Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza

The Real Maestranza was begun in 1749 and took over a century to complete, which is why its plan is an irregular oval rather than a circle, and it is one of the oldest and most important bullrings in Spain, holding around twelve thousand people. The building is worth seeing as architecture: white and ochre arcades, a baroque royal box with a canopy of Portuguese marble, and a chapel and infirmary behind the ring where matadors prepare. Guided tours run when there is no event, taking visitors through the arena, the stands, the chapel and a museum of posters, costumes and paintings. Bullfighting is legal in Andalusia and the season runs from April, opening with the Feria de Abril corridas.

What you actually see

• The oval arena - an irregular ring built over more than a century.
• The royal box - a baroque canopy in Portuguese marble.
• The chapel and infirmary - the rooms matadors use before entering.
• The museum - posters, costumes and paintings from the ring's history.

When to go

Year-round for tours, which run daily when no bullfight is scheduled; the season runs from April to October with the Feria de Abril the peak. Tours are shortened or cancelled on event days.

Honest expectations

Bullfighting is contested, and many visitors find touring a functioning bullring uncomfortable regardless of whether they attend a corrida; the tour presents the tradition without engaging with the objections. Tours are guided only, at set times, in Spanish and English.

Nearby

The Torre del Oro is alongside on the river; the cathedral and Triana are minutes away.