There are a lot of good reasons to go to Sevilla: It's always summer, it always seems to be a festival and it's a fantastic football city with two giant clubs. Real Betis Balompié plays in the southern borough of Heliópolis, in the gigantic Estadio Benito Villamarín.
If you're not aware of how big Real Betis is, their stadium will tell you. The Estadio Benito Villamarín - named after a former chairman - can seat more than 60,000 people since the last renovations. The stadium already had three tiers, except at the Gol Sur, which had remarkably enough a small stand of just one level. It's like they suddenly stopped building. Nowadays, the Gol Sur has three tiers as well, and if you'd ask us, Estadio Benito Villamarín is one of the true temples of Spain. Coming here every other week must be a delight.
The derby of Sevilla between Real Betis and Sevilla is one of Europe's most beautiful spectacles. Even though Sevilla usually finishes higher than Betis in the league table above Betis, Los Beticos seem to be able to give something extra in the derbies. Legendary was the win of Betis in January 2018, when they won 3-5 in Sevilla's Sánchez-Pizjuán. "Anyone who's home before 5 this morning, will be fined", said Betis captain and living legend Joaquín after the game.
On the corner of the Avenida de la Palmera, diagonally behind the Gol Norte, you'll find the monument for the 'Beticos Eternos'. It was placed in 2007 for the club's centenary and is a monument for the verdiblancos who are no longer with us, or as they say at the club: 'those who went to the fourth tier'.
Hotel Silken Al-Andalus Palace is just around the corner from Benito Villamarín, on Calle Paraná. It looks a little shabby from the outside, but it's a good hotel where even the players of Real Betis come together before a match. When making a reservation, ask for a room with a view of the stadium.
You will not find one of Betis' most important monuments near the stadium of Real Betis but near the one of rivals Sevilla. But why is the Monumento a Los Campeones de Liga de 1935, made in honour of the club's league title that year, so far from their own stadium? Well, the answer is simple. At that time, Real Betis played its home matches in the neighbourhood where Sevilla now resides. The monument stands in the middle of Parque Rectora Rosario Valpuesta, behind the NH hotel.
Like most Spanish clubs, it can be quite a challenge to get tickets online. They usually become available on the official website close to the match, but there really is no real pattern in it. The good news is that on match days, you usually can buy tickets at the ticket windows of Benito Villamarín, even for the 'Gran Derbi' against Sevilla.
When you follow the Avenida de la Palmera from the city centre, you'll arrive at the stadium automatically. Bus 1 goes to Heliópolis and stops right at the door of Benito Villamarín. From central station Sevilla Santa Justa, you take the train to Sevilla-Virgin del Rocio. From here you will have to walk approximately ten minutes before you arrive at the stadium.
Images: Shutterstock, SANTOS
