Yes, it is true, in Seville there was a beach called Playa de María Trifulca, and many of you will ask yourself, how is it possible that there was a beach in a city without sea? Voyager Seville Experiences tells you about it to get you out of doubt.
Seville has been marked by the passage of the Guadalquivir River, a river that has opened the door, economically and commercially for centuries thanks to maritime traffic, and which has also culturally marked the city and those who live in it. There was a time when Sevillians could enjoy a refreshing swim on the banks of the Guadalquivir river, either in the area of Humeros, la Barqueta in the 19th century, or on the controversial Playa de María Trifulca, right where it is now. the bridge of the V Centenary.
It was necessary to differentiate between two areas of the river to cool off, and you may wonder why?
The left bank, the closest to the Heliopolis area, which was mainly frequented by families, groups of friends and even fishermen. This shore was home to a large number of kiosks that sold a little of everything, from sardines, to sweets, ice cream, soft drinks, even beach utensils.
The right bank was the most controversial, and it is also where La Playa de María Trifulca was located, located where the Muelle de la Paja is. This beach was a focus of activity for prostitution in this area, as there were many sailors who docked at the Delicias dock or in Tablada to hire the services of the courtesans. They lived in huts scattered irregularly around the pier. The prostitutes became both hostess girls and escort girls for those sailors who spent the nights alone, so it was recurrent to see how many of those prostitutes crossed the Alfonso XII Bridge in search of some lost sailor, almost always showing a predilection for the Americans.
Many things have been said about why the name of this beach. The stories tell that there was a woman who responded to the name of María (with a strong character and a tendency to brawl) and that she was in charge of selling different products in her shop, as well as acting as a “madame” and offering different sexual services. , because the beach was frequented both by sailors wishing to satisfy their desires as well as other more banned groups, including homosexuals.
This area had its splendor between the 1920s and 1950s, when the major development of the port ended with the recreational space. And he had it despite the fact that it was a dangerous place, with currents and where drownings were relatively frequent. The great explosion in a powder keg of the Artillery Regiment in Batán at the end of July 1941, which caused numerous injuries, marked the beginning of the decline of this place as a reference for bathers. Subsequently, there were mayors such as the Count of Halcón or the Andalusian Alejandro Rojas-Marcos already in the 90s who tried to carry out a river beach project suitable for the city, although without success.
Rojas-Marcos himself also proposed a river pool in San Jerónimo, an idea that remained only a declaration of intent Today we are not lucky enough to enjoy a beach like María Trifulca’s, but we are able to eat at the fabulous María Trifulca Restaurant, (located on the iconic Triana bridge) making it one of the Restaurants that honors this curious history.
If, on the other hand, you want to see this story from the river, at Voyager Seville Experiences we can offer you information and book your Guadalquivir River Cruise today.
