Carmona, a fascinating trip 30 minutes from Seville
A trip through Carmona and the legacy of the many cultures that have passed through it along its streets, flavours and wonderful experiences that will make you want to
Only 30 minutes from Seville, located on a hill know as the Vega del Corbónes and opposite one of the most spectacular viewpoints in Andalusia, is one of the oldest cities in Seville and Andalusia, Carmona. With more than 5000 years of history that speaks for itself along with numerous civilisations that left their legacy in a city, with hideaways that surprise visitors as there are things you wouldn't expect to see.
A town with a historic centre full of single storey houses, snaked by cobbled alleys and narrow passageways that, when night falls, are full of mystery, mysticism and a silence that floods them, which makes you forget about the hustle and bustle of the city.
Throughout this article we will show you some of the most emblematic spots as well as the best routes and experiences in Carmona, a city with less than 30000 inhabitants but with a lot to see, where visit after visit, you can find out about all the periods of Andalusian history, with impressive archaeological sites such as the Roman necropolis, the palaces, the old Jewish quarter and Baroque churches.
One of the most beautiful viewpoints in Andalusia
Churches, palaces and walls form the rich historical heritage within the historic centre of Carmona, dominated by the imposing image of the fortress with Arab origins, the Alcázar del Rey Don Pedro, which is accessed through the Córdoba Gate, or Puerta de Córdoba, and which is the start of our trip around the city.
Many travellers who decide to go to Carmona for a citybreak begin by visiting the lower part, but in our opinion, the ideal placeto start your visit of the city is at the high part, specifically from the aforementioned Palace, now known as Parador, where parking is easy and it's the ideal place to enjoy views from its delicious viewpoint with a good ham sandwich.
What views don't you think? Time can easily run away at viewpoints like this. We still haven't begun with the visit to Carmona and we bet that more than one of you is open mouthed, which is no surprise, because the Vega de Carmona is spectacular.
You will agree with us that the best way to begin your tour of Carmona is with some toast and coffee in hand, are we right? Although given the location, you may want to change your coffee at the la Vega terrace for another in front of the beautiful Arab courtyard that lies inside the parador with vaulted ceilings from the 14th century.
Without a doubt, one of the jewels in the crown that was once a palace. Pure delight.
A stroll through its neighbourhoods, the old Jewish Quarters
Leaving the guesthouse, we continue along Calle Puerta Marchena. A Panoramic street, with extraordinary views over a sea of green, which will take us to the foot to 3 of the best-known neighbourhoods in the city.
We are referring to the districts of San Felipe, Santiago and San Blas, the last being the old Jewish quarter of the city where travelling back in time and enjoying the quiet streets is easy to do.
All these neighbourhoods, that make up the historic centre of Carmona, maintain the network of small narrow streets, a characteristic of the charm of any other Andalusian city, although with the passing of time, in Carmona these places have stayed pretty much the same and their original layout remains intact.
Streets with whitewashed houses, which contrast with the blue sky and the colour of the geraniums that hang from every balcony, street by street, giving Carmona a completely unique stamp.
How about a market that used to be a convent!
This market you see, which was once the Dominican convent, is now one of the most unique and touristic places in Carmona, which has a small oil shop which is the interest of our next report.
A visit to the oil shop is well worth the while. Here you can experience a wonderful oil tasting with different aromas that will teach you a great amount about the world of liquid gold, one of the great treasures of our land, that most of us know little about and here, in this wonderful plaza de abastos de Carmona, these very friendly people will open your eyes with their amazing oil tasting.
From palatial homes and Roman necropolis to convents and Arab walls
We can happily say that Carmona is a city that never bores its visitors given its incredible variety of places that history has managed to bring together. And by means of this history we would like to invite you to discover another 4 places that you just have to see if you visit Carmona.
The first of which dates back to the origins of the city, Roman necropolis, on the outskirts of the city, where you can see the amazing tunnels and corridors of one of the best conserved necropolises in Andalusia.
As we said, Carmona has been home to numerous civilisations. First villages from Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods, then the Phoenician and Carthaginian settlements. Settlements that occupied the city and shaped it to the point that it caught the eye of the Romans, who lived here and gave it the name "Carmo”, turning it into "Roman civitas", where Julius Caesar himself used it as an example of a strong and powerful city.
Later, the Moors arrived from North Africa, naming the city Qarmuna, which sounds a lot like its present name. The Moors filled the city with mosques, gardens and enormous mansions. They built a wall around the entire city and built the wall of Alcázar at one end, which is today the Palace, and at the other end, a castle tower now known as the Alcázar de Puerta Sevilla.
This Palace, which is more of a castle, can be accessed via the current tourist office and after climbing several staircase between towers and sections with battlements, we reach the famous Golden Tower where you can enjoy one of the best panoramic views of Carmona and the palace itself.
The Arabs and Romans turned Carmona into an enormous city, which after the Reconquest, exploded in riches, with fortresses that remained intact, gardens, palaces and the appearance of convents such as this one, the Santa Clara convent, which we will take a look at now and which is undoubtedly another of the essential visits when in Carmona.
Here, the nuns of the Order of St. Claire will take you through their courtyard and show you their choir, and before you leave you can buy some of the delicious sweets that the sisters make in the convent.
And following the streets that head towards the palace, we lose ourselves looking at the exuberant façades, covered in bars and coats of arms from dozens of Baroque palaces and stately homes like this one, the Lasso, which is now a hotel and well worth a nights stay or at least a quick visit.
What does Carmona taste of? It's lunchtime!
Amongst such beauty, unique hideaways, streets and squares, the best way to finish our visit is with another of Carmona's delicacies, the flavours of its cuisine, which has now become the famous "Tapa Route" or "The Good Table".
This route can be easily identified by the large blue and white tiles on the doors of each of the establishments along the route. Some are culinary temples worth mentioning, such as the Molino de la Romera, protagonist of our article, where you can try typical dishes such as alboronías, an aubergine stew, grilled meats, and delicious pork cheek
Tomato soup, Iberian cured meats, the marvellous spinach with chickpeas
Definitely another reason to visit the city, enjoy its charm and the offerings of one of the best routes of Sevillian tapas, which can be complemented by another of the most genuine flavours of Carmona: anisette.
This is because Carmona has one of the oldest distilleries in Andalusia, which anyone can visit and where they will be waiting for you to give you an amazing tour to discover the traditional way of making anisette with a wonderful tasting and a visit to the historic building with Arab baths.
Get away to Carmona
It's impossible to talk about the historic cities of Andalusia without mentioning Carmona. Its streets will transport you back to another time, whilst living in a present with urban areas and palatial houses that represent the tradition and friendliness of its inhabitants. Its streets will take you through the living history of Andalusia.
Where you least expect it, you will see Carthaginian, Tartessian, Roman, Visigoth, Muslim and Christian remains. Carmona is the centre of the thematic-tourist-cultural route that crosses the towns that form part of the Roman legacy, from Cordoba to Cadiz through whitewashed buildings where a wooden door and balconies pouring with bougainvillea and geraniums will welcome you.
