72 Hours in Seville

Ah, Seville! Suh-vill? Se-vee? Se-vee-yah? I’m still not sure, haha. My general impression of Seville before this trip was some hazy collection of angry Figaros and seductive Carmens and orange blossoms and Flamenco and world explorers. Fortunately, travel is the best teacher! And when C and I took a three-city summer vacation, Seville was first on the list!

It was an adjustment to get used to Spanish time in this clean and walkable city. I had heard that meal times are shifted to be later than I’m used to, but we eventually realized how that means everything else is shifted too. Because of the heat and the amount of people out and about, it felt like the day was two hours earlier. Leaving the hotel at 11 felt like we were getting a decent 9 o’clock start. Diving into tapas at 4 felt like we were having a lovely early-afternoon lunch. By the last day, I wasn’t even hungry for dinner until 9. That’s when I felt like I had really accomplished something (on the first day I was practically mad with hunger by 7, haha). And dinner was pretty affordable. We would spend around €15-€25 on a meal for two, including a drink.)

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With colorful river views, jaw dropping monuments and architecture, and a laid-back energy, Seville established itself in my mind as one of the greatest vacation spots. Here’s an itinerary on where to stay/eat/play over 3 days in Seville!

Hotel: Santiago 15 Casa Palacio

I don’t know how we got such a good deal through Booking.com on this hotel, but we were super pleased. It’s a beautiful boutique hotel, about a 10 minute walk from the Setas and a 15 min walk from the city center. It has an open courtyard that stays cool in the afternoon, as well as a back patio with a sparkling fountain. Our room was clean and colorful, the only weird thing was that it opened directly onto the courtyard, so sometimes it felt like our privacy wasn’t the strongest. But otherwise, it was wonderful. We skipped the €12 breakfast in favor of finding something local ourselves, which never disappointed. Also there’s a Carrefour supermarket just around the corner from the hotel, which was perfect for buying snacks and toiletries.

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Day 1:

Our flight was an early one so we got to mercifully catch a glimpse of Seville before we were blindsided by the summer heat. The airport bus was easy and accessible (€4 per person) and 30 minutes later we were in the center. It was a poetic way to meet Seville—walking along a shaded sidewalk, seeing an old Spanish building rising above the trees, a Flamenco guitarist playing in front of it.

Thanks to my aggressively growling stomach, we sat down for dinner in the Alfafa neighborhood (so many cute restaurants to choose from!) early. So we were able to have our pick of outdoor tables and dive into some tapas! We were a bit ambitious that night—we ordered six plates and could barely finish. By the end of the trip we established that we’re more of a 4-plate couple. But anyways, as a commitment-phobic eater like myself, this eating style is a dream! You get to try a little bit of everything! My favorites ended up being the croquettes and pork cheek.

On our way back to the hotel we checked out the famous mushroom building (the Setas). If you want to see a nighttime view of the city from the top of the Setas, get there early—the line was looooong. We skipped the wait and made a beeline for the ice cream shop on the corner instead. Can’t say that I regret it!

Day 2:

After a quick Google search, we made the 10 minute walk to have breakfast at Bar El Comercio. This breakfast humbled me, friends. Normally I would have ignored it if we’d just randomly walked past, since it’s on the main tourist street. But I soon learned that it’s a third-generation family owned business (it’s said that one of the owners was even born upstairs!).

Touristy or not, it’s wonderful! Bubbling with energy from the bright wall tiles to the enthusiastic bar staff, we were quickly pulled into El Comercio’s buzz. We had our first churros con chocolate here with a cappuccino, and it was the perfect way to start the day. Standing at the bar, munching a freshly fried churro dipped in semisweet chocolate, I felt giddy!

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Next, we were drawn to Alcázar Palace. Tip! Buy your tickets online (we just got ours that morning–€12.50 without an audio guide), and skip standing in line under the hot Spanish sun.

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The Alcázar is jaw dropping, there’s just no other way to put it. Exquisitely detailed carvings and tapestries and tiles. Gardens that go on and on. We alternated between baking in the sun in the vast courtyards and then taking refuge in the elaborately decorated hallways.

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When we exited Alcázar we were faced with a choice: hop right back in line to see the neighboring Seville Cathedral, or move on to something new (somewhere that had food and shade). So…we got an eyeful of the Cathedral passing by, but y’all, I didn’t have it in me to stand in a long line to see another monumental building just then (I felt my “awe and wonder” meter was still full from the Alcázar).

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So instead we headed down Seville’s main avenue-turned-pedestrian-lane (I love how walkable Seville is) to the famous Plaza de España (which, apparently, was used in the film in of Star Wars Episode IV???). Standing in the mist from the central fountain was our refuge, and gave us strength to look at the tiles in the surrounding arch–the ones illustrating all the different provinces of Spain. And then we ran for shady refuge of our hotel room.

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I could have gone for another churro, but we were up space for dinner as it was time for our Secret Food Tour. Our guide, Alejandro, texted us before the tour to let us know exactly where he’d be, and soon we were off! Normally the tours are in the afternoon, but since not even tapas could make the 3 p.m. August heat enjoyable, we got to take an evening tour instead. It was so enjoyable!

Alejandro burst with information. We were introduced to different foods and drinks that we wouldn’t have known to order ourselves, but they became staples of the rest of our time in Seville (tinto con limón, I’m looking at you). We also went to certain places that I know we wouldn’t have found on our own. And since our group was small, I didn’t feel like we were a parade of tourists stampeding in, either, which was really nice.

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Alejandro had so much enthusiasm for the food he showed us, and for the history of Seville itself. By the end we felt closer to the city, like we could be a part of it, and that was priceless. I wrote another blog with more on the food tour, check it out here!

Day 3:

I don’t know if it’s possible, but I think I woke up with a tapas hangover. So many rich foods and flavors my body wasn’t used to.

We tried another classic Andalusian breakfast, simple but oh so good , jámon with hard cheese on a roll. Every part of this sandwich was perfect! The roll was crusty and gave way to a soft inside, slathered in butter. The salty cured ham went well with the tangy hard cheese. I didn’t know that a ham sandwich could be breakfast, but I’m convinced now!

Then, I was forced to face my fears: we rented bikes. This was alllllll C’s idea. I love the idea of taking a bike ride around a city, but in reality it makes me so, so anxious. I don’t know the laws, or where it’s acceptable to ride, and I get so nervous about accidentally getting hit by a car or crashing into a pedestrian because I didn’t know that I was riding in the wrong place. I got really grumpy, actually–lashing out in fear is not a fun vacation attitude, folks.

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But eventually it was easier to relax. Seville has actually invested a lot in making much of the city center car-free, and has established a bike path around the perimeter of the city. With a straightforward path and beautiful views (palm trees flying by, or the colorful buildings by the river) it was a perfect program for the morning (even if it was hot as all get out). We rented through Centerbici, and it was only €6 each for 3 hours.

It was fate, because after we returned the bikes, we realized we were only one street away from Bar Alfafa. We couldn’t get a table there the day before, but this time the stars aligned! Sitting there, perched on a bar stool by the window, elbow to elbow with all the other diners lucky enough to get a seat we joyfully tried to decode the menu. Using my optimistic Spanish from my airplane study session, I accidentally ordered more wine than I meant to, but we weren’t too put out. We had a feast at our little corner table, eating beneath the high shelves of glass bottles and the ham legs hanging from the ceiling. I would definitely recommend Bar Alfafa!

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The rest of our time in Seville saw us strolling lazily through the streets, finding tapas or ice cream or a montadito (small sandwich) to accessorize our tour.

Seville was a tapas-filled, sunscreen demanding, colorful dream and too soon, it was time to leave. We booked a $30 bus ticket through Alsa (no bathroom on the bus, but there were USB outlets) and caught our 3 hour bus from the Plaza de Armas to a Portuguese beach town full of white sand, …but more on that next time!

Part II of the vacation chronicles coming soon!

Pin it for later!

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TL;Dr :
Stay: Santiago 15
Eat: Bar Alfafa, Seville Secret Food Tours, Bar El Comercio
Bike Rental: Centerbici