Seville was one of the highlights of my family road trip around Spain’s southern Andalusia region. Delicious food, picturesque sun-soaked streets, and of course gorgeous doors – I was in heaven! Here’s my recommendations for how to spend two days in this beautiful city.
Stroll the Plaza de España
I loved the Plaza so much, I visited twice in my two days. This huge expanse of brick and tile was built for the 1928 Ibero-American Expo, and sweeps in a grand semi-circle from the north tower to the south, wrapping a canal and huge square in its central embrace.
While the square is grand, the detail of the 48 alcoves representing each of the provinces of Spain is what charms me – I love the colourful little snapshots of life imbued in the tiles.
Zoe with her then home-town of Granada
I highly recommend visiting early, before the heat and the crowds arrive, if you’re here in summer. It was lovely to wander in the early morning breeze and not to worry about avoiding people’s selfie sticks!
Explore the Winding Gorgeous Streets
Seville’s streets, especially in the older parts of town, are a feast for the eyes. Beautiful colours, gorgeous doorways, and quiet alleys – I loved exploring them all. My dad and I got up early one morning for a photowalk and watching the city rise and prepare itself for the day ahead was truly magical.
If you don’t mind getting a little bit lost and you have the time, pick a point and just aim yourself generally towards it – who knows what street art, delicious food or beautiful sights you might stumble across?
Seville’s Cathedral and the Alcazar
I have to be honest here – we didn’t visit the interior of the Cathedral or the Alcazar. The queue for the Cathedral was lengthy, and many guidebooks convinced us that, having visited the beauty of the Alhambra, the Alcazar would pale in comparison. But if you’re only visiting Seville, I’m fairly sure they’re a must-do!
Admire the Street Art
I loved the vibrant beauty of Seville’s street art so much, I wrote a whole post about it here. Safe to say, it’s an unexpected highlight!
Eat all the Delicious Food
Regular readers of my blog will not be surprised that we managed to fit in a lot of tasty meals and coffee in the short time we visited Seville. I can highly recommend all of the places pictured above – the incredible quails eggs and other tapas at Los Coloniales were a brilliant welcome to the city for our first meal; while the amazing coffee at Torch was accompanied perfectly by this bacon, rocket and avocado open sandwich. A family highlight was definitely the modern tapas we all shared at Perro Viejo, along with the endless laughter. The middle right and bottom right shots are of the innovative cuisine of No Kitchen by Jj López – so good it deserved two photos. And finally, if you’re there in any kind of heat, treat yourself to Créeme – I was happy with the delicious dairy-free lemon ice-cream, but the pistachio sent family members into paroxysms of delight, so give that a try if you can!
Relax by the River and in the Parks
Central Seville can be pretty mad, with tourists thronging the streets near the Cathedral and Plaza de España, so balance out the crazy with a relaxed stroll along the Guadalquivir. Relaxed – as long as you dodge the cyclists and runners, of course!
The riverside Torre del Oro, built around 1220
Similarly, escaping from the crowds around the Plaza de España into the cool groves of the Parque de Maria Luisa may be just the antidote you need. It won’t be for everyone, but my mum and I took a carriage ride around Seville – making sure to choose a healthy and happy-looking horse! My favourite part was our trot through the Parque with its beautiful flowers and museums tucked into blooming gardens.
Survey Seville from the Metropol Parasol
The undulating waves of the Metropol Parasol, known locally as the mushrooms, provide the perfect spot from which to gaze over the city. We chose to go near sunset, which I can’t recommend enough – it was quiet and peaceful, as we drank in the views of Seville basking in the golden light.
The Parasol is believed to be the largest timber-framed building in the world, and took six years to construct, opening in 2011. For a small fee, you can take a speedy lift to the top and roam the walkways, spotting landmarks or peeking into people’s rooftop balconies to your heart’s content.
I loved Seville and I would happily go back to wander more of its beautiful streets and bathe in that golden sunshine. I hope I’ve inspired you to do the same!
Want more? Check out the rest of our Road Trip around Andalucia here!
