If you have never heard of Sevilla you are not alone, but you are seriously missing out! Sevilla was a location recommended to me to visit and I am so happy I followed through. It is the fourth largest city in Spain and the biggest city in Andalusia (a region in Spain). If you love traveling to explore different museums and artwork, you will absolutely adore this place!
My sister Allie and I arrived in Sevilla mid-morning and were immediately blown away at the building’s architecture, the flamenco dancing on every corner, and the amount of people out and about. At first glance, it was one of the prettiest places I had ever been. We started our day by walking to a coffee shop/juice bar called Jester that had amazing reviews. Little did we know they only accepted Euros and having just landed, we hadn’t made the conversion yet. I will say if I happen to return to Sevilla one day it will be for the sole purpose to try out their açaí bowls. We quickly learned that a credit card in Sevilla just wasn’t going to cut it. If you visit, make sure you have some cash on you otherwise you will get yourself into quite the predicament.
We grabbed a take away coffee and walked through the Jardines de Catalina de Ribera, a beautiful, walkable park. You could spend hours just people watching and playing with dogs that cross your path. But since we only had one day, we got moving! Sevilla is recognized most for its Moorish palaces and Gothic churches. When planning your visit, most people will tell you to make sure you don’t skip the Alcázar castle, and I would agree. We did not buy tickets in advance so when we arrived the line was being cut off. We, fortunately, were able to find a small corner down an alleyway allowing us to peek inside! I’ve also since looked up photos online and it’s stunning! Definitely a must-see.
However, what truly takes the cake is the Plaza de España. Regardless of how much time you have to spend in Sevilla, you need to cut out at least an hour to take in this impressive, brick structure. Surrounded by horse drawn carriages, street performers, and locals selling hand-painted fans and souvenirs, you will be amazed at the detail and colors. It was unlike anywhere I’ve ever been and I’m convinced even if I visited it every day for a week, I would find something new to marvel at. The artwork spreads out across the walls and the floors. Not to mention, the water is so green and lovers are rowing around in the cutest rowboats. It’s like stepping inside a romance novel.
While you could easily spend all day there, there are other cathedrals to see and museums to explore! The Archivo de Indias is absolutely stunning to walk past and its there in the square you will lay eyes on the best of the best flamenco dancers. The Cathedral of Seville is a historical building you also will not want to miss and oftentimes painters will sit in the corner and sketch out the beauty of this place. The Catedral de Sevilla is the largest Gothic building in Europe with more than 40 chapels on site. You can’t miss it! Plus, it is the final resting place of Christopher Columbus so people flock there annually just to take in its views.
When the sun starts to get too warm, you should find shade under the palm trees in the Parque de Maria Luisa. We spent quite some time walking around smelling the orange trees and taking in all the park had to offer. There were ponds, gardens, and different sculptures along the way. Travel tip: if you don’t have euros on you to pay for the restrooms, visit the local library nearby where it’s free. It’s also great fun trying to find some of your favorite books completely translated in Spanish. Also fun – exploring the Universidad de Sevilla. I’m always fascinated seeing different college campuses when I explore new places. If I could redo college I would 100% study abroad for more than a month in Europe.
Trying to fit seeing everything into one day can be exhausting. We found ourselves at La Cacharreria for happy hour and indulged in several things from their menus. If you go, be sure to order their yogurt bowl, Nutella toast, and the veggie bagel with hummus. One of my favorite meals in Seville! Seville invented the “tapas” or small plates trend so be sure to take advantage of this while there. Some of their most popular tapas are their cold tomato soup, Iberian ham, and paella.
Since Allie had studied abroad in Spain and this was a repeat visit for her, I allowed her the afternoon to show me some of her favorite places. She brought me to Las Setas de Sevilla before sundown. I had no idea what I was looking at but it was magnificent. I felt as if someone just plopped a big art exhibit down in the center of town. The view from the top was my favorite as I was eye level with people’s balconies.
After leaving the Setas, we traveled underground to see the Antiquarium. Looking back now, it reminded me a lot of Pompeii. The Spaniards have preserved so much history underground and left artifacts untouched behind glass for visitors to see. It felt like an underground city and it was so cool! While leaving the area, we stopped to watch a ton of breakdancers perform. They were super talented! Of all the places I’ve traveled, Sevilla just felt so artsy. Art surrounds you constantly in the form of paint, dance, music, or other expressions. I was so touched and inspired with my time there.
If art is one of your biggest passions, you will probably need more than one day to explore Seville’s museum scene. They have the Museo de Bellas Artes (traditional art), Andalusian Contemporary Art Centre (contemporary), Flamenco Dance Museum, and the Museo de Castillo de San Jorge (historical) to name a few!
With the day wrapping up, we grabbed some wine from a nearby store and returned to our hotel for the night. Seville specializes in orange wine, but we opted for a moscato. We stayed in the Hotel Plaza, which I can’t recommend enough. It’s right next to the tram station making it so easy to get around town. We absolutely loved our time in Sevilla and I hope to come back one day and do even more exploring.
Have you been to Seville before or is it on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments below. I love when you all shoot me a DM on Instagram too! It makes my day knowing you find these posts helpful! I’ll be creating a Sevilla highlight on my Instagram soon, so be sure to head over there to see some photos that didn’t make the blog! Adios for now!
