10 things to do and see in Seville

Seville is flamenco, tapas, bullfighting, festivals, everything that embodies the essence of Spain. You can explore the ancient neighborhoods with their narrow streets, the tranquility of the parks, and the happiness of the people that is especially revealed during the festivals for which the Andalusian capital is famous.

Seville holds great architectural heritage, with the Cathedral, the Giralda, and the Royal Alcazars being prime examples, but it is advisable to visit the city in the milder seasons to avoid being overwhelmed by the heat.

The city's life, especially in summer, is concentrated around the Guadalquivir river, currently the only river port in Spain, which divides the city in two; while in winter the locals gather in taverns. In short, at any time of year, Seville is always alive. To enjoy the fun, without neglecting the beauty of the city, we propose some things not to be missed during a vacation in Seville.

The Royal Alcazars are the most impressive monuments in Seville. Characteristic of these buildings is the blend of styles and decorations, ranging from Islamic to Neoclassical.

The Alcazar, an ancient Arab fortress, is a great example of Mudéjar architecture with halls, patios, and gardens that create a captivating combination of colors.

Next to the Alcazar stands the Palace of Carlos V which houses an important collection of tapestries depicting the conquest of Tunis by the king. From the Palace, you can directly access the Gardens of the Alcazar, where the Arab style blends Renaissance shapes with Roman forms.

Opening hours:

From October 29 to March 31: Monday to Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
From April 1 to October 28: Monday to Sunday from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM
Closed: January 1 and 6, Good Friday, and December 25

Ticket price: Full 13.50 €.

How to get there: Patio de Banderas, historic center

Metro Line 1: Puerta de Jerez
Bus: No. 1, 5, C3, C4, 21, 23, 25, 26, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 40, 41, and 42.

The imposing Cathedral of Santa Maria in Seville, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built on the site where the Grand Mosque with 17 naves once stood, which was demolished in the 15th century, as it was beginning to show signs of decay.

In reality, it is said that the real reason for building this cathedral was because Seville wanted to surpass the beauty of the Toledo cathedral, a symbol of the Spanish Church. Thus, the magnificence of the Cathedral confirmed it as the largest religious monument in the Christian world after St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as one of the last Gothic cathedrals mixed with Renaissance style. Of the previous Moorish construction that was demolished, only the Giralda and some remains in the Patio de los Naranjos remain.

The interior of this extraordinary church is conceived like that of a basilica whose perimeter reflects Arabic mosques. It consists of five Gothic naves and two chapels, the Major and Royal, where Fernando III, his wife Beatrice of Swabia, and their son Alfonso X the Wise were buried.

The Chapel Mayor or Presbytery features a vast Hispano-Flemish altarpiece carved and painted with scenes depicting the life of Christ and the Virgin.

The Royal Chapel (1575) is covered by a large Renaissance dome and is preceded by the altar where the wooden statue of the Virgin of the Kings, patroness of the city, stands between the two tombs of Alfonso X and his mother.

In the Sacristy of the Chalices, you will find the famous Treasury with sculptures and paintings by Murillo, Juan Valdés, Goya. In the nearby Chapel of the Virgin of the Antiquity is located the Tomb of Christopher Columbus. The Cathedral Museum also contains works by great painters, books, ornaments, and a sumptuous collection of goldsmithery.

Opening hours:

Monday to Saturday: 10:45 AM - 7:30 PM.
Sunday: 2:30 PM - 7:30 PM.

Ticket price: Full 12 €.

How to get there: on foot in the historic center.

The Giralda, the emblem of the Andalusian capital, is the bell tower of the Cathedral, a monument standing 96 meters tall that fully reflects the style of the Almohads, strict in religious matters and enemies of luxury, combining monumental grandeur with refined simplicity.

The Giralda owes its name to the statue of Faith (nicknamed Giraldillo) that tops it and rotates based on the wind's direction.

The tower 96 meters high represents an ancient minaret from the 12th century, whose name comes from the bronze statue of Faith that was added in 1568 at its top.

The statue of Faith that overlooks the tower rotates based on the wind, as the name itself suggests, depicting Faith with a banner and palm in hand. Its name, Giraldillo because "turning", also inspired the name of the tower itself, the Giralda.

The Giralda covered the area that once housed the Great Mosque, demolished in the 15th century, and from which only this minaret was saved, later transformed into a bell tower. From the staircase inside the cathedral, one can climb to a platform 70 meters high to admire one of the most beautiful views of Seville.

The walls are decorated with diamonds that intertwine on twin windows and other blind ones. Once there was a small tower whose dome bore 4 golden balls, but the earthquake of 1355 destroyed it, so Hernan Ruiz II designed the new construction of 5 floors, representing the triumphant symbol of Christianity.

Opening hours:

Monday to Saturday: 10:45 AM - 7:30 PM.
Sunday: 2:30 PM - 7:30 PM.

Ticket price: Full 12 €.

How to get there: on foot in the historic center.

Plaza de España, within the Parque de Maria Luisa, was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition, designed by the Sevillian artist Gonzalez.

Decorated with bricks, ceramics, and colored marbles, the square has a particular symbolism: the semicircular shape signifies Spain's embrace of its new colonies; the 58 benches represent all the Spanish provinces; the imposing and proud Palacio Español represents the prestige of Spanish world power; finally, Plaza de España faces the river, the route to follow to reach America.

The Pilate House is a masterpiece of Renaissance art from the 15th century, commissioned by Don Fadrique and possibly inspired by the house of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. It is located in the San Bartolomé neighborhood, which we will discuss in detail later.

Legend has it that the marquis noticed that the distance between his home and the nearest church was equal to that between the residence of Pontius Pilate and the site where Jesus was crucified.

He then decided to place the 14 stations of the Cross along the route, of which the first (trial of Jesus) coincided with his house. This is why it has been believed that his palace was also a copy of Pilate's residence.

A characteristic feature of the Pilate House is its patio with 24 arches adorned with majestic busts of Caesars and Roman statues, or walls decorated in Mudéjar style that enhance the mixed structure of Renaissance, flaming Gothic, and Mudéjar styles.

The building was completed around 1533 with the help of Italian Antonio Maria d'Aprile, while the interiors consist of large halls with decorated ceilings, as in the golden room, and a staircase covered by a wooden Mudéjar dome leading to the first floor.

Notable are the frescoes of the gallery and the glass room from 1539, depicting themes of nature and antiquity. The gardens are also worth a careful visit.

Opening hours:
From November to March: every day from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
From April to October: every day from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Ticket price: Full: 12€. Lower floor only: 10€.

How to get there: Plaza de Pilatos, 1.
Metro: Line 1.
Bus: Lines 1, 21, 24, and C4.

In the monumental area of Seville, at the center of Plaza del Triunfo stands the Casa Lonja (1583-98) in late Renaissance style, which houses the General Archive of the Indies, where a vast collection of materials on the European colonization of Central and South America is preserved.

The history of the Archive of the Indies dates back to when the Mercantile Exchange, desired by Philip II, was held daily in the Patio de los Naranjos. But in the 18th century, the Exchange began to lose its importance until Charles III had the General Archive of the Indies transferred there. This building, created by Juan de Herrera, functioned as the Merchant's Lodge (Lonja), where all documents regarding the history of the discovery of America up to the 19th century were kept.

Additionally, you can find writings of Ferdinand Magellan, the first circumnavigator of the Earth, Christopher Columbus, as well as remains of documents from the conquerors of Mexico and Peru: Cortés and Pizarro, along with numerous city maps.

This museum represents one of the most comprehensive picture galleries in all of Spain, housed in the former Convent of La Merced. Inside, you will find the best examples of Spanish painting from the Golden Age, including interesting works of Sevillian art.

There are 14 rooms you can visit: in the first room, you will immerse yourself in the section dedicated to medieval Spanish art, which features the wooden sculpture of Madonna and Child by Lorenzo Mercadante di Bretana.

In the second room, Renaissance art from the 1500s is evoked, showcasing pieces of profound artistic richness such as the splendid terracotta sculpture of Saint Jerome Penitent executed by Pietro Torrigiani.

In the renowned conventual church are collected the best works of the entire museum, coming from the Seville school: Francisco Herrera the Elder, Diego Velázquez, Bartolomé Murillo, Juan Valdés Leal, up to the fifth room where your attention will surely be captured by the true gem of the museum: the canvas of Zurbarán depicting the Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Another nobly represented painter in the Museum of Fine Arts is Murillo, present here with his Virgin with Child, his most famous work created between 1556 and 1668, also known as "Virgen de la servilleta" because painted on a napkin.

Indeed, Murillo's recurring themes are precisely children and religion, aiming to convey a delicate sense of peace and tenderness to anyone admiring his works. Besides the Virgin with Child, the Immaculate Conception, Virgin of the cloth, and Mater Dolorosa are also housed here. On the upper floor is the sixth room where the collection of saints' portraits by Zurbarán is displayed, while in the seventh room are works by Murillo's disciples.

The eighth room is dedicated to the paintings of the Baroque artist Juan Valdés Leal with the series of the life of Saint Jerome, and the tenth, dedicated to Zurbarán, stands out for the marvelous Crucifixion and the velvet brocade of Saint Ambrose contained within it.

The eleventh room gathers works from the 1700s by the Aragonese Francisco Goya such as the portrait of Don José Duarto, while in the twelfth and thirteenth rooms are depictions of the 1800s and 1900s such as portraits by Esquivel. In the last (fourteenth) room are the portraits of the Basque Zuloaga and the exceptional work represented by the portrait of Don Cristobal Suarez de Ribera by Diego Velázquez.

The western bank of the Guadalquivir River hosts the characteristic Triana neighborhood, where the ancient city and modern city coexist. Originally, Triana was a neighborhood of sailors, workers, industrialists, and ceramists, and even today, as you delve into the neighborhood, you can buy ceramics crafted in workshops. The riverfront, extending from San Telmo Bridge to Isabel II Bridge, is concentrated with trendy bars and restaurants that offer a good opportunity for entertainment in the evenings. Another feature of Triana is the covered market where you can admire the remains of Arab and Roman civilizations.

Both in winter and summer, Seville is a city that is always active. Sevillians don't let either the cold or the heat stop them, and every day of the year is right for coming together, flooding into the streets and venues, and having fun: this is the spirit of the people. In the colder months, the fun is concentrated in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, where bars and nightclubs continue until dawn. The Triana area, on the other hand, is more suitable for spending quieter evenings, enjoying live music. In summer, the fun shifts along the river, where bars, kiosks, and open-air nightclubs are set up.

Sevillian cuisine offers fresh products from both land and sea. Fish is the main element of the table, cooked carefully and almost always fried; for meat lovers, there are tasty dishes like Sevilian goose or fried lamb. Whether you eat meat or fish, the cuisine in Seville is enriched by an appropriate use of spices, as is good Arabic tradition. The birthplace of tapas, the areas of Triana and La Macarena are the ideal places to enjoy this dish while accompanying it with excellent beer or sangria. The dessert offerings are also rich, including torrijas, borrachuelos, and alfajores.

Being a very popular tourist destination, a must-stop during a tour of Andalusia, Seville has excellent accommodations. Depending on the type of accommodation you prefer and the budget you want to spend, the city has hotels, hostels, apartments, or rooms ranging from economical to luxury.

When booking your vacation in Seville, remember that fall and spring are peak season periods, but the Andalusian capital is beautiful to visit and experience at any time of year. Every corner of Seville is worth exploring; well-known and lesser-known places have a charm worth discovering.