At THE SUN PLACES we know that gastronomy is an essential part of any travel experience, and that is why we invite you to discover the Seville Rice Route from the comfort of our Luxury Apartments in Seville, also with a presence in Cádiz, Puerto Banús and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Because the Seville Rice Route is not just a gastronomic itinerary, but an immersion in the history and culture of a land that breathes rice through every pore.
🍚 What is the Seville Rice Route?
The Seville Rice Route is a unique gastronomic and tourist experience that runs through the towns of the province linked to rice cultivation, especially those settled on the banks of the Guadalquivir. This route, designed by Tourism of the province of Seville, covers twelve municipalities whose history cannot be understood without rice cultivation and without the presence of the river.
The route begins in Aznalcázar, where the famous rice with gurumelos mushrooms is tasted, and ends in Dos Hermanas, where it is obligatory to try rice with gordales a la nazarena. In between, the Seville Rice Route takes us to discover towns such as San Juan de Aznalfarache, Gelves, Palomares del Río, Coria del Río, Puebla del Río, Isla Mayor, Lebrija, Las Cabezas de San Juan, Los Palacios y Villafranca and Utrera.
📖 History and origin of Seville Rice
The rice that came from the Levant
The history of rice in Seville is fascinating and full of migrations, necessity and transformation. The Arabs introduced rice to the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, bringing with them advanced agricultural techniques and irrigation systems that transformed the landscape. However, the true take-off of cultivation in Seville did not arrive until well into the 20th century.
In the early years of the 20th century, the province of Seville had only 40 hectares of rice cultivation. During the 1920s and 1930s, facilities were improved with an ambitious hydraulic works programme, but it was the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) that was the real turning point. In the midst of the conflict, Queipo de Llano chose to cultivate some 700 hectares of rice fields in the marshes, worked by repressed Republican prisoners.
After the war, Valencia and the Ebro Delta, the main producing areas, remained in Republican territory. The Nationalist side, in need of basic products, decided to boost rice cultivation in the Guadalquivir marshes. The success was such that, just after the war, Franco's government colonised the area with Valencian rice growers. This is the germ of today's Isla Mayor, which in its early days was called Villafranco del Guadalquivir.
Today, Isla Mayor is the rice heart of Seville. There, Valencian is still spoken, rice is eaten baked and San Rafael's Day, the town's patron saint, is celebrated with a cremà. It is, without a doubt, an essential stop on any Seville Rice Route.
🗺️ The History of the Seville Rice Route
The Seville Rice Route was born as an initiative to enhance and promote this rich tradition.
1. The Birth of the Idea (around 2004)
The route arose from a collaboration between Tourism of the Seville Provincial Council, associations of hoteliers, producers and the municipalities of the area. Its objective was to raise awareness of the importance of rice cultivation and offer an attractive tourist product linked to the gastronomy, nature and cultural heritage of the riverside towns of the Guadalquivir.
2. Institutionalisation and the Guide (2008 and 2015)
The route began to take shape with the publication of an official guide. In 2015, an agreement was formalised with the Regional Government of Andalusia to promote the route as an official tourist product, attached to the "Landscapes with Flavour" project.
3. A Quality Seal of its Own: The Registered Trademark (2023)
A key step in its consolidation was the creation of a registered trademark. The initiative came from three restaurants in Los Palacios y Villafranca (Manolo Mayo, Casa Moral and Juanma), who requested official registration to guarantee the quality and authenticity of the route's gastronomic offering. The registration became official in March 2023.
4. The Seville Rice Route Today: A Consolidated Project
Currently, the Seville Rice Route is a fully consolidated initiative, which has promoted other events such as the Homemade Rice Recipe Competition.
🌾 Seville, the great rice producer of Spain
It may come as a surprise, but Seville is the largest producer of rice in our country. With almost 1,000 farms throughout the region, it contributes more than 40% of the Spanish total. The marshes of the Lower Guadalquivir, partially occupying the Doñana National Park, concentrate production in municipalities such as Isla Mayor, Puebla del Río, Los Palacios y Villafranca and Aznalcázar.
In addition, the province accounts for 66% of the supply to Europe of the long-grain rice market, being the rice-growing area with the highest production per hectare in all of Europe. More than 40,000 hectares of cultivation mean an annual production of more than 300,000 tonnes. That is why it is not surprising that such extraordinary versions of this dish are eaten in the province. The Seville Rice Route is the best showcase to discover them.
🥘 Types of rice: The flavour map of the Seville Rice Route
Each municipality on the Seville Rice Route has its speciality. Here is the flavour map:
Aznalcázar
- Rice with gurumelos mushrooms
- A creamy rice with spring mushrooms
San Juan de Aznalfarache
- With lobster, langoustine or prawns
Gelves
- Traditional Seville recipe of humble origin
Palomares del Río
- Brothy rice with free-range chicken
- A comforting and tasty dish
Coria del Río
- The taste of the river in every bite
Puebla del Río
- One of the hallmarks of the region
Isla Mayor
- With American red crayfish tails
Lebrija
- Tradition and flavour in every grain
Las Cabezas de San Juan
- A popular recipe for using leftovers
Los Palacios y Villafranca
- The essence of Km0 cooking
Utrera
- A spoon dish for legume lovers
Dos Hermanas
- Rice with "gordales" a la nazarena
- The crowning glory of the route
In each of these municipalities, the Seville Rice Route invites us to stop, sit at the table and be surprised by the creativity and tradition of their kitchens.
🍽️ Where to eat rice in Seville?: The temples of the grain
If you want to enjoy the Seville Rice Route without leaving the capital, you also have excellent options:
- Casa Robles: More than 40 years of history specialising in rice and paellas.
- Abantal: Michelin-starred restaurant offering creative and sophisticated rice dishes.
- Áncora: The home of 19 rice dishes.
- Alabardero River Club: Fifteen types of rice on the banks of the Guadalquivir.
- La Arrocería Criaito (Triana): More than forty different types of rice dishes.
- Paella E Hijos: Family-run Valencian rice restaurant in the San Julián neighbourhood.
- Pureza del Sur: A restaurant and tapas bar where rice dishes are the stars.
🌿 What the Seville Rice Route represents for the city?
For Seville, the Seville Rice Route is much more than a tourist itinerary. It represents:
- A tribute to rice-growing tradition
- A sustainable tourist attraction
- An opportunity for the rural world
- A source of identity pride
For THE SUN PLACES, the Seville Rice Route is a perfect opportunity to offer our guests an authentic and different experience.
✨ Why stay with THE SUN PLACES to enjoy the Seville Rice Route?
Experiencing the Seville Rice Route in all its splendour requires more than just knowing where to eat. You need a perfect starting point, a place to rest after a day of rice, terraces and walks through the marshes.
At THE SUN PLACES we offer you authentic Luxury Apartments in Seville, but we are also in Cádiz, Puerto Banús and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
- Our Luxury Apartments in these cities are designed to make your gastronomic experience complete:
🗺️ Your elite plan for the Seville Rice Route with THE SUN PLACES
Arrival: You settle into your Luxury Apartment in Seville.
- First stage: You go to Aznalcázar to try the rice with gurumelos mushrooms.
- Second stage: You visit Gelves, Coria del Río and La Puebla del Río.
- Third stage: You arrive at Isla Mayor, the rice heart of Seville.
- Final: You finish in Dos Hermanas with rice with gordales.
That is experiencing the Seville Rice Route with THE SUN PLACES.
Ready for your rice route?
📞 Contact THE SUN PLACES. We help make every bite unforgettable.