year, visitors will love the Port of Seville’s nightlife. The city is said to have more bars per resident than any other city in Europe, and the parties continue to the early morning. Open-air discothèques, nightclubs, and the Isla Cartuja beckon.

Being the birthplace of Spanish bull fighting, the Port of Seville’s Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza is the largest and grandest bull ring in Spain. Visitors who are not squeamish can witness the breathtaking excitement of the ring for a small fee.

Tourists in the Port of Seville will not run out of things to see and do. With a rich architectural history, a variety of museums, beautiful parks and plazas, and a lively nightlife, plan to spend some time getting to know beautiful, romantic Seville.

Travelers who want to visit the Port of Seville by sea can find a long list of scheduled cruises on the Cruise Compete website.