In Seville this December? Planning on some fun Christmas shopping? Seville hosts a number of street markets during the festive season which add some variety and colour to the normal high street shops and department stores, and are worth a browse around to see if you can pick up a bargain or something unusual.
The christmas book fair is still on in Plaza Nueva until Sunday (December 9), with an interesting variety of old and specialist books (mostly in Spanish, of course). This is followed on the same site from December 14 by the annual Christmas Artesan Market, featuring handcrafted games, gifts, clothes and accessories in wood, leather and ceramic. Of all the markets, this is the best one to head for if you’re looking for something a bit more classy than the usual market fare.
The Fería de Belen (nativity), where you can go to buy everything you need for your nativity scene, is in Calle Fray Ceferino González, between the cathedral and the Archivos de India. Stables, mangers, sheep, wise men, Roman centurions – you name it, they’ll have it. Browsing or buying, if you’re into either christmas or models spend a while wandering around here.
There are traditional Christmas fairs in Alameda de Hercules and Plaza de la Encarnación. The stalls are mainly artesan jewellery and leather goods, but include a traditional bread stall and some fast food and funfair style sweet stalls. For the children there are fairground rides, a visit to the tent of the Three Kings (the Spanish alternative to Father Christmas who brings them their presents on January 6) under the Metropol Parasols, “Christmas tree cones”, and a miniature train to take you from one site to the other. The highlight of a visit has to be the camel rides in the Alameda, which give you a rare chance to get close to these unusual animals.
For the first time there is a Christmas market this year alongside the Puerta Jerez and the Christina, featuring craft, jewellery and leather goods and attendant takeaway food stalls.
From December 6 to 8 only (10am to 7pm) there is an exhibition and sale of the traditional sweets, cakes and pastries made in the closed convents in and around Seville in the Gothic Palace of the Alcázar (entrance through the Patio de Banderas). Plenty to tempt anyone with a sweet tooth.