Seville, Spain
Seville was a dream city for us! I could imagine a life there. The people were so friendly and it was a city where you can just wander around all day and be in awe of it all. What we found in Seville were blooming orange trees lining colorful blocks, plazas alive with music and dance, long calles to wander along the river, and all sorts of funky neighborhoods with great shops and restaurants. What more could you want? After so many visits to cities scattered around Spain, Seville felt more intimate, youthful and livable… and it was definitely full of personality!
On a road trip? Be sure to stop through Arcos de la Frontera on your way to Seville, a charming town built on top of a hill fashioned with little white houses with navy trim and sweeping views!
Where to Stay!
We loved staying near Old Town and would recommend staying near Plaza los Maldonados. It’s a walkable area with great vintage shops and restaurants.
Where to Eat!
There were all sorts of delicious places to eat, here are a few of our favorites!
Sobretablas – Michelin Star restaurant that had decent prices and a delicious menu. We had the prawn appetizer and for our mains suckling pig and seabass, topped off with a bombom for dessert.
De Nata Santa Cruz for a delicious pastel de nata, a creamy custard dessert famously from Lisbon. They’re warm and melt in your mouth and make for the perfect little treat after a day touring the Cathedral and Palace.
Perro Chiko was a great dog-friendly restaurant near Las Setas de Sevilla. I’d recommend the pizza, leek appetizer and for dessert the torrija de pan brioche. That dessert was insane and photos do not do the taste justice. Essentially it was brioche french toast with tiramisu sauce, cream and ice cream.
Las Golondrinas, Triana was recommended by our host and did not disappoint. It’s a great place for local tapas!
What to Do!
You can wander Seville all day and be fully fulfilled just looking around at the architecture, tiled buildings, and tree lined streets. But there is also plenty to do! Be sure to look out for live spontaneous flamenco as well.
Plaza de Espańa is a Renaissance styled Plaza designed for the Ibero-American Expo in 1929. It is beautifully decorated in brick and azulejos, (azulejos are glazed tiles that you typically see in Spain and Portugal) and is the size of five soccer (fútbol) fields! There are 48 alcoves with benches designed for each province of Spain and we were lucky to catch live Flamenco dancing while we were there!
AIRE ancient baths in Seville included with the purchase of a 45-minute massage is an outdoor roof-top tub with panoramic views of the city, including the famous Seville Cathedral
Seville Cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the location where the tomb of Christopher Columbus lies. It’s in a beautiful square that you can wander around and if you’d like also tour the Alcázar Palace.
Las Setas de Sevilla or the Metropol Parasol of Seville are large mushroom shaped structures that house all sorts of things around it from the archeological museum to the farmers market, along with tons of bars and restaurants, including Perro Chiko!
Visit Triana, an older neighborhood that used to be avoided but is now embraced for its funky, gypsy type vibes. Located along the Guadalquivir River and anchored by the Mercado de Triana, the area is known for having a strong identity and is celebrated as the home of famous bullfighters and flamenco artists, as well as locally crafted ceramic tiles, or azulejos.
Did you know?
Did you know that the City of Seville is covered in orange trees and those same oranges are the key ingredient of Cointreau and Grand Marnier?! Those same oranges also become a big problem for the city in the winter when they fall off the trees and litter the streets. Since they produce about 15,000 tons of oranges the city has had to get resourceful and recently launched a program to use the unwanted harvest to produce electricity!
