Arriving in Seville by sea is a rare privilege: it's Spain's only inland cruise port. The ship leaves the Atlantic at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, then sails up the Guadalquivir for 75 km between rice fields, marshes and pine forests, until the Giralda appears above the orange trees. The berth at the Muelle de las Delicias, the Quay of Delights, lives up to its name: the monumental centre begins about 2 km away, and María Luisa Park is a few minutes' walk.

The capital of Andalusia, Seville was in the 16th century the gateway to the Americas, the city where galleons laden with silver arrived. This memory of gold and seafaring still permeates the quays, the palaces and even the Tower of Gold, the Torre del Oro, which has stood guard on the riverbank for eight centuries.

The cathedral and the Giralda

A pleasant 20- to 25-minute walk along the river and through the gardens leads to the historic heart. The cathedral, the largest Gothic church in the world, rose on the site of the former great mosque; its Almohad minaret, now the Giralda, is climbed by interior ramps up to a complete panorama of the city. Inside, the tomb of Christopher Columbus, borne by four bronze heralds, recalls the unbreakable bond between Seville and the New World. The ensemble, along with the Alcázar and the Archive of the Indies, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Alcázar and Santa Cruz

Steps away, the Real Alcázar unfolds its Mudéjar halls, its azulejos and its gardens where peacocks strut: a palace begun by the emirs, continued by the Christian kings, and still a royal residence during official visits. You emerge dazzled, only to lose yourself right away in the Santa Cruz district, the former Jewish quarter, a maze of white lanes, flower-filled patios and small squares shaded by orange trees. This is where the city is easiest to get to know, a glass of orange juice or fino in hand.

Plaza de España and the park

Between the quay and the centre, María Luisa Park offers its welcome shade and its avenues designed for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. Its centrepiece, the Plaza de España, forms a vast semicircle of brick and ceramics, edged by a canal where rowboats glide: each Spanish province has its own azulejo bench there, and the whole makes up one of the most photographed urban settings in the country, 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the ship.

Triana, the other bank

Across from the quay, on the other side of the Guadalquivir, the Triana district cultivates its identity as the cradle of potters, sailors and flamenco. Its lively market, its azulejo workshops and its tapas bars along Calle Betis, with colourful façades facing the river, make it a perfect late afternoon before heading back to the gangway.

Landmarks from the Muelle de las Delicias

A single day isn't enough to see it all, and that's just as well: the port call lets you grasp the essentials on foot, with no transfers, from the river to the orange trees. Bring water and a hat in summer, because the Andalusian heat is no joke.

As the ship heads back down the Guadalquivir in the evening light, the Giralda lingers above the city like an exclamation mark. The galleons are long gone, but you leave Seville just as they did: laden with riches, and already working out when you can make the crossing again.