Seville is a city of winding alleyways, spirited citizens, and a ridiculous amount of things to see and do. It’s lucky it’s a small city! During our weeklong stay, we mainly walked, navigating the narrow streets on foot and using the city’s tram and bus system only occasionally. Though we managed to fit in a lot of sightseeing, we didn’t sacrifice the Sevillan unhurried ethos . . . Basically we stopped frequently for tapas!
Here is our 7-day itinerary for visiting Seville. If you have less than a week in the city, check out my 3-day itinerary that still ticks off all Seville’s historical and cultural highlights.
Day 1
Iglesia del Salvador
Plaza del Triunfo
Catedral de Sevilla & La Giralda
This massive Gothic cathedral dominates the plazas that surround it. We visited it on a rainy day, and the dark clouds and rain-soaked exterior made it appear even more imposing. Its neighbouring tower, La Giralda, is similarly uncompromising in its design. Ramps spiral in a strict square to the top of the tower, where both the city and the cathedral’s ornate architecture are visible from above. As we exited La Giralda we were presented with a courtyard of orange trees, our first introduction to this emblem of Seville. I took my favourite photos of the day as we ascended the tower, squeezing into alcoves that split up the ascent and peeking over the balconies.
Barrio Santa Cruz
Archivo General de Indias
Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes
Day 2
Plaza Nueva
Ayuntamiento de Sevilla
Capilla de San Jose
Casa de Pilatos
Museo del Baile Flamenco
We got hopelessly lost trying to find the flamenco museum. There was one signpost and we kept coming back to it as we walked in circles round the tiny cobbled streets! It was worth it upon arriving though. After monopolising the interactive instruments section for a quarter of an hour, we got chatting to one of the guides. He was shocked that my friend had never experienced what the Spanish call “el duende”—a bit like numinosity but without the religious aspect, normally in relation to art or music. At his insistence we descended to the vaults to watch a flamenco show, sipping our sangria and experiencing el duende for ourselves.
Day 3
Maria Luisa Park
In every guidebook, blog and trip advisor review I’d read about Seville, the Plaza de España was barely mentioned. My jaw dropped as we walked through Maria Luisa Park and came across what could have been a miniature model castle or a film set. The golden semi-circular structure surrounds a ginormous open courtyard, complete with canals, high arches, fountains and plenty of tiled patterns. I was so pleasantly surprised to find this nestled within the park that it was one of the highlights of my whole trip to Seville. And it’s only used as government offices!
Acuario Sevilla
Museo de Bellas Artes
Day 4
Real Alcázar & Baths of Maria de Padilla
With winding paths linking to endless courtyards, it was very easy for us to get lost in the Real Alcázar. The baths, tucked underneath the palace, were also an impressive sight. An invisible barrier separated the echoing chaos of jostling tourists from the still water and soft-lit arches of the baths themselves. The above picture doesn’t capture the passive aggressive queuing I had to do to get a clear, central shot, but it does depict the serenity beyond the water’s edge.
Alameda de Hércules
Basilica de la Macarena
Day 5
When deciding where to spend our week’s holiday, it was a toss-up between Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Málaga. Though we ended up picking Seville, it was with the stipulation that we fit in at least one day trip to another Andalucia’s cities. Thanks to its Mezquita—combined with the appeal of Game of Thrones filming locations—it was Córdoba we visited for the day. I was surprised by how different Córdoba felt to Seville. Most of its attractions are in the ancient historic centre, so the city seemed much older.
Read more about what to see and do on a day trip to Córdoba: 12 hours in Córdoba
Day 6
Torre de los Perdigones
After being out of the city the day before, we wanted to really immerse ourselves in Seville. The Torre de los Perdigones was a good shout, though it was a bit of a mystery to us before we arrived. Speaking strictly scientifically, the guide moves a mirror and the reflection makes a picture on a canvas. It’s basically a live tour of Seville without leaving the tower. With the guide’s patchy English and my appalling Spanish I think we managed to comprehend at least 80% of what he was saying!
Triana
Torre del Oro
Day 7
Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija
Palacio de las Dueñas
Monasterio de Santa Paula
Las Setas De Sevilla (AKA Metropol Parasol)
It’s hard to avoid seeing the Metropol Parasol from below as you walk through La Plaza de la Encarnación. I wouldn’t miss climbing up to walk around on top of the “mushroom”. At twilight, a lot of the major landmarks turn on lights to illuminate their church or building, so it’s pretty spectacular. We went at dusk and were able to watch the sun set over the city, trying to point out the places we had visited.
Our week in Seville was simultaneously packed and slow-paced. Thanks in part to the city’s eclectic historical heritage, there is something to photograph around every corner. Even as I became familiar with the streets I would notice something new about them. In every plaza is a colourful chapel, a mosaicked wall or a line of orange trees. Though we undoubtedly made the most of our 7-day itinerary, there is so much more to see in easy-going Seville.
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1 Comment
Lillian · 09/02/2018 at 2:24 PM
Love this itinerary! Such great suggestions and the photos are lovely!