Seville Fans--The Better Festival, the Best Time To Go

I cannot speak to Semana Santa, but were in Sevilla during Feria this past May and absolutely loved it. The city had a very festive atmosphere, and it was fun to see the women all dressed up. We walked over to the fairgrounds several times to join the festivities and see the horses, but also enjoyed visiting sites like the Alcazar that were actually less crowded than usual because every one was out at the Feria.

Lola, thanks for the response. I would still welcome the thoughts of anyone who has been to Seville during Semana Santa.

I hope someone can answer your question about Sevilla during Semana Santa. I'm moving this to the top so others can see and respond.

I'm also planning a spring trip to Spain. I'm trying to make a call about visiting the area during festivals or avoiding festivals. One issue is availability of lodging. Does it get tight or is it no problem? Current thought is to go shortly after Semana Santa. I'm interested in people's experiences.

Brad, out of curiosity, I did check a hotel service website for the time periods for both festivals in 2012 and can advise that there seems to be hotel availability, though the prices do increase. I am actually looking at one of two seven-night cruises in 2013 where during the festivals the ship actually docks in Seville, eliminating or substantially reducing (in the event I want to arrive one night early) the lodging challenge. You probably have no interest in a cruise, but if you or anyone else does, just get back to me for the specifics. Again, the appeal is that the ship actually docks in Seville during the festivals. But your question is mine. Lola, in her response above, apparently had a great time during the April festival. But I am trying to get a feel from those who have experienced both festivals as to which one they would recommend, whether Seville during Semana Santa is just too crowded to enjoy, and whether they in fact would suggest a visit at some other time.

I can only speak from our one experience, last May (2011) at the Feria in Sevilla and the Patio Festival in Cordoba. Both were fantastic experiences, although we did not actually get into any patios because they were too crowded. It was a fun time to be in Cordoba and we did other things (Jewish museum, Mezquita, Andalusian horse show, wandering the narrow streets, and watching a bicycle race/ride through the big park, with many families participating.) The residents are out partying in the street and generally having a good time. This is a festival they do for themselves, not as a show for tourists. Same with the Feria. We never even tried to get into a caseta, but just enjoyed the spectacle on the streets, with the horses and carriages on parade. As for lodging being "tight", it is true that prices are higher during these festivals, but not double, at least for the places we chose. They do book up early, and some may have minimum stays of two or more nights. FWIW, we stayed in Sevilla at the currently top-rated hotel on Tripadvisor, a small boutique hotel near the cathedral called Casa 1800. Rate was 180 per night. Next year the rate is 198 during the Feria, 145 a week later. I would definitely not just show up without reservations. If you want to go, book rooms now. My impression from what I have read and seen in Rick's videos is that during Semana Santa the streets are very crowded. We did not find this at all during the Feria, except while walking toward the fairgrounds. But those streets are wide and it is a fun crowd to be in.