Muévete: getting around Sevilla

While it is rare to see sevillanos wearing workout gear or running along the sidewalks, most of them appear to be in relatively good health. The American fitness culture is one of extremes, so this is an odd concept to us: How can someone be in shape without a gym membership? Most likely, this phenomenon can be attributed (at least in part) to the walkability of the city. Like Boston, Sevilla is easily traversed by foot. Unlike Boston, Sevilla enjoys around 300 days of sunshine each year, allowing its residents to continue this mode of transportation year-round.

Biking is another popular option. With special lanes on most major roads and walkways, it’s not surprising that so many people choose to bike. A rental service called Sevici makes this simple and convenient: There are 250 stations across the city where you can rent and return bikes with the swipe of a credit card, and if you use one for half an hour or less, it’s free.

Like many major U.S. cities, Sevilla has a public transportation network. Its buses and trains appear considerably more pristine than those operated by the MBTA (although the number of stops also seems more limited), and prices are comparable. However, I haven’t been tempted to investigate further – I live outside the city center, so none of the stations are particularly convenient, and the weather is typically so beautiful that I’d prefer to walk anyway.

Cabs are much more affordable here: I’ve never paid more than €6-7 for a ride within city limits, and drivers are usually highly professional. Nonetheless (and just like in the U.S.), they will sometimes take a roundabout route if they think their customers won’t notice. Foreign visitors are especially susceptible to this; I heard through the grapevine that some of my classmates were charged €24 for a ride home after a night out!

Uber is nonexistent in Spain, but the taxi industry is so well established here that there’s no market for a competing service. That being said, it’s certainly easier to hail a cab from a smartphone than it is to locate one on the street. I’ve heard that a similar app was recently released for Sevilla’s official taxi service, but the jury is still out on how well it works.

The trek between my homestay and the school is 35 minutes each way. Between this and our regular excursions, I find myself walking between 10-15 miles on any given day. No wonder Spaniards don’t need treadmills…