Seville is one of the most Spanish and charming cities to definitely visit in Spain. It’s my husband’s favorite and my second favorite after Barcelona. It’s both family friendly and perfect for a youthful night life. Once you go there you’ll fall in love with this cute little city. This city is extremely easy to walk through, you can walk from one end to the other in an hour or less. Be sure to check out the different menus they offer to the standing bar and sit downs in each restaurant. They strictly follow it and the food is amazing for both! I would say to save at least 2 full days to see Seville, but 3 full days will allow you to enjoy everything!
How do you get here? There are many options to getting here either directly by flight at Seville Airport (SVQ), driving by renting a car or by a train, which is most preferred by the locals. Driving through Seville is not recommended since it’s hard to distinguish the roads and correct alley ways. You can walk through most of the city and there are taxis easily available if need be. If you do decide to go with a rental car, make sure you show up on time because they can easily cancel your reservation and most of the time they’re sold out of rental cars.
The Real Alcazar is a royal palace situated near the Sevilla’s Cathedral and built for the Christian King. Game of Thrones was also filmed here! It’s a two minutes walk from our stay at Luxury Seville Apartments and very easy to get to as it’s right in the middle of Sevilla’s old town.
When: Open year round except holidays (Monday reservations are generally free during a certain time- more information available here) I recommend visiting it on Sunday when it is the least busiest, when most locals and tourists are busy with the Cathedral and religious activities.
Cost: 13 Euros per adult (You can find online tour groups that can provide a variety of pricing based on what you want to see and how. Students and Elderly have discounted rates)
Duration: Most tours last about 75 minutes long and you are welcome to pay the entrance fee and go on your own (as we did and it took less time).
Tips: I recommend visiting the palace during day light for optimal photo opportunities. It’s not very stroller-friendly as there are a ton of steps, but the first floor is manageable.
My personal experience: Since this was one of the first palaces I saw in Spain, I was blown away. I recommend seeing this palace prior to Alhambra (which is in Granada) so that you can really appreciate it’s beauty. It’s a gorgeous palace with Moroccan textiles and designs throughout. In retrospect, I wish we had gone with a tour guide because there is not much information available throughout and there is a ton of history this beautiful palace carries. The designs and architecture really makes you curious as to what went on in these courtyards and halls.
Catedral de Seville is an outstanding Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral. There are a few famous burials here such as Christopher Columbus and it’s apparently the third largest Gothic church in the world. There’s stairs (lots of them) that you can take to get to the bell tower and have the most gorgeous view of Seville from the top. It’s located right next to the Real Alcazar and right in the center of old town Seville.
When: Open year round (for hours and more information click here)
Cost: General admission is 9 Euros (there is discount pricing for students and the elderly)
Personal Experience: We were only able to check out the Sunday praying room and the Cathedral from the outside because we had my toddler and stroller with us. I would totally pay to see the inside as well if we were able to go climb up to the bell tower, but with a kid that’s more than just a workout haha. If you’re able to I highly recommend checking it out! The gothic architecture is mesmerizing both at day and night. I suggest adding this area to your nightly stroll around town.
Barrio Santa Cruz is the heart of Seville’s old town and located right next to the Real Alcazar and Cathedral. You’ll find a ton of tiny alley shops selling toasted, caramelized and creamy nuts with dried fruit as well as tapas bars in the narrow old Jewish quarters. It’s a gorgeous picturesque little area and if you do Seville right, then you will get lost. Eventually you’ll find your way, but definitely have lunch or dinner in this area before proceeding to finding your way.
When: During daylight is best, preferably during lunch time (around 1-3 pm)
Cost: You’ll find casual sit-down restaurants to really fancy restaurants all along the same area
Tips: It will get hot getting lost in the little alley ways, there’s some shade, but not much. Bring sunglasses and a hat if you’re going in the hotter months. Buy your dried fruit and toasted nuts in this area!
Personal Experience: We were lost and came across this area unintentionally, although it was on our itinerary, this was the best way to discover this cute location. The food is really good here — so you can try the authentic Tapas or keep it safe with the more familiar foods. We ate at a casual sit-down since we were on a mission to look for the Real Alcazar (which ended up being 2 minutes from our Seville Apartment, we’re geniuses we know). I absolutely loved the orange and lemon trees. We found adorable little oil paintings by young artists in the alley ways as well as the best toasted nuts. Buy your nuts here! I would not skip this area for sure. It’s the cutest part of Seville.
Plaza de Espana is a historical plaza located next to the largest park in Seville, Maria Luisa Park. It’s gigantic and gorgeous architecture is a mix of Moorish textiles, Baroque and Renainassance revival. Today it serves as Seville’s government centers. There’s a little river throughout the plaza, which brings Venice vibes as you can canoe through it for less 10 Euros!
When: Open year round, but we found it to be the least busiest on weekday mornings.
Cost: It’s free to walk around outside (both main floor and top floor). The adorable canoe ride is less than 10 Euros.
Duration: You don’t need a whole lot of time here, it takes about under an hour to walk through the whole plaza.
Tips: If you’re going in daylight, it will get hot as the sun blazes on you. Wear hats and sunglasses for sure. Plan to eat prior to the plaza or after because in this area you’ll find all the overpriced restaurants and food stands.
Personal experience: It was an incredible sight to see, especially all the intricate details that make up this gorgeous architecture. I appreciate the fact that Spain still uses their historic buildings and through that it’s been maintained very well. I loved the little balconies and pillars they have throughout. It was very easy to do with our son and stroller.
Metropol Parasol is in the urban and local part of town. This giant waffle structure is neat to check out in person. They’ve got steps for you to walk up and check out the city from the top as well. There’s a whole urban restaurant scene located near by, children’s playground, and even shisha lounges underneath the structure! It’s an easy 15 minute walk to get to from the old town of Seville, especially from the Luxury Seville Apartments - Alcazar.
When: Open year round
Cost: It’s free
Duration: It takes about a half hour or less to check out the whole structure.
Tips: There’s a historic restaurant called El Rinconcillo, near by that serves the best Tapas at the standing bar or if you would like to sit down, the tasty Salmon Tartar and other entrees.
Personal Experience: The structure was gorgeous to visit during golden hour (right before sunset). It’s great location for photo ops and checking out the nightlife in the newer part of town. We came here more than once, because it’s such an easy walk to get to and as well as a very lively scene to people watch and eat.
MORE SITES TO CHECK OUT (we ran out of time, but I wish we got to see these!):
FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS
El Rinconcillo - One of the oldest restaurants in Seville, they have the freshest salmon & avocado tartar and their tapas menu is what they’re known for! Authentic and delicious Spanish food
Bar Pelayo - Their tapas and specialties dishes are great. I can’t pick a favorite since everything tasted so delicious!
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