I truly fell in love with Seville. There was something so charming and romantic about this city. Did we find a barber? Run into a lady named Carmen? Follow me to see what the buzz about the capital of Andalusia is all about!
Metropol Parasol
Our first stop was the unmistakable modern architecture of the Metropol Parasol on the Plaza de la Encarnación. From what I had read, Sevillanos love to hate it and our Airbnb host called it “the Mushroom”. But I was actually quite impressed by this massive wooden structure. Its white coloring and the height allowed it to blend into the surrounding buildings that later I almost couldn’t locate it from a different high point in the city. The organic curves swoop and soar as the walkways spin and roll like a roller coaster path. There were well-placed signs along the path to point out points of interest in the city. On the way out, there was a scaled model
The Cathedral of Seville
The Cathedral of Seville is the third largest church and THE largest Gothic cathedral in the world. It’s crazy to think I had visited both the No. 1 (St. Peter’s Basilica) and the No. 3 largest churches during this trip. The cathedral was built after the Christians retook southern Spain in the 15th century on the former site of a mosque. The many spires around the cathedral were typical of the Flamboyant Gothic style.
The only reminder of the former mosque was the Giralda Bell Tower, which was a former minaret. You can climb to the top of the tower for a panoramic view of the entire city. It was an easy climb of gradual ramps with small chambers along the way displaying historic artifacts.
Somehow, the interior of the Seville Cathedral felt even bigger than the St. Peter’s Basilica. While St. Peter’s was bright and airy, the Seville Cathedral was dark and mysterious. Like the other cathedrals we saw in Spain, gold covered the different surfaces throughout the interior. There were so many side chapels that we couldn’t possibly take the time to study each in detail.
But perhaps most interesting to many tourists was the fact that this was the final resting place of one famous Christopher Columbus. He was such a hero to the Spanish people for discovering and bringing back all the riches of South America, his tomb was carried by four kings.
On the way out, we passed through a doorway with a wooden crocodile hanging above. Apparently, the king had a pet crocodile, so they named a door to the Cathedral the “Lizard Door”… Makes so much sense, doesn’t it? The final gate leading out of the church complex was called the Gate of Pardon, which was still very much Moorish in style.
The Bull Ring
The Seville Bull Ring was one of the largest legal bullfight arenas in Spain, a remanent of the gladiator tradition left from the Roman times. While I’m not a supporter of bullfighting, this was a highly requested stop by my dad. Unfortunately (fortunately for me), there were no fights going on during the days we were in town, so I didn’t have to worry about that. The yellow and white building against a crisp blue sky was so picturesque that it almost looked like a painting. And yes, it’s mandatory to mimic statue poses on our trips.
The “guided” (more like a supervised) audio tour was interesting and informative. The tour started in the museum part, which had vivid paintings of the gore and glory of bullfighting. Mounted bull heads adorned the walls everywhere. It was nice to learn that some of the bulls were pardoned from death for their bravery and grace.
Finally, we were led through the tunnel that led into the ring. The peace and quiet of the empty ring were almost ironic knowing all the violence that went on in this arena. Did you know those small sections of wooden fences were for the bullfighters to dive behind to avoid being impaled by a bull’s horns (as Sam demonstrated)?
The Real Alcazar
We finally made it to Dorne!! If you are a Game of Thrones fan like we are, then you might remember the lushes gardens of Dorne, the homeland of the House of Martell. We didn’t make a reservation, but it only took 20 minutes of waiting in line to get in on a Sunday morning in October. However, the tickets for the Upper Royal Apartments were sold out. After the in-depth tour of the Royal Palace in Madrid, we weren’t super sad about this.
The Alcazar was the former royal palace of Spain in the Islamic architectural style called the Mudajar. It was much smaller than the Alhambra but better preserved and more intimate for being a residence rather than a fortress. One small garden led to another, keeping the air fragrant and cool.
The Islamic tile artistry was on full display here! We had a fun time finding the doll face in the Courtyard of the Dolls (hint, look up!).
We also tried to recognize the shooting locations of the Game of Thrones scenes. But it was a little difficult without looking at photos from the show for comparison.
Plaza de España
If you have ever googled Seville, you must have seen photos of a gorgeous plaza that is hugged by a massive golden semi-circular structure. I can only tell you that it is even more impressive and beautiful in person. Built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, it has practically become the business card of Seville. I’m not usually one to fall for the touristy carriage rides, but there was just something so fitting in this setting.
In full Andalusian glory, ceramic tiles were used to decorate street lights, railings, bridges, stairs, and benches. Each section of benches shows a scene representative of a Spanish region and its major city. For example, Barcelona of the Catalonia region.
Before we left, we were surprised by a pair of street Flamenco dancers. We had actually booked a flamenco show that night, but in that moment, I couldn’t think of a more romantic setting to watch this passionate dance. Little kids gathered around the dancers and started to dance with them, it was “cray cray adorbs”!
The Rest of Seville
If I can give you one recommendation for visiting Seville, it is to leave some spare time to just stroll and enjoy the city. Of all the cities and towns we visited on this trip, I would say Seville was the most walkable. It was small and compact, but lovely and interesting around every corner.
Canal de Alfonso XIII & Torre del Oro
From the Bull Ring, we took a walk along the Canal de Alfonso XIII towards the Torre del Oro (the Golden Tower). We took in the indescribable hues of the sky as the sun slowly lowered. Once we reached the tower, we crossed the bridge to the Triana district for tapas and dinner.
Barrio Santa Cruz
Barrio Santa Cruz was once the Jewish Quarter of Seville. It is famous for its narrow, maze-like lanes and small plazas filled with beautiful orange blossoms. We took an afternoon walk in this neighborhood and were able to find small shops with lovely souvenirs.
Flamenco!
Finally, no visit to Andalusia is complete without Flamenco! We booked a show at the ONLY Flamenco Dance Museum in the world. There was no reserved seating so be sure to get there early for good seats! Although, I would recommend sitting at least 2 to 3 rows back because Flamenco is such a vigorous dance that you risk getting sweated on or whipped by the dresses!
There were three dancers (one woman and two men) and two singers (one man and one woman) plus one guitarist. I had no idea there are five styles of Flamenco. So much passion and energy were represented from every clap of the hands, a snap of the fingers, and a tap of the foot. The expressions of pain, joy, and flirtation crossed the dancers’ faces. It was absolutely mesmerizing! Photography and videography weren’t allowed during the show, you simply must see it in person to truly appreciate it!
After just two short days, I can definitely see why Seville is many people’s favorite Spanish city. I would love to revisit it when the orange blossoms are in full bloom (late February to early March)!
C.