☰Macarena

Macarena is where sevillanos actually live, a sprawling northern neighbourhood largely bypassed by tourism despite having genuine draws of its own. The Basilica de la Macarena houses the city's most venerated religious image, the weeping Virgin of Hope, carried through the streets during Semana Santa in scenes of extraordinary devotion. The Alameda de Hercules, once rough around the edges, has evolved into a laid-back plaza ringed with terrace bars, vintage shops, and a Sunday market. Tapas bars here serve the same quality as the centre at noticeably lower prices, and you can eat at a bar counter surrounded entirely by locals. Sections of the old Moorish city walls survive nearby, a reminder that this neighbourhood was once the city's northern frontier.