The birthplace of Flamenco, Sevilla has a passion unlike any other city. Sip on some tinto by the river, bike through Plaza de España and get lost wandering the streets of the Santa Cruz barrio.
Sevilla is a great vacation destination! Since it is in the South of Spain, it is cheaper than large cities like Madrid and Barcelona. The weather is amazing almost all year (except for their super hot summers). It’s even close to other cities, like Ronda, Jerez, Cadiz (where you can find some beautiful beaches) and even Granada / Malaga aren’t far! Check out our Ultimate Guide to Sevilla!
Plaza de España
Plaza de España is one of our favorite places in Sevilla. It’s a beautiful place to walk around and arguably one of the most picturesque spots of the city. It was originally built for a World’s Fair but is now used as government offices. You may also recognize it as the filming location for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Cost: Free / €6 for 1/2 hour boat ride
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Cathedral & La Giralda
The Sevilla Cathedral is the 3rd largest in the world so it’s a can’t miss sight in downtown. You can get an incredible 360 view of the city if you climb to the top of the Giralda (bell tower). The tomb of Christopher Columbus is also inside.
- Cost: €9
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Real Alcazar de Sevilla
- Cost: €9
- Reserve spots online here:
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
The Real Alcazar is an old palace originally built by the Moors when they ruled Spain. You’ll want plenty of time to explore the inside, as well as the vast gardens. You may recognize this as a filming location for Game of Thrones – the gardens of Dorne.
Las Setas (Metropol Parasol)
Las Setas is the nickname given to Metropol Parasol because they look like mushrooms. Originally, this area was going to be turned into an underground parking garage. When construction began, they found Roman ruins! Since they didn’t want to remove or destroy the ruins, they had a competition for architects to build something. Today, you can enjoy a drink at the bar that’s on top and take in a great view of the city. We recommend going at sunset so you can watch Sevilla transform before your eyes!
- Cost: €3
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Parque Maria Luisa
Parque Maria Luise is across the street from Plaza de España. It’s free to walk around, but we recommend renting a bike. They even have bikes for groups of 4 & 6, which we’ve had too much fun doing with family and friends. It’s a very shady park, so a great place for a drink or picnic on a hot day.
- Cost: Free
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Torre del Oro
The Torre del Oro (Gold Tower) was the location where Christopher Columbus left Spain to discover the America’s. Today there is a small museum inside. From the top, you can catch a nice view of the Cathedral and river.
- Cost: €5 / Free on Mondays
- Reserve spots online here:
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Ovejas Negras
It’s rare when we recommend a restaurant in our City Guides, but this is one of our favorites in Sevilla (and maybe the world). We always made a point to go here with friends visiting or for special occasions. It’s definitely a modern take on tapas, but the food is so good! We highly recommend trying the mushroom risotto. Be sure to go early for lunch or dinner, to beat the locals or else you will have to wait for a table.
- Cost: ~€25 – 30 (shared tapas meal)
- Estimated time needed: 2 hours
Santa Cruz Barrio
Small streets and white washed houses, the Santa Cruz Barrio is one of the more picturesque neighborhoods to walk through in Sevilla. Located directly behind the Cathedral, you don’t want to miss it.
- Cost: Free
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Celebrate like the locals
Sevilla is a wonderful place to visit year round, but if you can time it up properly in the Spring, you might just catch some fun celebrations happening. The week leading up to Easter is called Samana Santa, where every church in the city processes through the streets to the main Cathedral. (To read more about this, check out our previous post here: Semana Santa). A few weeks after Easter, Feria begins. Feria is best described as a week long party – filled with drinks, food and dancing. (For more information on what Feria is, check out our previous post here: Feria).
- Cost: Free
- Estimated time needed: All day
Mercado lonja del Barranco
Near the Triana Bridge and river, there is a food market with a variety of stands. Our favorite spot is the croqueta booth. They also have a nice outdoor seating area overlooking the river so it makes a great lunch spot.
- Cost: Free to walk around / ~€10-25 (shared tapas meal)
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Explore Roman Ruins
About 30 minutes outside the city center, you can visit the Roman Ruins of Italica. For any Game of Throne fans, this was used as a filming location for the ruined dragon pit in Kings Landing. For more information on how to get there and what it’s all about, check out our earlier post: The Dragonpit in Italica.
- Cost: €1.5
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
Drinks by the river
We’ve seen some of the best sunsets over the Guadalquivir River in Sevilla. We recommend stopping at one of the kiosks with outdoor seating to grab a drink and take in the views at golden hour.
- Cost: ~€5-8 (for a drink)
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Take a day trip to Cádiz
Only 1 hour by train from Seville, you can be at the coast! Cádiz is a beautiful coastal city with a lot to offer a curious traveler. It makes for the perfect day trip from the city. It’s rumored that Havana, Cuba was modeled after Cádiz. Check out some more information about why you should visit this seaside city here: Cádiz, Cádiz.
- Cost: ~€30 round trip
- Reserve spots online here: Cádiz Train Tickets
- Estimated time needed: All day
Sevilla Travel Tips
- Transportation
- Sevilla is very walkable
- There is also a metro and tram that runs in the downtown area only if you need to get somewhere faster or are tired of walking
- Tipping
- Tipping is not necessary when traveling to Spain
- If you have great service & feel like you want to leave a tip, no more than 5%-10% is needed
- Weather
- Sevilla has very hot summers, so it’s best to visit in the off season or shoulder season
- Our favorite time of year in Sevilla is the Spring because of the festivals & orange trees blooming, however it can also be the busiest
- Winter: 70-100 F
- Summer: 65-85 F
- General
- Cien Monteditos is a small sandwich chain that is a great spot for a quick snack or light lunch
- It’s almost like a fast food chain, but better!
- Beware of gypsy women holding rosemary and trying to read fortunes
- Just say no if they approach you
- All shopping & grocery stores will be closed on Sundays so plan when you’ll do your shopping accordingly
- Spanish lunch is between 2:00-4:00pm and dinner is between 9:00-11:00pm
- Many restaurants, gelato stands or shops have a minimum in order to use a credit card
- It’s good to have euros on hand if you’re buying something small like a coffee or souvenir
- Cien Monteditos is a small sandwich chain that is a great spot for a quick snack or light lunch
We miss Sevilla almost daily, as it was our home away from home for 2 years! We are scheming to find a way back to visit our friends and favorite spots again.
Adios, Amanda
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Last edited: April 2020
