The Guadalquivir - Great River

The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the only great navigable river in Spain. It begins at Cañada de las Fuentes in the Cazorla mountain range in the province of Jaén, passes through Córdoba and Seville and ends at Bonanza, a fishing village in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, flowing there into the Atlantic Ocean.

Reservoir of La Puebla de Cazalla. Image taken from here

Its name comes from the Arabic, meaning “The Great River”. In fact, the Quadalquivir was initially named by Phoenicians the Baits, then later (from pre-Roman times to the Al-Andalus period) it was called the Betis, and the Arabs changed the name to “al-Wadi al-Kabir” (giving the present-day pronunciation).

The Torre del Oro on the Guadalquivir River in Seville. Image taken from here

The Guadalquivir has never served as a defensive barrier in the event of hostilities or against any invasion from the south, but more as means of transport and communication, a route for trade. The Guadalquivir is currently navigable to Seville, but in Roman times it was navigable to Córdoba. Today, the Port of Seville, located 83 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port of Spain.

The Port of Seville, c. 1590. Image from wwwl.allposters.com

The life-giving springs of the Guadalquivir is an area of outstanding beauty situated at Cañada de las Fuentes near the village of Quesada in the foothills of Cazorla Mountains (Sierra de Cazorla).

Cañada de las Fuentes. Image taken from here

Watershed of the Guadalquivir includes not only the municipalities of the provinces of Andalusia (Jaén, Córdoba, Almería, Granada, Málaga, Sevilla, Huelva and Cádiz), but also some areas of Murcia, Albacete, Ciudad Real and Badajoz. 

The Guadalquivir River Basin. Image taken from here

Between Seville and river mouth, there lies a large wet area, the Guadalquivir Marshes (Las Marismas del Guadalquivir). The irrigation of the Guadalquivir allows to give a significant proportion of Spain's agricultural production (sugar beet, cotton, rice, corn and other cereals, vegetables, strawberries, olives, citrus and other fruits) and favours the development of processing industries, such as oil, sugar and cotton mills, dairy factories, meat processing plants, canning, woodworking and furniture construction. There are also many dairy and fighting bull farms in its watershed.

Miura bulls. Image taken from Antonio Coronado Román's blog

If you are planning on looking for some refreshing entertainment or recreation in the riverside areas, there's actually lots on offer. It's a river that gives life to the wetlands in Doñana, the most spectacular natural reserve of Europe being not only its ecological, but also its water heritage. You can visit this site, to begin with. Then, you can just go swimming, fishing or boating, or practise rowing, kayaking, canoeing and sailing.

Arc bridge over the river at Andújar, c. 200 BC. Image taken from here

Away from the water, the options seem to be endless; from hiking, hunting, horse riding and cycling, to motorised activities, such as off-road dirt bike racing (see the motocross race calendar), etc. For mountain bike enthusiasts there's downhill mountain biking (Descenso en Bici del Guadalquivir) with some “official” routes and events, e.g. from Córdoba to Palma del Río or from Seville to Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

River running through and separating Seville into two. Image taken from here