Spain Road Trip: Loving Every Minute of Seville

01 Dec Spain Road Trip: Loving Every Minute of Seville

Seville, Spain is an absolutely wonderful place to visit or even live. We called the historic center of the city our ‘remote home’ for a little more than a month, and then played tourist when our family arrived for a four-city road trip adventure. Below are the highlights as well as advice if you’re planning to visit Seville.

Exploring Seville, Spain

Duration: 4.5 days of touring the city with family (Daniel and I were already living there for 1+ months)

Time of Year: early November

Why Seville? We were already big fans of Spain and had not yet traveled to the south of the country.

What did we find notable?

Seville is such a jovial and social city. The locals actually sing in the street, break into song in restaurants and cheerfully congregate for tapas and beverages on a daily basis.

The historical center is fascinating with its Moorish architecture, narrow cobblestone roads, flowered balconies, vibrant tiles, and the scent of Spanish fare in the air at all times. The Santa Cruz barrio (neighborhood), is particularly vibrant and lovely – just wander into it and let yourself get lost in the maze.

 

At any given time, you will encounter some activity in the streets. In fact, on our first day there, we came across a musical group, Ntra. Sra. de la Encarnacíon making a procession through the main corridor with what appeared to be a religious ceremony following.

 

See our favorite Seville dining spots here.

We absolutely loved the Real Alcázar. It is always busy, so try to aim to go on a weekday early morning or afternoon and book in advance online. Even if you book in advance to reserve a time, you could still encounter a line at the gate. If you don’t book in advance, well, you’ll be spending hours in line and might not even get in if at capacity.

 

The Plaza de España inside the Parque de Maria Luisa is incredible – go check it out! And on your way, walk through the Jardines de Murillo to see the Christopher Columbus statue and the Ficus trees.

 

Flamenco is all the rage in Seville. I’m no expert in where to go see it, but I did have the opportunity to enjoy it at the Hotel San Gil one night while having drinks and tapas in their interior courtyard.

We ran into some of the Game of Thrones cast while having drinks and tapas at the Hotel Alfonso XIII. It was very hard for my aunt to keep her cool, but we managed and didn’t interrupt them (which would not have been appropriate). They were there to shoot Season 7 scenes at the Real Alcazar.

Seville has a very good fútbol team and an ecstatic fan base. If they have a hometown game while you’re visiting, you can buy tickets online and easily walk to the stadium to catch a match.

 

There’s a small textile & home decor shop called Kaleah that’s not far from the Mercado de la Encarnación. Here we bought a beautiful blanket and coasters and our friends bought a scarf.

Our Takeaways:

There is magic in the air in Seville. You will be swept away by the romance of the architecture, windy roads, energy, palm trees, gardens and food scene. It is a treasure and a place where you will leave with many fond memories.

 

So you’re interested in going to Seville…here are some helpful planning tips 

Transportation

– You do not need a car inside the historical center of the city.

– Even a bike inside the historical center can be a little tricky as the roads get very narrow in places. There are bike paths along the main streets lining the historical center though.

– Walking on foot is the easiest way to get around.

Prepare for the weather

– It is very sunny in Seville, wear sunscreen!

– If you’re there in the summer months, the temperature will rise dramatically during the day.

– Luckily, they will put large tarps over the narrow streets in the heart of the shopping district to help provide shade and some relief.

– Buy a hand fan from one of the many shops selling them and stay hydrated.

Food

– Be open to trying new foods, the cuisine is amazing, don’t limit yourself.

– One day we were so hungry and we found the only restaurant still open at that time and didn’t understand the menu, but let the waiter bring us what he recommended. It was delicious and something I would have never ordered.

 

Want to read about the other Spain road trip destinations?

 

Granada, Spain  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valencia, Spain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barcelona, Spain

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Are you intrigued to visit Seville? Or, if you’ve already explored Seville, what was your favorite thing about the city?

Leave a comment!

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