Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and our guide to the ten best things to do in Seville. Little did I think when I visited Seville at the beginning of March that it would be my last trip for a while. 

However, it was certainly a trip to remember – with stunning architecture, beautiful parks, lots of culture, tapas and great food, Seville is a must-visit destination.

Andalusia’s capital is steeped in history with its ancient Moorish walls, Roman ruins, Renaissance architecture, Baroque churches and the world’s largest Gothic cathedral. It’s renowned for its gypsy heroine, Carmen, the magic of flamenco and the sultry orange-tree filled plazas.  After dusk head up to one of the rooftop bars, the Plaza d’España or the Metropol Parasol to catch a glimpse of the setting sun.

Visit in the Spring when the air is heavy with the scent of orange and lemon blossom, and the warm weather is just arriving. I was so inspired by the tiled patios and the scented courtyards that I bought 2 lemon trees when I came home, and I’m currently redesigning my own courtyard to include some ceramic tiles!  

Here is my guide for the 10 Best Things to do in Seville and why Seville should be on your travel bucket list. 

Ten Best Things to do in Seville

1. Visit the Réal Alcazar

seville alcazar

The Réal Alcazar is a great place to start your visit to Seville. This beautiful UNESCO-listed palace complex is still in use by the Spanish royal family: their chambers, state rooms and halls are on the upper level (The Cuarto real Alto) and you can pay extra for a guided tour to visit them. 

Most of the complex is built in a Mujedar style, which was the style often used for Moorish buildings that were non-Islamic.

It was originally developed as a fort in 913, but has been revamped many times over the years, most spectacularly in the 14th century when King Pedro added the ‘Palacio de Don Pedro’, which is still the jewel in the Alcázar’s crown.

The sumptuous gardens are also worth a visit, as you pass from beautiful courtyard to courtyard and there is a fun hedge maze (which is not as easy to find your way out of as it looks!) .

One of the gardens’ most stunning features and the best place for a viewing point is the Galeria de Grutesco, a raised gallery with porticoes fashioned in the 16th century. 

In summer you can attend an outdoor night-time concert at the Alcazar, and it’s a truly magical experience with the grutesco stone wall as a backdrop, moonlight streaming through the palm trees and the beautiful sounds of classical music wafting across the air. 

seville

If it looks a little familiar, then you may have seen it as the Water Gardens of Dorne in ‘Game of Thrones’.

 

There are often long queues so you may want to book your ticket in advance, but if you are willing to wait a while, then entry is free on Monday afternoon

Price: €11.50 if you buy a ticket on the day, (free for the last hour on Mondays)
Hours: October to March: 9:30am – 5pm, April to September until 7pm
Recommended visit: 2 – 3 hours

2. Visit the tomb of Christopher Columbus inside the Cathedral and climb up the Giralda for spectacular views. 

Seville Cathedral is said to be the third-largest cathedral in the world and the world’s largest Gothic cathedral.

It was built between 1434 and 1517, over the remains of what had previously been the city’s main mosque and you can still see traces of the mosque that once stood there, especially in the Court of the Orange trees to the north side of the cathedral, where worshippers would wash their hands and feet in the fountains here before their five daily prayer sessions. 

seville cathedral

Its sheer size is awe-inspiring with a central nave that rises to an incredible 42 metres and 80 side chapels, each of which seem tall enough to contain an ordinary church. The total area covers 11,520 m2. 

Below are the “regular” visiting hours. However, these can be modified without notice to accommodate religious services. The price and recommended time includes entry to the Giralda.

Hours
Monday: 11:00am to 3:30pm and 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 11am to 5pm
Sunday from 2:30pm to 6pm
Price: Adults €9, children €4 Admission free for Disabled persons and free entrance on Monday’s from 4:30pm 6:00pm
Recommended Visit: 2 hours

Don’t miss the tomb of Christopher Columbus and then be sure to climb up the Giralda bell tower, which was formerly the minaret of the mosque. You can purchase a combined ticket for entrance to both the cathedral and the bell tower. 

seville giralda

The unusual thing about the tower is that it has no stairs! Instead, 34 ramps lead to the top.  Apparently, It was designed like this so that the Muezzin (who led the call to prayer) could ride his horse up the tower instead of walking.

There are regular archaeological exhibits on the way up, and the views from the top are well worth the effort (just take some comfy shoes, as it’s still quite a walk up!) 

Price: Included in your Seville Cathedral ticket

3. Wander through the Santa Cruz quarter

The Santa Cruz district is the former Jewish quarter of Seville, and home to some of the key tourist attractions, such as the Alcazar Palace and the Giralda Tower.

However, it’s also worth just wandering around this neighbourhood , which is a maze of narrow streets and alleys, where you can explore and enjoy one of the many (touristy) restaurants or attractive squares. 

If you want to escape the city heat and noise head to the” Jardines de Murillo”, located on the eastern edge of the neighborhood just beyond the more popular Alcázar gardens, and relax under a shady tree.

4. Stroll around the  Maria Luisa park and visit the iconic Plaza de España

Maria Luisa Park is the largest green space in central Seville and the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre, with its shady tree-lined paths, duck ponds and landscaped gardens.  

It originally belonged to the nearby San Telmo Palace, which dates back to the 1500s.

In the late-19th century the grounds were donated to the city by Infanta Luisa Fernanda and took their present shape after a remodel in 1911. 

seville plaza d'espana

At the entrance to the park you will find the iconic Plaza de España, which is perhaps one of the best known landmarks of Seville and the architecture is jaw-dropping! 

It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929 and it’s a photographer’s and Instagrammer’s dream, with its wide plaza, edged by a canal, colourful ceramic tiles and beautiful flowers, all overlooked by an immense curved palace. Lookout for the statue of architect Aníbal González,  gazing at his creation.

seville

Walk along the gallery, where you will see busts of some of the important national figures, but also as a series of painted ceramic tile panels which depict maps, and details such as local food and famous monuments from each Spanish province. 

Nowadays, the palace contains many of the city’s administrative buildings.

Price: Free
Hours: Open From 8:00 am to 10:00 pm in the winter, midnight in summer
Recommended visit: 2 – 3 hours

5. Visit one of the many museums for a cultural experience 

Apart from being an oasis of calm is the centre of Seville and home to the Plaza de España , the most flamboyant of the buildings completed for the 1929 expo, the 34-hectare María Luisa Park is also home to several of the city’s museums. 

The Archaeological Museum 

seville

The archaeological museum in the south of the park has some wonderful Roman sculptures, mosaics and statues – many of which came from the archaeological site of Itálica just outside Seville.

Like the Plaza de España it was built for the Ibero-American Exposition, and also houses artefacts from Phoenician and Tartessian cultures. 

Price: Free for EU residents, €1.50 for the rest of the world

Museum of Arts and Traditions : 

seville

This museum covering Seville’s traditional customs, costumes and traditions was also built for the exposition and is housed in the Mudejar Pavillion, just opposite the archaeological museum.

Here you’ll see everyday items from throughout Seville’s history, including ceramics from the 16th-century and large displays of swords and knives forged in the city.

One section leads you through the various workshops relating to Seville’s historic trades, such as tile-making, metalwork, lacework  and barrel-making for the local sherry.

Price: Free for EU residents, €1.50 for the rest of the world

6 Wander up to the Metropol Parasol where the past, present and future intertwine

For a complete change of architectural style, head to the Metropol Parasol, known locally as “Las Setas” (“The Mushrooms”), which is one of Seville’s newest iconic landmarks in the Plaza de la Encarnación. 

seville las setas

It was built in 2011 to a design by German architect Jürgen Mayer H, and the Roman and Moorish ruins that were unearthed during the excavation of the plaza were cleverly incorporated into the Parasol’s foundations. Modern glass bridges now let you peer down on the excavated foundations of a first-century Roman enclave and the remains of a 13th-century Moorish house.

Six  gigantic ‘parasols’ soar about 30m above the plaza and resemble a cluster of giant mushrooms, hence their nickname.

It houses a lively food market, the Mercado de la Encarnación, several cafes and tapas bars, and Plaza Mayor, a space designed to host open-air events,  concerts and flamenco festivals.

You can take the lift  up through the trunks of the treelike parasols to observation decks with killer views of the city.

As Mayer H. says of his creation, “It’s about the past, the present, and the future.”

Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (11:00pm on Friday and Saturday)
Price: €3 (children under 5 and residents of Seville free)
Recommend Visit: 1 – 2 hours

7 Wander across to Triana on the left bank

Most people leave Triana off their Seville itinerary – there isn’t much by way of museums or grandiose churches, and it’s across the other side of the ‘Guadalquivir’ river from most of the city’s main tourist attractions. But what this historic neighborhood lacks in monuments, it more than makes up for in ‘ambiance’

triana

Like many other “left bank” areas (such as Saint Germain in Paris, Trastevere in Rome, Brooklyn in New York) Triana is well worth a visit. It’s a small lively neighbourhood, teeming with a gypsy spirit, flamenco flair, stunning ceramics and some of the best tapas in town.

As soon as you cross the river (probably by taking the Isabel II bridge from the main part of town), you will find yourself in a different world. 

Don’t miss the delicious sights, smells and sounds of Triana Market, full of fresh, local produce. Still very much a local’s market, it was built on top of the ruins of the Castillo de San Jorge, the onetime headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition, where those believed to be heretics were tried, imprisoned, and burned at the stake. (You can check out the adjacent museum if you’re interested in learning more about this period of Spanish history.)

If you only buy one thing while exploring the Triana neighborhood in Seville, make it something ceramic, as this area is home to some of the city’s last remaining authentic ceramic manufacturers.

It’s also one of the best areas to experience flamenco and is renowned for its tapas.

8 Stroll along the right bank and  visit the Torre del Oro 

As you cross back over the Isabel Bridge you can set off on a very enjoyable riverside walk towards the “Torre del Oro”.  You can walk pretty much the whole way along the river bank, taking a quick detour off the riverside to see the Plaza de Toros, the 250-year-old bullfighting arena.

Then you will come to the “Torre del Oro”, or “The Gold Tower”; the watchtower erected in the 13th century and now housing a maritime museum. It is worth a visit, and from the top of the tower, you can get a great view over Seville.

Hours
Monday to Friday : 9:30am to 6:45pm, weekends from 10:30am
Price: Adults €3, children €1,50 Admission free for disabled persons Free entrance on Monday’s
Recommended Visit: 1 hour

It’s also the place to pick up a cruise on the river, with departures every 30 minutes. A river cruise is a great way to get a feel for Seville and an excellent introduction to the city. 

Hours: From 11am – 11pm and cruises last 1 hour
Price: Tickets start from €12.50 depending on which operator you use
Recommend Visit: 1 hour

9 Take in a traditional Flamenco show or a horse and carriage ride 

And of course, no visit to Seville would be complete without a visit to a Flamenco show and/or a horse and carriage ride.  

Andalusia is often referred to as the birthplace of flamenco, so where better to take in a flamenco show? There are many shows throughout the city, although Triana is considered to be one of the best areas to watch a show. 

Hours: Most Flamenco shows in Seville hold two (or sometimes 3) shows starting from around 7pm
Price: Tickets start from around €18 depending on when and where you go

If you want to learn more about this passionate expression of song, dance, and music then I recommend a visit to the Flamenco Dance Museum.

A ride in one of the many ornate horse-drawn carriages is also one of the iconic things to do in Seville, and there are two main places where you can do this.

The first is in the heart of the city between the Seville Cathedral and the Real Alcazár. Here you can hop in and be taken for a tour of the key city sites.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to get away from the traffic, you can also take a ride in Maria Luisa Park, where you can hop in at the Plaza de España.

However, I have heard mixed reviews about the quality of the tour : language skills are often a barrier, and it seems to be more of a pointing at things tour rather than an in-depth visit of the city. 

10 And of course, don’t forget to take advantage of the café culture and the food 

Although there are plenty of bars and restaurants offering tapas, I would recommend one of the smaller bars of Santa Cruz or the Triana neighbourhood.

 If you take a walk down some of the narrow streets in Santa Cruz, you will find yourself in small, quaint plazas where you can soak up the atmosphere and choose from a wide range of tapas dishes.  Or you can walk (back) across the Isabel II bridge to Triana, where you can mingle with the locals and where the choice and value for money is incredible! . 

Final thoughts on the 10 Best Things to Do in Seville

You might also want to have a look at this post on Madrid, which is another Spanish city to add to your bucket list.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive guide to Seville, but I hope it has given you a few ideas as the basis for planning a trip to this beautiful European City, when lockdown is over !

I hope you enjoyed this post on the ten best things to do in Seville and have a look here for more of our travel guides.

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