Sevilla Shopping

There are several Juan Foronda boutiques in Seville, mostly in the Barrio Santa Cruz and in the Calle Sierpes area (the shopping district). They sell lace, embroidered shawls, gold and silver jewelry, and more expensive souvenirs. So if you want something classy that you won't find in most gift shops, these boutiques are the place to find it.

What to buy: In one boutique, I bought a black lace shawl, and in another, I bought a pair of earings from Toledo and a cute t-shirt with rhinestones spelling out "Sevilla".

What to pay: The lace shawl cost around 70 Euros, but I can't remember how much the earings and shirt cost... But in most of these boutiques, the prices are higher than in most gift shops.

If you're a student, working in Seville, and/or staying for longer than 2 weeks, it's worth it to get a cell phone (in Spain, they call it a "movil" - mobile phone). I stayed for 2.5 months and got a cell phone in my second week, and it's the best thing I did for my social life. It was much easier to meet up with friends, make plans, etc (no need to wait for emails or hike out to a phone booth). There are 3 major phone companies - Vodafone, Movistar, and Orange - and they have stores all over town. You can also buy a mobile at Fnac - electronics store (it has pretty much the same options as the phone stores).

What to buy: I got my movil from Vodafone and it was a "package deal" - phone and simcard together.

What to pay: I paid around 70 Euros in total for mine, but some options are as cheap as 30 Euros.

Fnac is a big store that sells mostly electronics, but also music, dvds, and books. It's 3 or 4 floors high, very modern, and usually quite busy.

What to buy: I bought some cds there, also a new digital camera after mine got stolen. Aside from that, there are also cell phones, computers, camcorders, etc.

What to pay: I paid 99 Euros for the camera and between 16-20 Euros each for the cds.

Along Calle Sierpes and the other streets nearby, there are a lot of clothing stores. I did some shopping and browsing at Zara, Mango, H&M, etc, and lots of shoe stores too. Most of the shops have clothes for young adults (especially girls/women).

What to buy: Clothes for girls/women, shoes, accessories, etc.

There are shoe stores on pretty much every street in Seville. So if you want to buy new shoes, shop around and compare prices. But be aware that not all stores have every size and the cheap shoes will likely fall apart after a few weeks.

What to buy: I bought a cheap pair of leather flats in one of the Asian-run clothing stores, a pair of cute wedge shoes at Pasarella, and dressy beaded heels at a clothing store on Calle Sierpes (can't remember which one).

What to pay: From 5 Euros to over 100.

If you're a dancer and in need of dance shoes, dancewear, etc, there is a shop in downtown Seville called Menkes where you can find your supplies. Mostly flamenco, but also ballroom, ballet, etc.

What to buy: Dance clothes and shoes, especially flamenco - pretty much every style of flamenco shoe is available here, as well as skirts. There are also shoes for ballet, ballroom, etc.

What to pay: I paid around 85 Euros for a pair of semi-professional flamenco shoes. If you're a student at Taller Flamenco, you can get a discount if you show your student card.

There are lots of little stores all over Seville where you can buy cheap clothes and goods. Most are run by Asian immigrants, so many of us referred to them as "the Asian stores". Though the stuff they sell isn't usually top quality, it's still nice to shop there if you're on a budget.

What to buy: I bought a dress for less than 20 Euros, a skirt for about 5, a fringed shawl for 5, a flower for my hair for 1, shoes for about 5, etc.

What to pay: Way cheaper than in other stores around town. Mostly in the 1-20 Euros range depending on the item.

El Corte Ingles is a huge department store where you can find pretty much anything you want. There are two locations in Seville - downtown, and in the Nervion district. One thing I find special about it (though the locals probably see it as normal!) is that for the few weeks before the April Fair, there are sections of the store specifically for feria stuff - dresses, hair ornaments, shawls, jewelry, etc.

What to buy: clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products, souvenirs, electronics, appliances, house stuff, food, etc.