Guitar music pulses into the street, signaling what may be a spontaneous performance of flamenco, Seville's best-known tradition.

Flamenco is the sensual soul of Seville, a music and a dance that goes way beyond the snap-snap of castanets and the quick swirl of a flounced skirt. A flamenco show is not so much a performance as an experience, or at least that’s what it should be. In the same way that Portugal’s haunting fado singing loses it’s intensity and power when performed on a big stage, flamenco should be enjoyed in a venue where the audience can be a part of it.

To find such a place, visitors may need to ask around a bit, and they certainly need to look beyond the usual tourist performances that hotels and street touts will direct them to. The full flamenco experience envelopes the listener into its rhythms, which fill the air and seem to rise from the floor itself. The guitar is as much a part of it as the dance, and in fact some of the best flamenco places don’t have dancers.

Many also don’t even have a regular schedule of entertainment; they are local bars where the music seems to spring up spontaneously, usually some time after 11 pm. Bar Tenderete at 3B Rodrigo Caro, in the Santa Cruz neighborhood is one of these. Authentic flamenco is also found at Carboneria, at Leviés 18, (Tel 34 954 21 44 60), not unknown to tourists, but still with a good mix of locals.

In nearby Jerez de la Frontera, at the coast south of Seville, is a peña flamenca dedicated to preserving this Andalucian art form and teaching it to future generations of dancers and musicians. Centro Cultural Flamenco Don Antonio Chacón, at Salas 2, (Tel 34 956 34 74 72) has frequent shows and informal programs. Another, Peña Flamenca Chano Lobato, is at Avda Marconi 2, (Tel 34 956 26 14 15) in Cadiz.

For a dance show laid on for tourists, more expensive but still good dancing and a good evening’s entertainment, reserve at any of Seville’s well-advertised advertised tablao. Anselma, at Pagés del Corro 49 in the Triana neighborhood, (Tel 34 954 37 25 02) is a good choice

Because flamenco is such an integral part of the Andalucian tradition, a good way to begin an evening is as the Sevillanos do, with el tapeo, a leisurly stroll with frequent stops for a glass of wine and tapas. Observe this ritual at Seville’s oldest tapas bar, El Rinconcillo, opened in 1670, at Gerona 42. Push your way to the crowded bar at Eslava (Calle Eslava 5) or look for a table beyond to enjoy their little plates of seafood.

The accepted protocol is to eat tapas at the bar or at a table if there is room; the empty dishes will remain on the table or counter, as a way for the waiter to know how many you have eaten.

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