Seville: what to see in the capital of Andalusia

Seville is the capital of Spanish Andalusia and it is praised with so many superlatives that I was a little afraid it might be overrated. However, my first day in Seville immediately proved me wrong, I fell in love with the city at first sight, immediately put it on my list of cities I’d like to live in and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the city, its streets and great restaurants.

Where to stay in Seville

Nice neighbourhoods are Triana or Barrio Santa Cruz, which is very touristy with lots of restaurants. I preferred to stay downtown at Room Select Tetuán. This accommodation was just the way I like it – a cozy little room, a couple of great restaurants within walking distance where you could run for a quick dinner, and a cafe right on the ground floor of the hotel that was a great space to work.

Tickets in Seville

The best sights in Seville can be enjoyed to the full when you have your tickets ready in advance. Some are timed entry, so plan well.

• Royal Alcázar – a magnificent Moorish palace and gardens,
• Cathedral and Giralda – a gothic cathedral with an iconic tower,
• Setas de Sevilla – a modern viewpoint in the centre,
• Flamenco show – an authentic cultural experience,
• Casa de Pilatos – elegant Andalusian palace.

Things to see in Seville

In fact, I was so taken by the city as such that for the first 5 days or so I didn’t even look for any “must-see” sights and just walked around the city. But don’t worry, there are a few must-sees in Seville.

The Cathedral of Seville, the Royal Palace of Alcázar and the Giralda Tower are together listed by Unesco.

Plaza de España

Perhaps every Spanish city has its own Plaza de España. Often it is one of the most important or largest squares. It’s not always the prettiest. But the Plaza de España in Seville is by far the prettiest square not only in Seville, but in all of Spain and possibly the world (from the few I’ve seen so far, of course).

The square has a semicircular shape (which is said to symbolise the opening of Spain’s arms towards America). In that semicircle stands today’s government office, and in front of it is the four-bridged canal of the Rio de España (River of Spain), which you can take a boat ride across the square. The 4 bridges symbolize the 4 old kingdoms of Spain: Castile, Aragon, Navarre and Granada. There is a fountain in the middle of the square.

The 48 benches symbolise the 48 Spanish provinces and depict a map, a coat of arms and important historical events. The square is truly breathtaking both in its entirety and in its detail. Surrounding the Plaza de España are large gardens and the María Luisa Park.

Mercado de Triana

Every Spanish town also has its own market. This one is just across the Guadalquivir River, next to the Castillo de San Jorge.

It’s also one of the better markets I’ve been to, with lots of fresh food stalls, from baked goods to fresh fish and seafood. But there are lots of food stalls where you can get paella, seafood, baguettes or a plate of ham, salami and cheese on the spot. And of course tapas and something to drink. There are Spanish cuisine workshops (perhaps every day) at stand 77 , with a tour of the mercado.

Seville Cathedral

The largest Gothic cathedral in the world is the one in Seville, the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede. It was built on the site of the original mosque that stood there after the Moorish conquest in 1401. It took over 100 years to build. It stands right in the centre of Seville.

Inside, you can see the tomb of Christopher Colombo with his remains, the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, where artworks are stored, including a statue of the Virgin Mary from the 13th century. The King Ferdinand Chapel contains the remains of several members of the Spanish royal family, including King Ferdinand III, the patron saint of Seville.

The cathedral has beautiful stained glass windows that create a light effect inside.

The cathedral also has an inner courtyard with orange trees, the patio de los Naranjos, which is still a remnant of the original Moorish mosque.

Giralda

Giralda is the bell tower of the cathedral, a tall tower overlooking Seville. The Giralda was originally built as a minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in the 12th century, but after the reconquest of Seville by the Spanish in 1248, the mosque was demolished and the cathedral was built, and the minaret became the bell tower.

Giralda means “weather vane” in Spanish, named after the bronze weather vane in the shape of a woman that sits atop the tower and rotates according to the direction of the wind.

The walk up Giralda for the view is also interesting. Unlike all similar towers I know there are no stairs here, there is just a sloping path up (it spins like a spiral staircase around). It was originally designed to allow horse riders to get up there, but of course you don’t see horses today.

Entrance to the Giralda is included in the ticket to the cathedral, the entrance is from the interior of the cathedral.

Alcazar

The Royal Palace, Reales Alcázares de Sevilla, is one of the most beautiful in Spain. The original fortress was built in the 10th century but has been rebuilt many times over the years. The architecture of the Alcázar perfectly illustrates the synthesis of Christian and Islamic styles that characterise the region of Andalusia.

The Alcázar also has extensive gardens full of orange trees, palm trees, fountains and carefully manicured flower beds.

You may also know the gardens as the Royal Gardens of Dorne from Game of Thrones.

The Alcázar is still used by the Spanish royal family as their Seville residence, making it the oldest royal palace in Europe still in use as a royal palace.

Torre de Oro

The Golden Tower, Torre de Oro, was part of the original walls and was used for defence and as a prison. The tower is named after the golden colour it has when the sun’s rays reflect off it. At least that’s what they say. The second version is after the golden treasures that were brought here from the New World.

Originally, the tower was connected by a chain to another tower on the other side of the Guadalquivir River, which prevented the passage of ships.

Today the tower has a beautiful view of the river and the city.

Las Setas

Las Setas de la Encarnación, or the Metropol Parasol, is in the Plaza de la Encarnación in the historic centre of the city.

The space includes a market, public event spaces, a restaurant and a panoramic terrace. Underground is the Antiquarium, where archaeological finds discovered on the site are exhibited. At night it is all lit up.

What to try in Seville

In Seville, forget about thin gazpacho and go for the local salmorejo. Thanks to an emulsion of bread and oil, this soup is much creamier and richer, served with chopped egg and ham. If you’re feeling hungry, the obvious choice is flamenquín, fried pork tenderloin stuffed with ham.

The authentic taste of the city is best experienced in espinacas con garbanzos, stewed spinach with chickpeas and cumin, which cannot deny its Moorish origins. In bars, you can try cazón en adobo, pieces of shark marinated in vinegar and herbs (I skipped it, so feel free to let me know how it was). And of course, there is the ubiquitous paella, ham, tapas, and other specialties of spanish national cuisine.

Where to eat in Seville

I have to say that I liked Seville a lot from a food tourism point of view, there are tons of restaurants that look really good. Feel free to just go by smell and you’ll come across something good. But of course I have some tips too.

I was most excited about Abaceria del Postigo. A classic little Spanish place with a few tables inside, a few outside and seats at the bar. The kitchen here is smaller than I have at home, basically just a prep counter that you can see right from the bar, but it makes magic. I tasted about 5 things on the menu here and everything was great. They do small dishes here, so you have room to really taste a lot. They don’t have the traditional classics, but they cook with local ingredients.

There is a similar type of place just down the street, and I’ve grown quite fond of eating at the bar in Spain. Vuela Tapas & Cocktails and as the name suggests, they have cocktails and they’re delicious. So is the food. Petit Comité has excellent food, but a slightly more fine-dining environment.

For traditional food, big meals and seafood, I loved the gem that was right next door to the hotel, so I went here for breakfast as well. El Paseillo. They have things like Andalusian flamenquín, but what’s divine is the Cazuel El Paseillo (El Paseillo Casserole), baked potatoes loaded with large grilled shrimp with aioli sauce. It’s a bit of a pig and the portion is too big for one, but great. They also have simple grilled tiger prawns and they don’t skimp on the portion here either. Right next door is Donaire Azabache, a similar type of place, you can’t go wrong at either.

For a quick snack and pizza to hand (I know, I know, I eat pizza in Spain, but it was good) NapOlé pizzeria. It’s a takeaway triangle only, they don’t have seating.

Where to go on a trip from Seville

It’s not exactly close, but Gibraltar is so interesting for tourists that it’s a popular trip even when visiting Seville.

Féria de Abril

The Féria de Abril is a major Seville festival. It takes place in April, always 2 weeks after Easter, and lasts about a week. The market is held in the Los Remedios district, where stalls of “casetas” are set up, offering mainly food and drink. People dress in traditional clothes, women wear colourful flamenco dresses, men wear “traje corto” (short jackets, shirts and trousers). The traditional Sevillian drink rebujito (white wine with lemonade) is drunk.

The Féria de Abril also includes horse shows and bullfights, which are part of Andalusian culture.

Where is Seville

Seville is in the southwest of Spain, in the region of Andalusia, on the Guadalquivir River. It is about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean and about 550 km south of Madrid.

Within Andalusia, it lies between Córdoba to the northeast (about an hour by fast train) and Málaga to the southeast at the coast (about two hours). Geographically, it forms the central hub of this part of Spain.

How to get to Seville

San Pablo Sevilla Airport(SVQ) is about 10 km from the centre of Seville. Alternatively, you can fly into Madrid, which is two and a half hours by high-speed train, or Málaga, which is just over two hours by train. Very often people have it on their itinerary of roadtrips from Málaga all over Andalusia.

If you arrive by train, there are several train stations, but Santa Justa is the handiest. From here, the best way to get to the centre is by bus 32 to the Plaza del Duque stop, ticket costs €1.40. From the airport, the best way is on the Línea Auerpuerto airport bus. It costs 4 euros and takes about 45 minutes to the centre (Paseo Colón).