Bougainvilleas and Sun Soaked Streets (Sevilla or Seville)

Seville, Spain had my heart the moment I arrived at my hotel, Palacio Alcazar. The hotel didn’t even have a street in front of it for the cab driver to pull up to, and was situated in the cutest little square perfectly meant for lazy afternoons drinking cava in the sun. It was very affordable and totally adorable, and within a two minute walk to both of the major sights to see in Seville.

The hotel is located in what is known as the Jewish Quarter of Seville, or Barrio Santa Cruz, a popular area of the historic center of Seville.  The area is full of tapas bars, shops and restaurants, and I easily spent an afternoon exploring the many cobblestone streets, cafes, shops and architecture. Seville is full of smaller plazas like Plaza de la Alianza, and on a nice day (Seville has many) you will easily find people hanging out in all of these squares.

   
  To Do in Seville

Besides walking around the many cobble stone streets of the historic center, there are two main attractions in Seville – the Alcazar and the Cathedral of St. Mary (with the Giralda tower). I would highly recommend making reservations in advance for both of these sights (even the day before), because otherwise lines are long to get in. The Cathedral closes by 6pm during the peak season (April to September) and the Alcazar closes at 7pm.

Cathedral

The Cathedral is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the largest gothic cathedral in the world. The Giralda is a bell tower which adjoins the Cathedral, and is from a former mosque that was in the same spot as the Cathedral previously. Inside the cathedral is the rumored home of Christopher Columbus’ tomb, although there is some debate on this point (the other possible location is the Dominican Republic). If you have time, walk up the many flights of stairs of the Giralda for stunning city views.

Alcazar

The Alcazar is a UNESCO world heritage site and a royal palace. It was originally built by Moorish kings and is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The gardens on the property are divine and you will often catch people napping in or strolling the huge gardens.

  

Besides these two sights, there are also a few other sights that are of note.

• General Archive of the Indies is a UNESCO world heritage site, and holds many important documents from the Spanish Empire’s exploration of the Americas and the Philippines.
• Plaza de Espana is a huge plaza which was built in 1928, and is home to a number of government buildings (such as the Seville Town Hall). It also contains a pretty canal where you can take a boat ride. Plaza de Espana is so picturesque that it has been used in the filming of a number of movies, such as the Star Wars series and the Dictator. In particular, take a look at the tiles in the Plaza’s Alcoves of the Provinces.
• The Metropol Parasol was completed in 2011, to many mixed reviews from the locals. It is considered by many to be an eye sore, but others praise the unique design and stunning city views. It is an entirely wooden structure and said to be the largest wooden structure in the world, consisting of six parasols.

Finally, you should definitely catch a flamenco show while in Seville, which is considered one of the main locations home to the dance. I saw a show at Los Gallos Tablao Flamenco, an intimate flamenco performance venue with two shows a night.  The only downside is that the venue requests you don’t take pictures during the show! It’s important to keep in mind that flamenco culture encourages the audience to participate, so don’t hesitate to cheer the dancers on as they perform!