Seville City Guide

Nathalie inspired me to visit Seville. I fell in love as soon as I saw her photos and read her blogpost about it! It’s such a beautiful city, full of colors, nice people and the smell of orange trees. Here is my Seville City Guide. Hope you like it!

WHEN TO GO

Summers in Seville are some of the warmest in the whole Europe, with temperatures above 35ºC (95ºF). In terms of weather, this is not the best time for visiting Seville. The best time to visit Seville is in the Fall or Spring. I went there in February, before this coronavirus situation, and the weather was great, it actually felt like Summer.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at Hotel Murillo, in the charming Santa Cruz neighborhood of Seville. The hotel was in a fabulous location, within walking distance from the main sites (Seville Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archive of the Indies). The best part was the roof terrace with the most amazing view of the city, especially at sunset. Also, the staff was very friendly. In my opinion, it’s extremely underrated, it deserves more stars.

HOW TO MOVE AROUND

Seville is such a beautiful and walkable city. Walking is the best way to appreciate the city’s vibrant colors. Since we were staying in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, we would walk everywhere. The only transport we took was the bus to the airport. We can say that we walked around 45 km in 5 days.

OUR 5-DAY SEVILLE CITY GUIDE

Here is what you can’t miss in Seville! Take a look!

DAY 1

First of all, we had to check in at the hotel. When we arrived, the rooms were not ready yet, so we were asked to wait a while and I took the opportunity to take some photos of the hotel.

Barrio Santa Cruz

We went to Jardines de Murillo and explored the colorful Barrio Santa Cruz. It’s a dream for people who like spontaneous trips. Getting lost in this neighborhood is part of the fun. It’s full of tapas bars, souvenir shops and historic buildings.

Lunch at Realcázar

We had lunch at Realcázar where I ate a delicious burguer. I had not researched this restaurant before going to Seville but it was a really good choice.

After that, we went to buy some snacks to eat the next day. There was a Carrefour Express near the hotel.
Tip: It comes out cheaper to buy food at the supermarket and it’s always a good idea to have some snacks with you.
Next, we went to the hotel to spend some time at the terrace and enjoy the sunset there.

DAY 2

9:30 a.m. Real Alcázar

The day started with cold and fog, but around noon the sun came out. Early in the morning we visited the Real Alcázar. It’s a beautiful royal palace built by Christians on the site of a Muslim fortress destroyed after the conquest of Seville. It’s full of gorgeous details, tiles and the gardens are amazing. It opens at 9:30 a.m. I advise you to arrive half an hour earlier, as we did, because the queue is huge. And buy the tickets online in advance, if you can. Unfortunely, they were no longer available.

Lunch at Taberna La Auténtica

We had lunch at Taberna La Auténtica. It’s not the best place to eat but there’s worse. Their tinto de verano is good though.

Torre del Oro

We were supposed to go to the Archivo General de Indias and to the Seville Cathedral but the Archive was under renovations and the Cathedral closed earlier that day because of a celebration. Instead, we went for a walk by the river. Torre del Oro stands on the left bank of Guadalquivir river. Rumor has it that this beautiful tower was once tiled in gold; it now houses a museum detailing the city’s maritime history.

DAY 3

Breakfast at Filo Catalina

We started the day with the most amazing breakfast at Filo Catalina. You have lots of choices. I go crazy for fresh croissants haha. All options come with an orange juice and a coffee. The cost of the breakfasts goes from €4.90 to €10.

LA GIRALDA AND THE CATHEDRAL

After breakfast, we went to visit the Cathedral. It’s the third largest church in the world and the largest Gothic church. The tower is called La Giralda and has a lot of history. It used to be part of a mosque under Muslim rule and now it’s a bell tower under Christian rule. Once at the top, you’ll have a panoramic over of the entire city and you’ll be able to spot the Patio de los Naranjos and the Seville Tower.

We had lunch at a restaurant near the cathedral, but I don’t remember the name, honestly, the food was nothing special so it’s not worth a recommendation anyway.

METROPOL PARASOL

Metropol Parasol is a wooden structure located at La Encarnación square, in the old quarter of Seville. It’s populary known as Las Setas de la Encarnación (Incarnation’s mushrooms) and its appearance and location resulted in much public controversy. I personally love it! There is a viewpoint, from where you have one of the best views in the entire city. The entrance ticket costs around 4€ but you get a free drink and a postcard from the souvenir shop inside. Does it remind you of mushrooms or waffles?

DAY 4

8 A.M. PLAZA DE ESPAÑA

We started the day in Plaza de España. I advise you to go early if you want to have it all for yourself for a while. This beautiful square is located in Maria Luisa Park. It’s covered with yellow and blue ceramic details. During the day, it’s full of people but at sunrise you’ll have it all for yourself. The buildings really come to life with the golden morning light.

BREAKFAST FILO CATALINA

The food was so good that we went back the next day to have breakfast.

CASA DE PILATOS

Make sure to add Casa de Pilatos to your Seville Guide! It’s a place you must see! It has around 150 different designs of tiles. I go crazy for tiles! The ticket to see the whole house costs 12€ and already includes a free audio guide and a guided tour to the second floor.

Tip: it’s way less crowded than the Real Alcázar.

PLAZA DEL CABILDO

Plaza del Cabildo is a little hard to find but it’s totally worth the visit. The architecture is just beautiful. It’s semi-circular, with marble columns, wonderful frescoes and there are several arcades too. I love noticing the beautiful details of the buildings. What about you?

10:30 P.M. FLAMENCO SHOW AND DRINKS AT LA CARBONERÍA

We ended the day with sangria and a flamenco show at La Carbonería. It’s a place where locals go for a drink, a catch up and to enjoy flamenco dancing. You don’t have to pay an entrance fee, just a drink. Arrive early if you want good seats. You’re not allowed to take photos of the show.

DAY 5

TORRE DEL ORO

On the last day, we had nothing planned. The idea was simply to take a stroll through the streets of Seville and relax, without a strict plan. We ended up walking by the river and saw some streets that we hadn’t seen. We crossed by Torre del Oro again and took some more pictures.

LUNCH AT FILO CATALINA

I had the most delicious sandwich of my life. If you ever go to Filo Catalina, do yourself a favor and try their Campero Deluxe sandwich with braised ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce and truffle mayonnaise.

ICE CREAM AT AMORINO

It was so hot that day that we thought the best way to end the trip was to eat an ice cream.

WHAT WE MISSED

Archivo General de Indias

We were supposed to go to the Archivo General de Indias but it was under renovations. It’s a historic monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There you can find the Treaty of Tordesillas and many other important documents.

This is my complete Seville City Guide. I hope you liked it and found it useful! Feel free to check my Madrid City Guide.

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