by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:17th March 2020
So this post is our light-hearted view of Seville
It has some of the interesting stuff, a few trivial facts, and our thoughts on this Spanish City.The sections to explore;
- Let's Start with the Truths
- So What's This Trivia Then?
- Local food & drinks
- What's to See & Do
- In Popular Culture
- And our thoughts
- Returnability
- Value for Money
- Getting around town
- Our Highlights
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The Location
The Three C'sContinent
Europe
Country
Spain
Capital
Madrid
Seville, the capital of Andalusia, has so much to boast about. Stunning Moorish architecture, an ancient Cathedral, a magnificent Alcázar and a labyrinth of lanes through the Barrio Santa Cruz.
Seville is also famed for its Flamenco dancing, tapas bars and sherry and oh yes, it gets HOT in the summer.
Where's Seville in the world?
Seville Up Close
The focal area for a mini-break will be the old town. Centred around Barrio Santa Cruz, the Alcázar and the ancient Cathedral. Although this beautiful city has so much more to offer.
National Flag
Regional Flag
It’s good to talk
Language
Spanish (English is widely spoken)
International Dialling Code
+34
Currency
The Euro € (EUR)
Timezone
Central European Time (CET)
Difference from UTC
+1 Hour
Did you know?
- That the juicy Seville oranges are not to be eaten directly from the tree. They are so bitter; they will make your teeth curl. Save them and make some marmalade.
- Seville has a Motto ‘NO8DO’, this symbol can be found throughout Seville, on street signs, buses, flags and even drain covers. Legend has it that it originates from the 13th-century and was bestowed to Sevilla by King Alfonso X. It was gratitude for Seville´s support in his battles against his son, who wanted to oust him.
- Seville’s Gothic Cathedral holds the tomb of the explorer Christopher Columbus.
- Andalusia is the birthplace of Flamenco and history has it that the district of Triana on the banks of the Guadalquivir River are its origins. However, some may differ.
- It wasn’t just the Moors that left their mark, the Romans did too. On the lower level of the Metropol Parasol, you’re able to see remains from a Roman Antiquarium dating from AD 30.
Food and drink
Tapas
This a delightful way to enjoy your food. Graze on a couple of dishes, then move on.
Seville Oranges
You’ll see them hanging in abundance. However, don’t stand underneath the trees. I’ve warned you!
Sherry
While sherry is produced in the nearby town of Jerez de la Frontera, you’ll be able to sample them all in Seville. Forget about the Christmas Sherry you have at home, this is a whole different experience.
We love Seville, and it's a great base to explore Andalucía, I love nothing more than planning a trip and so often I use the DK Eyewitness books. I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our southern Spanish road trips, now you can grab the revised copy.
What to see & do in Seville
Plaza de España
Is undoubtedly my favourite place in Seville. Morning or evening, it is spectacular, and I still can’t believe it is free for everyone to enjoy.
UNESCO
Visit Seville’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias.
Triana
Cross the Guadalquivir River to Triana. This district is historically known for its pottery and ceramics, evidence of this can still be found, through its lanes
Plaza de Toros
The bullring, not to everyone’s taste; however, it has an intriguing museum into Spain’s bullfighting and matador history.
The Cathedral
The Cathedral is impressive, and regardless of your faith, the scale of the building is vast, and the individual chapels are amazing.
Why not take a guided tour, Gary's sister did when she visited and loved it. It helped give an extra level of detail & understanding to the visit.
Don’t forget to have a peek at 'A treat for the winter, Seville in southern Spain'
Movies & Music
Game of Thrones
The Alcázar was partially used in that little-known TV Series ‘Game of Thrones'.
Silver Screen
The Plaza de España appears in the movie Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. It also, makes an appearance in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. It has certainly scrubbed up well since that was filmed.
Carmen
- Georges Bizet’s opera ‘Carmen’ was set in Seville. The beautiful Spanish gypsy first falls in love with the soldier Don Jose. However, her love for him leads to another, the toreador Escamillo. You’ll have to watch the opera, there are no spoiler alerts here.
- Then there's Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' & Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' - These were based on a stage play by Pierre Beaumarchais.
Tempted to?
Discover Andalusia by car and tour Spain at your own pace. You can do it all on a road trip, Rental Cars cover all budgets and allow you to pick up and drop off at different destinations.
Where we stayed in Seville
Hotel Palacio de Villapanes
A stylish hotel we chose for its valet parking. A 10-15 minute walk from Seville's Cathedral. Luxurious room and a beautiful interior courtyard.
El Rey Moro Hotel Boutique
A fabulous boutique hotel in the heart of the Santa Cruz district of Seville. Set amongst the narrow lanes, close to the heart of Seville.
Sevilla Central Suites Apartamentos
Puerta Jerez
Puerta Jerez
This apartment was fantastic; it was pretty large, clean, tidy and in an extremely central location and also had a communal washing machine & dryer.
Return-a-bility
or What are the chances of us revisiting?
(0% - You'll have to drag us over hot coals to go back 100% - Why am I not there now?)
Notes
We’ve now visited Seville on three occasions and would certainly return. Beautiful city, plenty to see & do and their culture is one I love.
Value for Money
Our value for money index.
Don't forget we're Londoners, and that means our baseline is quite high.
(0% - How much? I wanted to buy a drink, not the bar 100% - How much? I'll take two.)
Notes
As with so much of Spain, the wine & beer is reasonably priced, especially if you avoid the tourist hot spots around the Cathedral and the Alcázar. That said, the prices there are not going to make your toes curl. Grazing on Tapas is a great way to eat reasonably too, move between bars and choose what takes your fancy.
Getting around town
What's it like discovering the city? Is it walkable? do you need to use public transport? did we leave with weary feet?
(0% - It's mountainous and public transport's a joke 100% - I'm in paradise.)
Notes
We didn’t use public transport at all, we walked everywhere. It’s reasonably flat and easy to get around, once you’d navigated the maze of Barrio Santa Cruz. The locals are friendly too, so if you need directions, don’t worry about asking.
Seville Tourist information
Do you want to discover more of the Andalucian gem Seville in southern Spain? Why not check out the Visit Seville website?
Janis's Hi's & Lo's
Highlights
It’s difficult as I love this relaxed, friendly city. It will probably be Plaza de España as I’ll never tire of sitting there, soaking up the atmosphere and watching the world go by.
Of course, the lovely warm evenings dipping in and out of the tapas bars.
Lowlights
I’m really struggling to think of anything, I would just say if you don’t like the heat visit in Spring or Autumn.
Gary's Hi's & Lo's
Highlights
The Alcazar is stunning, and getting lost in the lanes. The Plaza de España, and the Parque de María Luisa and the views of, and from, the Metropol Parasol.
Lowlights
Like Janis, I'm struggling. We've had no bad experiences in Seville, just great memories.
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