Andalucia is the perfect place to escape, get lost, and enjoy idle hours wandering along winding lanes, hoping to catch a few notes of flamenco playing around the next corner. If you're spending a few days or even a week in southern Spain, put Seville at the top of your list. While you can cover Granada in a day, maybe two... Seville is the perfect place to dig in and spend at least 3 days (more if you have them).
Get ready to be transported back in time, or maybe visit another world (one Game of Thrones fans will no doubt be excited to see), and let's explore all that Seville has to offer. The first part of my Seville Victinerary will focus on your arrival, where to stay, and how to spend your first day. Stay tuned for part 2 for more ideas of how to dig into Seville!
GETTING THERE
By Train
The easiest way to get to Seville is the high-speed train from Cordoba. If you're coming from elsewhere in Andalucia, or from northern Spain, most trains pass through Cordoba, so just make your last leg into Seville - Santa Justa.
If you want to spend some time in Cordoba before ending up in Seville, check out my Victinerary for doing just that.
Times: Multiple times an hour, every day. Trains take 45 mins - 1 hour between Cordoba & Seville
Fare: € 20 to € 30 one-way
By Air
Seville has it's own airport (SVQ), however flights to Malaga are typically more frequent and less expensive (From the US at least). For this reason I recommend flying into & out of Malaga, and making a loop around Andalucia instead of going directly to Seville.
Train or Plane to the Hotel
Neither the airport nor the train station are close to the city center, so upon arrival catch a cab for easy transport to your hotel.
THE VICTINERARY - Part 1
Day 1
Take it easy on your first day in Seville, arrive in the afternoon and check into your hotel near the Plaza Nueva (recommendation below).
Before setting out to really explore, go down the street to the local Spar (supermarket chain) to pick up some groceries for breakfasts and snacks during your stay.
Address: Calle Zaragoza, 31, 41001 Sevilla, Spain
Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 11pm, Sun 10:30am - 11pm
After traveling, checking in, and stocking up, you'll probably be ready for a relaxing dinner. If you're staying near the Plaza Nueva like I did, follow the curved street south of the square (Calle Joaqun Guíchot) to find a variety of restaurants and tapas bars with outdoor seating. Sit back with a glass of sangria and some tapas at La Barandilla to enjoy the evening. Local street performers may even add some music!
After dinner, do as the Spanish do and go for an evening walk. Don't worry if time got away from you... you'll find the streets full of local families even at 10 pm. If you're lucky, you might even find some live flamenco music and a dancer or two. This woman and her guitarist partner put on a show right near the Plaza Nueva. I may have gone a little shutter crazy with my camera, but she moved so beautifully!
After your walk head back to the hotel to rest up for some full days of exploring ahead.
Day 2
On your first full day in Seville, start out with a great walking tour with a local guide courtesy of Sevilla Walking Tours. This was a fantastic recommendation out of my Rick Steves book, and we loved the city tour so much that we ended up doing the Cathedral tour as well. Both tours are great ways to really learn about the city and its history, and also get some fun insider info. My travel companions and I all highly recommend them!!
Tour Times: Mon to Sat 10:30 am, tours run for about 2 hours
Meeting Location: In front of the central statue in Plaza Nueva
Price per person: € 15
During your tour you might pass by the Bodega Santa Cruz. This is a great centrally-located spot to get some lunch & a cold drink after your tour, so retrace your steps grab a seat. They have a full list of daily montaditos (tapas size sandwiches) and they use the traditional method of keeping tabs of your order with chalk on the bar.
After walking around and having lunch, it might be time for a siesta. Escape the sun for a while!
Once you're rested, it's time to travel to another world. That world being the land of Dragons and Game of Thrones! As most fans of the show will know, all of the scenes set in Dorne were shot within the Alcazar in Seville. I used the self-guided tour out of the Rick Steves Spain guidebook, and I preferred that to a guided tour so that we could explore at our own pace and really enjoy the gardens.
Explore the courtyards and rooms of the Palace before heading out into the gardens. You might recognize the view from the terrace.
Make sure to follow the small tunnel (location shown on the map below) to reach Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla (aka where Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes hide to hatch plots).
Admission: € 11.50
Hours: Open every day. October to March, 9:30 am to 5 pm / April to September 9:30 am to 7 pm
And now for some Game of Thrones locations you might recognize....
Explore the Alcazar to your heart's content, then walk around the corner for some dinner at Casa Tomate.
Address: Calle Mateos Gago, 24, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
Hours: 12 to 12 every day
Head back to the hotel and change into some nicer duds because tonight is all about enjoying a beautiful part of Andalusian culture: a Flamenco show. Check out the La Casa del Flamenco website for the daily schedule of shows, there are usually 2-3 a night so you can plan your time accordingly. With a combination of music and unbelievable dancing, this is definitely a show worth seeing.
Admission: € 18
Cap off the evening by going for a stroll after the show (only about 15 mins) to catch the nighttime view from the top of La Setas. Take the elevator to the top of the largest wooden structure in the world and walk the winding path to enjoy the best views of the city. I managed to be there for blue hour, what a wonderful time to see the city glow!
Admission € 3
Times: Sun - Thurs, 10am - 11pm / Fri - Sat, 10am - 11:30pm
After taking in the view, head back to the hotel for a some well-deserved rest after a long day of exploring.
The Map
ACCOMMODATION SPOTLIGHT
This isn't a hotel of rooms, more a hotel of apartments. Located perfectly right off of the Plaza Nueva, this is a great option that mixes the larger space usually only found in an AirBnB with the convenience of a hotel. And all at a reasonable price for the location as well!
The best part: a roof deck with a view!
Check their website for pricing (a 2 person room can range from € 80 to € 150 / night, depending on the dates)
I hope this look at a day in Seville inspires you to add this amazing destination to your bucket list. Stay tuned for part 2 for more Seville info. If you follow my footsteps or even just use one of the suggestions, please let me know in the comment section below about your experience!
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Thanks for coming along, and check back every week for a new Victinerary to help plan your next adventure!
~V
(All photos taken in the Summer of 2014 with my Nikon D5300 & Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 lens)
