It was once a gift from Seville to the Infanta María Luisa Fernanda de Orleans, in 1893, and then the scene of the Iberoamerican Exhibition celebrated in Seville in 1929. Today the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park) is the city's main green area and of the most important parks in the country, much to the pride of Sevillians, who remember playing in the gardens as children, and also a recreational area for tourists. But let's start at the beginning. The entrance through the Plaza de España will dazzle you. If you have chosen a sunny day (not hard to do here) it will be perfect: a large building, semi-circular in shape, including an artificial lake, fountain and two towers, one to the north and one to the south, from which you can get a view of the park. This building, which housed the Spanish Pavilion in 1929, was built by the architect Aníbal González and is refurbished in ceramic tiles with representations of all the Spanish provinces. The tiles are beautiful, and this is a lovely spot for photos; you will often see Spanish tourists going to snap themselves in front of the tiles of their province. Quite inside the park now, you can walk along the Avenue of the Swans to the lake where you can feed these gorgeous animals. The grassy areas are ideal for resting a while and soaking up the sun, but there are also café terraces in the area if you prefer to take a coffee as you contemplate the scene. The central point of the park is in the Plaza de América, where the real stars are the pigeons. From here three pavilions rise majestically: the Real, the Bellas Artes and the Mudéjar. These latter two are home to museums: the Arqueológico (Archaeological) and the Artes y Costumbres Populares (Popular Arts and Customs). Another of the avenues, Hernán Cortés, guarded by high poplars, pays homage to the Alvarez Quintero brothers. And if you fancy a touch of romance, you can go through the Avenida de Pizarro to the monument dedicated to someone who was the greatest poet of these parts, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. There you can sit down to read verse, declare your love, or just rest, because there is still a lot of Seville to see. Also, The Sevilla Official Tour Guides is a great way to explore the city.

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