Explore a 16th-century church and an attractive shaded garden when you visit the Plaza de Puerta Jerez, one of Seville’s main pedestrian squares. This picturesque place is named after an old city gate at this location that led to the road to Jerez de la Frontera, a city in the province of Cádiz.
Go to the center of the plaza for the Fountain of Seville, also known as the Híspalis Fountain. This circular water feature is surrounded by figures of children and topped by a statue of a Nereid, a sea nymph from Greek mythology. It was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exhibition of Seville.
Walk around the square's perimeter for a closer look at the historical buildings, such as the regionalist-style Hotel Alfonso XIII and Yanduri Palace.
Stroll into the 16th-century Chapel of Don Rodrigo for its beautiful coffered ceiling and the gothic altarpiece which is thought to date back to the 1520s. Among the other standout features of this gothic-mudejar style church are gothic windows and a two-tone brick steeple.
Leave the square to wander through the adjacent Gardens of Cristina which was inaugurated in 1830. Walk along avenues lined with plane and pine trees and see the monument and water feature dedicated to the Generation of ’27. This was a prominent group of poets from the 1920s. Among the garden’s other features are a children’s play area and a memorial to the Duchess of Alba, a colorful aristocrat who died in 2014.
The Plaza de Puerta Jerez is located in Seville’s historical center, about a 5-minute walk south of the cathedral and right by the Puerta Jerez metro station and tram stop. If you’re driving a car, parking is available for a fee in nearby garages.