Sevilla Property - Zones and Maps - La Vega del Guadalquivir
Towns and Villages
- La Puebla de los Infantes
- Penaflor
- Lora del Rio
- La Campana
- Alcolea del Rio
- Villanueva del Rio y Minas
- Tocina
- Cantillana
- Villaverde del Rio
- Burguillos
- Brenes
- Alcala del Rio
- La Rinconada
Map of La Vega del Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir river runs through the area just northeast of the capital and the fertile land in this river valley characterises the landscape of the area. The mighty Guadalquivir, whose name comes from an Arabic word meaning "The Great River", is one of the most important in Spain. The towns dotted along the banks of the river have been important throughout history and the Romans, the Moors and the Christians have all left the remains of their eras in these towns and villages. To the north of the Guadalquivir are the foothills of the vast and wild Sierra Morena and the area has long been popular with those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of nearby Seville.
Lora del Río
A busy market town of 20,000 inhabitants, Lora itself is not particularly attractive but is surrounded by an interesting landscape of mountains, agriculture land and a river valley. In the east of the Seville province on the northern banks of the Guadalquivir, Lora was historically a strategically important town for the Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors and then the Christians. A number of Visigoth funeral artefacts have been discovered in the area and for the Moors it was an important defensive town situated halfway between Córdoba and Seville. The most splendid of Lora's buildings were constructed during the 18th century. In particular, the town hall, now in a state of decay, was built in an elaborate baroque style. Another important building is the Casa de los Leones, erected in the early 18th century which is located on Calle Federico García Lorca.
A market is held daily in the town's large market place. A number of festivals are held in Lora throughout the year including the Fiesta of San Sebastían of the 20th of January, the Semana Santa Easter celebrations, the festival in honour of the Virgen de Setefilla at the end of May and a pilgrimage for the Virgen de Setefilla on the 8th of September.
Lora is 55km from Seville and 63km from Córdoba. The Seville-Córdoba rail line passes through the town and there is a train station in Lora.
Peñaflor
Situated right at the edge of the province of Seville, on the border with Córdoba, Peñaflor is a very attractive village on the banks of the Guadalquivir. Relics of its Roman past can be seen here including the remains of the Roman city port pier, Roman baths and aqueducts and an old oil mill. The village's monuments include the late 18th century church of San Pedro and the brightly painted convent of San Luis, also constructed in the 18th century. A village of 4000 inhabitants, Peñaflor is surrounded by attractive countryside with mountains to the north and the river valley to the south.
Peñaflor is 70km from Seville and 48km from Córdoba. The nearest large service centre is Lora del Río, 15km to the west of the village. The Seville-Córdoba rail line passes through the town and there is a train station in Peñaflor.
16km to the south of Peñaflor is the village of La Campana.
La Puebla de los Infantes
To the north of Peñaflor, nestled in the low mountains is the village of La Puebla de los Infantes with a population of 3500. A peaceful, attractive village with a handful of interesting churches and convents, La Puebla's main interest lies in its enticing natural surroundings. To the north of the village is the Sierra Norte Natural Park with its forested mountains teeming with wildlife.
South of La Puebla are flat, agricultural fields stretching down to the Guadalquivir river. Just to the west is the reservoir of Retortillo where fishing and other watersports can be practised. The main fiesta of La Puebla takes place on the first Saturday of February when fires are lit in the streets of the village and a traditional dance known as the Sandinga is performed by locals.
La Puebla is 8km north of Peñaflor near to the border with the province of Córdoba.
Alcolea del Río
This village is located on the northern banks of the Guadalquivir River, opposite an island formed by a loop in the river. Surrounded by the fertile land of the Guadalquivir valley, Alcolea was an important riverside town during Roman times when the river was used for transporting goods throughout the Roman Empire in southern Spain. Near to Alcolea are the ruins of the Roman settlement of Arva, an important archaeological site and there are some hot springs in the area that were also used by the Romans. The village centre is attractive and has preserved its 18th and 19th century façades and medieval church. Home to 3500 people, there are a handful of bars and shops in Alcolea.
The nearest large town is Lora del Río, 14km to the east.
Villanueva del Río y Minas
A town of 5500 people, Villanueva has a long and important mining tradition and the numerous remains of mining activity are evident in the area. Five kilometres from the town are Las Minas, the coalfields that were originally mined at the start of the 19th century until they were closed in 1972. To the north of the village are low, forested mountains and to the south are the flat agricultural plains of the Guadalquivir valley. A rough track leads from Villanueva to the impressive and extensive Roman ruins of Mulva, 8km away. This well preserved archaeological site date back to the 4BC and is beautifully situated. Festivities in Villanueva include the Santa Barbara pilgrimage on the 3rd Sunday each May, the festival of San Fernando held on the 30th of May and the festival of Santiago in late July.
The closest large service centre to Villanueva is Lora del Río, 23km away. The rail line running north from Seville passes through Villanueva and there is a train station in the town. Villanueva is 43km from Seville.
Tocina
On the southern banks of the Guadalquivir river, Tocina is situated in the heart of agricultural lands and market gardens of the fertile Guadalquivir valley. A fairly quiet and unimposing town of 9000 inhabitants, Tocina has been inhabited since Roman times. Its baroque style 18th century church has some interesting tiled twin towers.
Tocina is 33km from Seville. The northern branch off the Seville-Córdoba rail line begins just south of Tocina in Los Rosales and there is a train station in Tocina.
La Rinconada
The largest town of La Vega with a population of 27,000, La Rinconada lies just to the north of Seville near the eastern banks of the Guadalquivir. The fertile land around the town is important for cultivating fresh produce for the inhabitants of Seville. La Rinconada is a modern town with origins in the 15th century when a village developed around the chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, built in the mudejar style.
La Rinconada is 5km north of the Seville ring road and 10km from the city centre.
Alcalá del Río
A town of 9000 inhabitants situated on the banks of a wide section of the Guadalquivir river, Alcalá dates back to Roman times. It was later controlled by the Moors and became important in medieval times due to its strategic riverside location, acting as a defence for the river and for Seville's port. Remains of the old Roman baths can be seen in the town and there is also an interesting 16th century mudejar style church with baroque choir stalls in the interior.
Alcalá is 15km north of Seville's city centre and is situated on the N431 main road.
Burguillos
To the north of Alcalá is the village of Burguillos with a population of 3500. It is situated in the Guadalquivir valley and surrounded by fertile agricultural land with the Sierra Morena mountains to the north. Festivities in the village include a pilgrimage for the Virgen del Rosario which takes place from the 7th to the 10th of September and the main fiesta which is held from the 6th to the 9th of October.
Burguillos is 6km north of Alcalá del Río.
Cantillana
On the banks of a large loop in the Guadalquivir river, Cantillana is backed by the foothills of the Sierra Morena. An important town historically due to its riverside location, Cantillana was inhabited by the Romans and later fortified by the Moors. The Christian reconquest took place in the 13th century after a drawn out siege of the town. There are a number of noteworthy buildings in the town including the 17th century church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción which contains some important statues, the town's clock tower and the 15th century hermitage of San Bartolomé. The infamous bandit, the "Barquero de Cantillana", a man named Andrés Jiménez was born in the town. The main fiesta is held in June when locals dress in traditional costume and horseback parades take place in the streets of the town. The nearby river provides opportunities for fishing and the surrounding countryside is popular with walkers. 9000 people live in Cantillana and there are a number of bars, local shops and small supermarkets in the town.
Cantillana is 30km northeast of Seville and is situated on the N431 main road that runs from Seville to Córdoba.
East of Cantillana is Villaverde del Río, a town of 6500 inhabitants situated on the western banks of the Guadalquivir river.
Villaverde is 4km from Cantillana on the N431 road.
Brenes
On the eastern banks of the Guadalquivir is the town of Brenes with a population of 10,000. Surrounded by agricultural lands watered by the Guadalquivir, Brenes dates back to Roman times and was later controlled by the Moors before being conquered by the Christians. The mudejar style 15th century church of the Inmaculada Concepción contains a baroque altarpiece and some important paintings. The Corpus Christi celebrations in the town are particularly colorful. During the festivities, the streets are covered with petals and the balconies of the houses hung with decorations.
Brenes is 20km northeast of Seville. The Seville-Córdoba rail line passes through Brenes and there is a railway station in the town.