Holiday apartment in Sanlúcar La Mayor: Culture and Nature in the Green Corridor

Sanlúcar La Mayor combines impressive religious buildings, traces of the town’s medieval history and nature experiences in the Guadiamar Green Corridor. Between churches, monuments, a lagoon and circular trails, the Andalusian municipality offers a diverse range of attractions.

Culture and History

The Iglesia de Santa María has been protected as a Monument under the designation Bien de Interés Cultural since 3 June 1931. The historic ensemble of Sanlúcar la Mayor has also been listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural since 14 November 2006. The Iglesia de Santa María was built as the parish church of a suburb located outside and away from the city walls of Sanlúcar la Mayor. Its distinctive architectural features include stone surrounds for the openings, stone columns and stone ribs in the presbytery.

The Iglesia de San Pedro del Castillo is the oldest church in Sanlúcar la Mayor. The Iglesia de San Pedro is a three-nave Mudéjar-style building and is recognised by the Junta de Andalucía as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Its tower was once an Arab minaret separated from the mosque by a courtyard. Another notable church is the Iglesia de San Eustaquio, which is divided into three naves with pointed arches resting on pillars.

The townscape also reflects its history of fortification. Construction of the Almohad wall began at the end of the 12th century under the Almohads; the wall originally comprised 46 towers. The artistic and historical heritage also includes the sculpture of San Miguel, a work in the Gothic Flemish-Burgundian style attributed to Lorenzo Mercadante de Bretaña. The sculpture is displayed in the town hall in a showcase with controlled temperature and humidity. The Casa de Cilla complements this ensemble as a typical 18th-century Andalusian building.

Nature

Sanlúcar la Mayor is one of the municipalities located within the protected Guadiamar Green Corridor landscape area. The Guadiamar Green Corridor crosses the municipality in its central section from north to south. As a result, the protected natural area extends directly into the municipality and forms an independent spatial reference alongside the historic buildings.

Routes

The Guadiamar Green Corridor can be explored on foot or by bicycle for more than 70 kilometres and has a cycling tourism route for this purpose. The route through the Green Corridor can also be travelled on horseback. The Las Doblas recreational area features a seasonal artificial lagoon crossed by a wooden bridge. Its marsh vegetation provides a habitat for a diverse range of waterbirds.

The Ruta Las Doblas is a circular trail around the lagoon in the Guadiamar Green Corridor, within the municipality of Sanlúcar la Mayor, approximately 3 km from the town centre. The route has a largely accessible path with a wooden bridge across the lagoon. The Ruta Las Doblas offers opportunities for birdwatching and observing flora and fauna.

A longer alternative is the Ruta Camino Viejo – Camino de la Dehesa. This is an approximately 8 km circular trail of moderate difficulty that passes by the Las Doblas recreational area and the lagoon, within the protected Guadiamar Green Corridor natural area.

Sightseeing and Festivals

To visit the interiors of the monuments on the Ruta Monumental, prior contact with the Sanlúcar la Mayor tourist office is required. The Ruta Monumental begins at a stop on Seville’s C5 commuter rail line.

The Feria y Fiestas de Mayo always takes place in May, but without a fixed calendar date. It is held exactly two weeks after the Feria de Sevilla. Its origins lie in a livestock fair held on 1 May. On Corpus Christi, the celebration concludes with a procession of the monstrance through the central streets and squares of Sanlúcar la Mayor.

More destinations

More destinations: Villanueva Del Río Y Minas, Guillena, Mairena Del Aljarafe, Cazalla De La Sierra, El Castillo De Las Guardas, Camas, Aguadulce, Santiponce.

To the higher-level travel overview: Seville.