Seeing a city from the saddle is one of the best ways to take in everything a new place has to offer, and this could not be more true of the Spanish city of Sevilla (Seville in English).

Take our advice, if you are heading 'orange side' (cycling past boughs leaden with oranges is high on the wow factor), then take advantage of the well organised bike lanes that spread throughout the city like curious roots from a tree. Everywhere is accessible by bike in Sevilla, and this is no paid lip service to the bike, we are talking a fully integrated cycle network, with semi circle concrete barriers protecting the cyclists where the network does parallel with other traffic. Away from the road, and the network meanders through pedestrianised areas (just look out for trams!), marked by embedded chrome markings to distinguish the cycle path from the walking route. You may occasionally have to tinkle your bell to alert wayward walkers, but all in all, the system runs like clockwork.

Options for saddling up in Sevilla go from the state sponsored Sevici system, which is open to residents and non residents alike, to private bike rental companies offering competitive rates with generous rental hours. For weekend breaks, we would defintely recommend a private company like Rent a Bike Sevilla, but for trips of 3 days or more, try the Sevici system, which offers a 7 day pass for non residents, something which a trip to the town hall can quickly organise. The only downside is that you are required to put down a refundable deposit of €150 for the bike in case you decide to pedal away with it, but the system does offer free travel for the first 30 minutes, with low rates for the proceeding hours. 

Useful links:

http://www.sevici.es/
http://rentabikesevilla.com/