Camas, Spain: travel guide to the Tartessian gateway to Seville and the Aljarafe

Camas is a town in the province of Seville, in Andalusia, set on the right bank of the Guadalquivir at the foot of the Aljarafe ridge, just on the edge of the city of Seville. Home to around 28,000 people and only about six kilometres from the centre of the Andalusian capital, it is one of the oldest inhabited sites in the whole province.

For travellers searching for Camas Seville, the Treasure of El Carambolo, the Aljarafe or towns near Seville and Itálica, Camas offers deep ancient roots and a lively, authentic atmosphere on the doorstep of a great city.

History and the Treasure of El Carambolo

The hills of Camas were settled in the era of Tartessos, the legendary early civilisation of southern Spain, more than three thousand years ago. It was here, on the Cerro del Carambolo, that the famous Treasure of El Carambolo, a dazzling hoard of Tartessian gold jewellery, was discovered in 1958. In Roman times villas dotted the area near the great city of Itálica, and the place later became the Moorish farmstead of Alkama. After the Christian conquest of Seville in 1248 it grew slowly, and from the 17th century it belonged to the Count-Duke of Olivares before becoming an independent municipality in the 19th century and expanding with the railway.

Things to see

Rising from the Guadalquivir plain to the hills of El Carambolo and Santa Brígida, Camas combines busy squares and popular festivals with green viewpoints over Seville. The hilltop of Santa Brígida, reached by a much-loved pilgrimage each October, and the Vía Verde de Itálica greenway, which leads towards the Roman ruins at nearby Santiponce, are among its highlights. The town is also proud to be the birthplace of the legendary bullfighter Curro Romero.

Practical information

Camas lies only about six kilometres west of central Seville, within its metropolitan area and effectively a gateway to the city from the Aljarafe and the road to Huelva. Its position makes it a handy base for visiting both Seville and the Roman city of Itálica a short distance to the north.