Seville is the capital of Andalusia in the south of Spain and a great place to head for some much-needed winter sun!
Over Valentine’s Day weekend 2016 my Dutch hunk and I spent 4 days in Spain, 2.5 of them in sunny Seville! Seville was unlike anything we expected, and we fell hard for its southern charms. The architecture and flora of Seville is exotic, due to its close proximity to Africa.
While there is much to love about Seville, (friendly atmosphere for one!) my top reasons to visit Seville are:
The Real Alcazar
This royal palace, situated opposite the Cathedral, was built by Moorish Muslims which gives it many of the amazing architecture and similarities of styles found in Northern Africa. Just check out the intricate archways…
Game of Thrones fans will mistake this palace as the Kingdom of Dorne of House Martell. And with some pretty fantastic scenes having been filmed inside these walls, fans of the show will enjoy being able to walk around this fantasy kingdom!
Of all the things we did in Seville, I think visiting the Real Alcazar was my favourite – the palace is just so beautiful! The floors, walls and ceilings are all covered with stunning mosaics.
The ‘Dorne’ Water Gardens feel mythical on the show Game of Thrones, however, they can be seen in real life in Seville’s Real Alcazar! The peacefulness of the gardens, even with tourists all walking around taking photos, made it hard to leave. We really could have spent all day lounging in the serene gardens.
Tip: Head to the Alcazar early, as quite a large queue will form, and can take up to an hour to get inside. The good thing is, whilst many tourists flock here to enjoy the beauty of the Real Alcazar, I never felt like I was surrounded. It is such a large place that you can really find your own space to enjoy it to the fullest.
Metropol Parasol
This is the largest wooden structure in the world! When we first saw it, the Hunk, excited “This is fricken awesome!” At first we couldn’t find the entrance as it is a little tucked away underneath the structure, however, just look for the queue of people!
With the cost just 2 Euros per ticket (and free for residents of Seville), it would be an absolute travesty if you didn’t take the elevator up to the top and take in the views.
Once you step out of the elevator, you can walk along a walkway that snakes around giving you views of every angle of Seville. The view is fantastic and walking around such a cool structure for us, was even better! It is also such a stark contrast to be in something so new and unique, looking out over the old-style buildings of Seville.
Tip: Go just before the sun goes down to watch sunset from up high!
Plaza de Espana
Built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 (World Expo 29), the Plaza de Espana is now seemingly under-used, though today is used as government buildings. Not a bad place to spend your working-life at in my opinion! The architecture is amazing though .
I am absolutely in love with mosaics, the stunning blue of the tiling, and the grandness of the Plaza. Again here, we really lingered just enjoying looking around. Also, when standing in front of grand architecture – why not take a panorama of yourself x 3.
Tip: there can be pretty incessant hawkers here and nearby. Avoid making eye contact or you might get yourself an annoying follower whilst you try to enjoy the serenity of the Plaza!
Seville Cathedral & Giralda Tower
The Cathedral is the final resting place of Christopher Columbus, who has a massive tomb structure inside. The cathedral is also the 3rd largest in the world, only being beaten by St Peters in the Vatican and St Pauls in London!
After checking out the 3rd largest cathedral in the world which is magnificent you can climb the tower for fantastic views of Seville! My favourite feature of the Giralda Tower? You walk a ramp all the way up, not stairs!! This made the way up far easier on the knees and thighs, and a lot less panting was had versus other climbable towers (Bruges for instance).
Tip: Don’t miss out on hanging out in the orange tree garden within the cathedral grounds.
Tapas y Caña
Some of the best food I’ve had in my life was eaten in Seville! But it’s not just the quality of the food, but the way food is eaten which is the most remarkable.
Spending a lazy couple of hours grazing over the most divine iberico ham you’ll ever taste in the oldest bar in all of Seville (and in Spain!) – El Rinconcillo, or eating plates and plates of food perched under mounted former bull fight champion bull heads, or leisurely sitting out in the sun, watching the world go by at the Alameda – the Sevillians have a great food culture!
Now, they also know about Cana… small glasses of beer. They are not half pints, they are little bigger than a shot glass and are a great way to have beer with your tapas without it going warm in the Seville sun. If they drank pints, they’d have to drink them awfully quickly to make sure they drank it cold!
Tapas y caña isn’t just fuel for your tourist legs, it’s a way of life that needs to be adhered to on a vacation in Seville, or you just might miss out on what is so captivating about this ‘small town’ city!
The Architecture in Seville is some of the most captivating I’ve seen, ever, all in one city! Do go to Seville and Do marvel at their pretty buildings.
Have you experienced Seville’s architecture and culture?
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Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!
