A Guide to Seville

Liesl
Nov 20, 2018
5 min read

Lonely Planet named Seville the number one city to visit in 2018, so when we were deciding on which cities to explore during our recent travels in Portugal, Spain and Morocco, it was a no-brainer to spend a few days in the capital of Spain's southern Andalucía region. We spent three days in Seville, and made the most of our time there by walking all over the city, eating lots of good food, and admiring the stunning Moorish architecture.

I've put together a helpful guide you can save for when you ever get a chance to visit this amazing city; find out which places we recommend for accommodation, what and where you should eat, and also the many amazing things you should do and see. At the end of this post, you'll find a Google Map of all the places mentioned in this guide.

Where to Stay

I was surprised to find plenty of nice and affordable accommodation options in Seville while I was planning our trip. I thought we'd have a harder time seeing as we were to be there during the summer, usually the high season for tourists in Europe. We ended up staying at the beautifully decorated, and centrally located, Casa de las Especias. This apartment is only one of many options by COME TO SEVILLA, a professional apartment rental company in Seville that I can highly recommend. The staff was helpful and the apartment squeaky clean, modern and comfortable. Wherever you decide to stay, make sure the place has air conditioner when you're visiting in the summer months.

More places to stay: La Parada del Marqués, Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza

What to Do & See

Seville is a fantastic walk-friendly city, which is great because that is my personal favorite way to explore a new place. Just strolling through this beautiful (and clean!) city with its winding alleyways and cobblestone streets is an experience in itself, so take your time to walk around. We loved walking down Calle Sierpes, a popular street for restaurants, cafes and shopping.

Escape the city by visiting the gorgeous Parque de Maria Louisa. This park is huge, and free to enter, so you can easily spend hours strolling through the many small paths, and enjoy the serenity of the tall trees, ponds and the birds singing. Within the park, is the Plaza de España, a must-visit if you're a fellow architecture-lover and you find yourself in Seville. You can take photos outside on the plaza, rent a boat and row along the canal, or take an interesting guided tour of the property.

The majestic Catedral de Sevilla should not be missed. (Actually, it would be VERY hard to miss, as it’s in the middle of the city, and apparently the third largest church in the world!) Not only is it a sight to behold from outside, you can tour the cathedral inside and also climb the Torre Giralda, which is the cathedral’s bell tower.

Parque de Maria Louisa

Plaza de España

Catedral de Sevilla

Torre Giralda

Another great neighborhood to explore (and my personal favorite) is Barrio Santa Cruz. With its cobblestone and tree-lined streets, confusing alleys (in which you're sure to get lost), you will definitely stumble on lots of cute cafes, beautiful buildings and cool shops.

Even if you’re not a Game of Thrones fan, visiting the Real Alcázar de Sevilla is a must! This palace (which is the filming location for Dorne in Game of Thrones) is in the middle of the city, and will transport you to another time. (Make sure you get there super early in the morning to enter before the huge crowds arrive!) You can easily spend an entire day here, so don’t plan anything else, and enjoy the breathtaking architecture and gardens at your leisure.

Barrio Santa Cruz

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

Another beautiful building to visit is Casa de Pilatos, a typical Andalusian palace. I highly recommend the audio tour, which gives you the opportunity to explore the property at your own pace. The architecture, courtyards and gardens are absolutely spectacular!

Take a stroll through Seville’s winding alleys to the Metropol Parasol (Las Setas de Sevilla), an amazing wooden structure with stairs to the top from where you can enjoy panoramic views of the city. You can also cross over the Puente de Isabel II, and walk down Calle Betis in the neighborhood of Triana along the river bank. This street is so picturesque, and lined with photogenic, colorful buildings.

More things to do and see: Basilica de la Macarena, Mercado de Triana, The Flamenco Dance Museum, Royal Tobacco Factory, Free Walking Tour

Casa de Pilatos

Metropol Parasol (Las Setas de Sevilla)

Where to Eat

Seville has no shortage of amazing restaurants and cafes for you to enjoy! Of course, you must have tapas while in Seville, and you will be absolutely spoiled for choice; I recommend El Pinton, because not only is the food outstanding, the restaurant itself is breathtakingly beautiful. It's also a must to have tostada de pringá (a pork stew toasted sandwich) at La Cacharreria, because they have the most delicious freshly baked bread.

If you're craving an afternoon treat, enjoy a churro at Bar El Comercio, or an array of confections at La Crème de La Crème. For my fellow coffee lovers, look no further for your caffeine fix than Torch Coffee Roasters. For healthy, and vegan/vegetarian friendly dishes, I highly recommend Jester and Filo.

Filo

For an elegant and eclectic lunch or dinner, book a table at the fabulous Hotel Alfonso XIII's San Fernando restaurant. They also serve a popular Sunday brunch, and you'll have to book in advance to secure a table in the stunningly beautiful courtyard. If you like things to be a little more low-key, you absolutely must go to Mercado Lonja del Barranco! This is a food court in a beautiful glass-and-wrought-iron pavilion, with stalls serving everything from seafood salads and avocado wraps to tortillas, cakes and craft beer.

Hotel Alfonso XIII's San Fernando

More places to eat: Salsamento, Mama Bistro, Petit Comite

Getting Around

Like I said, Seville is a wonderful city to explore on foot. It's easy and safe to walk around, and in my opinion, the best way to explore the city. You can also take taxis, which are new and clean (albeit a little pricey). Just look out for the white cars with a yellow diagonal stripe across the side. We saw a few city buses, but we rarely make use of these when we are traveling. Then there's also the Seville Metro, which is still fairly new, easy to use and affordable.

Another great way to get around is renting bikes. Seville has a public biking system, called Sevici, and it's available 24 hours a day. Lastly, I want to mention the horse carriage rides, which are very popular among tourists in Seville. You can see these buggies everywhere in Seville, but I personally wouldn't take a ride in one and think this cruel service should be banned.

Know Before You Go

- Three days is definitely not enough to properly explore Seville; I would say you should try to give yourself five days, at least.

- Seville gets HOT in August; prepare yourself for 35 to 40 plus Degrees Celsius.

- Remember that most businesses close their doors between 2pm and 5pm for siesta.

- Seville is an extremely safe city, but stay alert to avoid pickpockets.

If you have questions, or need help planning your trip to Seville, feel free to get in touch with us at hello@astylealike.com Below, you can find a map we created showing all of the places mentioned in this post. Also, don't forget to save this guide on Pinterest to use in the future!

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