Carmona and Écija

This route starts in Seville and as the first stop of this first day is nearby it is not necessary to leave so early. Enjoy the trip!

The first stop on the itinerary is the City of Carmona. A small city that reached its splendor in Roman times. Therefore, one of its main attractions is the Archaeological Complex of Carmona.
You can visit it before having lunch and walk around the rest of the city. The visit can be done on your own or with a guide.
Among the places to visit are the necropolis and the amphitheater.
✅ Open Hours: Opening hours change in the different seasons of the year. You can check them on the official website

To continue your visit to the city on foot, you can park your car near the Teatro Cerezo and walk around.
This theater has an eclectic style inspired by Viennese theaters. It was built between 1931 and 1934 and suffered several renovations. At present, it's very important for people who live in the city because it´s where the carnival contest is held.

If you walk down Calle de la Fuente you will come to the area of another of Carmona's main monuments: the Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla.
The Gate of Seville fortress is one of the most emblematic elements of the rich architectural heritage that Carmona boasts. The Alcazar is the remains of a bastion with traces of Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Christians.
You can download an audio guide at official website
✅ Open Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10:00 - 18:00 Sunday and Holiday: 10:00 - 15:00
June, July and August Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 15:00 Saturday, Sunday and Holiday: 10:00 - 15:00
Admission fee: adults 2 euros, kids 1 euro. Free on Monday.

Very close to the Alcazar de la Puerta de Sevilla you will find this small tavern, ideal for eating some quick tapas and continue on your way.
✅ Open Hours: Wednesday - Monday: 8:00 - 24:00 Tuesday closed.

After lunch, you can walk to the Plaza de San Fernando, a circular square. Around it, you can see the beautiful facade of the Mudejar house and other traditional houses.
Also, yo can take a look to the Town Hall building and the Madre de Dios Convent of Carmona.

If you continue walking for Calle Ildefonso, calle Carlota Quintanilla and calle Santa María de Gracia, you will found several houses that were ancient palaces.
One of the most important is the House-palace of the Marquis of Torres de la Pressa (current City Museum).
At the museum you can know the history of Carmona from its origins and see archaeological remains from the Palaeolithic, Chalcolithic, Turdetan or Andalusian periods, but the most important are the Tartessian and Roman remain.
✅ Open Hours (museum):
From September 1 to June 15: Tuesday - Sunday: 11:00 - 19:00 Monday 11:00 - 14:00
From June 16 to August 3:1 Monday - Sunday: 10:00 - 14:00
If you don´t want to visit the museum, you can take a quick look at the house.
After the museum, as you walk through the city you will see other palace houses such as the Aguilar family and the Rueda family.

On the way to the houses-palaces you can see the Church of Santa María, one of the most important in Carmona. It was built on the site of the old main mosque, of which the ablutions courtyard is still preserved.
If you are during visiting hours, it is worth looking inside and exploring its details.
✅ Open Hours: As the schedules change during the year and are different in the morning and in the afternoon, you can check them on the official website Monday closed.

You can come back to get the car and on the way to the next village, you can stop at The Cordoba Gate (Puerta de Córdoba).
This gate was built in the 1st century AD and had several modifications over time. You can take a picture and continue the trip to de next stop.

Welcome to Écija! You can drive to the Plaza de España, which is the central square of the city and park in one of the surrounding parking lots.
Plaza España is a very nice and colorful square. Look up to pay attention to the first towers that can be seen and the Mirador Benameji. In the square there were many viewpoints to observe the events taking place there.
You can choose one of the bars there for a coffee or go to Café Roma (next stop) for something sweet.

Before starting the tour of the historic center of Écija, you can have a coffee at Café Roma with some typical cake or sweets from the city, such as yemas, torta de manteca or bizcocho marroquí.
✅ Open Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 8:00 - 13:00, 16:00 - 20:00. Monday closed.

If you are interested in the history of Écija and the whole area you can visit the Historical Museum. The Municipal Historical Museum of Ecija is situated in the Benamejí Palace, a building with a rich baroque decoration. Admission is free.
If your visit doesn't coincide with the day or time the museum is open, you can still visit the building from the outside.
✅ Open Hours: September 16 to May 31 Tuesday - Friday 10:00 - 13:30, 16:30 - 18:30 Saturday 10:00 - 14:00, 17:30 - 20:00 Sunday and Feasts 10:00 - 15:00 Monday closed
June 1 to September 15 Tuesday - Friday 10:00 - 14:30 Saturday 10:00 - 14:00, 20:00 - 22:00 Sunday and Feasts 10:00 - 15:00 Monday closed

The Palace of Peñaflor (or of the long balconies) is one of the most beautiful buildings of the Andalusian baroque.
If you do not visit the Historical Museum of Ecija, you may have time to visit this palace. It has few visiting hours, but it is worth a visit to see the building from the outside.
✅ Open Hours: Monday: 11:00-13:30,16:30-18-30 Friday: 11:00-13:30,16:30-18-30 Saturday: 11:00-14:00, 18:30-20:00 Sunday: 11:00-14:00
Ticket price 2 euros.

As Écija is the city of towers for all its churches, you can not leave the city without visiting one of them. One that you can visit is the Iglesia Mayor de Santa Cruz.
✅ Open Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 - 13:00, 16:00 - 20:00 Monday 10:00-13:00

If you prefer take dinner before arrive to the last stop, you can eat something in La Trastienda Abacería. It is a simple place, but a good option to try local gastronomy.
✅ Open Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 - 16:00, 19:00 - 24:00 Saturday: 8:00-16:00 Sunday closed.
Return for the car and drive to Córdoba to spend the night there and start the day in the city.

In Cordoba, you can park the car on the other side of the river, near the Calahorra Tower and go to the hotel on foot to take a rest after a great day.

Cordoba is a walkable city, so it is best to stay in the historic part of the city, close to the main attractions.