Three Day Itinerary: Sevilla, Spain
Seville, located in Andalusia, (or Southern Spain), is a must-see when visiting if you are planning a trip to the country. The city embodies an aura of Spanish romance down every street, or maybe you’re just smelling the orange trees.
We were grateful to spend 5 full days in the area and loved every minute of it. We’ve previously been to Malaga and Gibraltar, (see post here), so we knew a little bit of what to expect going into our trip. However, we were absolutely blown away by warmth of the people we met, the rich history, and the incredible food.
Seville, with a population of 701,000 was seemingly smaller to us than we had expected. We can confidently say that you only need two days to see the major sites in the area, but of course with more time, you can relax, dine around, and spend hours wandering the beautiful parks of the city. That’s the right way to enjoy this city. It’s not about the hustle and bustle, it’s all about taking some time to sit out on the street, enjoy Spanish cuisine, and relax under orange trees.
Accommodation:
For budget accommodation, we stayed at the Oasis Backpackers Co-working Hostel located in city center. See here for our full review of the hostel, (as we cannot say enough good things about our time here!)
Day 1:
Local spot for breakfast
To experience a traditional breakfast, we recommend heading to a local spot, such as Bar Rodriguez, just North of city center. The cafe is located under a canopy of orange trees, the staff only speak Spanish, and there is no menu. We recommend the Jamon y Tomate (ham and tomato) sandwiches. We also ordered two espressos and two beers for a grand total of €10, (with tip included!). We know this is daunting, but we promise the service there was incredible and they were helpful in getting our order. It was our favorite spot of the whole trip!
Sevilla Riverwalk
We decided to spend our first morning exploring North Sevilla and the afternoon wandering West of the river. We found the area to be quite peaceful and residential. We stumbled across a few small parks and fountains and wound up at the river walk, (~15 min from city center). There is a paved bike and running path along the riverside which is perfect for walkers, runners, and bikers. There is ample space with beautiful views and a fantastic place to take a morning stroll and cool off in the breeze!
There are crew centers along the river where you can watch rowers practice and race. Across the river is Isla Mágica, the theme/water park of Sevilla which boasts the occasional screams of riders having a blast.
Metropol Parasol
This architectural marvel is right in center city and encompasses a viewpoint (€5) as well as serves as the main piece of a massive plaza. There are bars, restaurants, and a market underneath. But the sight of it alone is enough to sit back and enjoy!
Triana Bridge & Market
Triana is one of the main streets of Sevilla, lined with restaurants and shops. The bridge connects the two sides of the city, and offers magnificent 360 degree views of the area. We wandered across the bridge and headed into the Mercado. There were several food, spice, and handmade good stalls to explore so we suggest stopping in. (Tip: You can find free public toilets in the market as well!)
Explore further down the west side of the river + stop to enjoy the parks
Dinner/drinks - head to Alameda de Hercules! We were shocked to see families out and about in the streets well past midnight dancing and enjoying themselves. This was a plus about Spain, everything is open super late and since the weather is so nice, everyone sits outside. It is an incredible vibe and amazing to partake in!
Day 2:
Royal Alcazar
We strongly recommend arriving early in order to beat the lines, unless you pre-buy tickets online! (Tip: The time of your ticket entrance may not be immediate, as we showed up at 11:30 a.m. and were only able to get entrance tickets 3:30pm).
Tapas lunch!
Go for a light tapas lunch - we went to Bar la Tradicional right nearby, and definitely had large portions for the amount of food we ordered.
Parque de Maria Luisa
An absolute beauty of a public space, with what seems like endless pools, gardens, and statues to admire. This is one of our favorite parks ever, with so many different features and sections that there is something for everyone. Huge trees envelope the entire green, so that you can get a break from the sun.
Plaza de España
Free to enter and enjoy, the Plaza is a can’t-miss when visiting Sevilla. The plaza was full of setup for a concert series called Cercle, (Circle in English) which hosts bespoke concerts in incredible locations across Europe which we were lucky enough to attend. It also served as the backdrop of Wadiya in The Dictator!
Day 3:
Sevilla Cathedral
One of the crown jewels of Sevilla, this Cathedral is mezmerizing both inside and out. You can stop in for free at mass on Sundays, and do the tour all 7 days of the week. The stairs to the top lead to a massive belltower with a view over the whole city! (€15). Please note to get to the top of the belltower is steps only!
Boat Ride on the River
Take a relaxing cruise down the river and see the city from a fresh perspective. Our tour boat was small (10 passengers) and this seemed better in comparison to the large ships with plastic chairs. However if we did it again we would go with the boat rides that have music and a bar!
Museo Naval de Torre del Oro
If the sun gets to hot, take a stop into the naval museum. If you’re feeling good, it’s a beautiful monument to walk past and admire, which is the route we took.
Eat more Jamon and Tapas!
Spanish ham and olives are some of the finest delicacies in the world. Cash in while you have the chance to enjoy them!
Relax by the Pool and Get Some Sun
Sevilla is HOT! Most hotels and hostels are equipped with pools on the rooftops. We would highly recommend you spend some time at your pool soaking up the rays and relaxing. Our pool had a bar and we spent all the afternoons up there, enjoying the music and taking the occasional dip in the pool.
We greatly hope these tips help you make an amazing trip out of a beautiful city. The architecture, weather, and people are all wonderful to be around and we would certainly love to go back in the future.
Happy travels!
Caroline and Joe:)
