Places to see in Seville

Luckily, Seville is a fairly compact city, allowing you to take in most of the major attractions in just a couple of days, but how packed those days will be! Many visitors begin in the centre, on the eastern side of the río Guadalquivir (Seville’s major tributary) with two of the city’s most famous monuments: the Alcázar, and the Catedral de Sevilla, along with its corresponding Giralda Tower. There are so many places to see in Seville that you are required to return to see it all!

The Alcázar is only a stone’s throw away from the Cathedral. Moorish rulers began initial work on this stunning palace, with Seville’s Christian kings completing the rest after driving the Moors out. The buildings were finished with a Muslim aesthetic and the kings even employed Moorish labourers in the final construction. The grounds are quite elaborate and a bit complex to navigate (part of the fun), but the Alcázar is well worth the time invested.

The Cathedral is, in a word, massive and impressive to behold. Christopher Columbus’s tomb is contained within, but the final resting place of his bones is still a source of some debate. When the Giralda’s bells chime, reminding those who might have forgotten where the Cathedral stands, it’s important to note that the white brick tower began life as a minaret. It’s a wonderful example of Almohad architecture, with the later addition of renaissance architecture at the apex, like a cherry on top of a cake.

If art and culture strike your fancy, then try the Museo de Bellas Artes in the Plaza del Museo, with works by Goya, Murillo and Ribera on display, just to name a few. Venture into the Barrio Santa Cruz for a glimpse of colliding cultures, where the old Jewish quarter (judería) holds numerous shady plazas filled with Seville’s ubiquitous orange trees, providing visitors with all the charm they need. This former judería has seen its share of misery, but nowadays it’s an excellent place to take a break, or simply meander about. If you are looking for a fight, that is a bullfight, then the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza is a must. Soak up the bullring’s long history, or come spring, witness a live bullfight. But be warned, the spectacle has its share of gore, and isn’t for the faint of heart.

Just east of the Alcázar is the regal looking Plaza de España, where horse drawn carriages circle its half-moon length. Most of the buildings were built for the 1929 Spanish-American Exhibition. South of the Plaza de España is the verdurous Parque de María Luisa, a massive green full of intersecting paths, birds swimming through ponds and palaces hidden behind thick foliage.

Of course, any trip wouldn’t be complete without a stroll along the bank of the río Guadalquivir, in the districts of El Arenal, or swinging by the river’s guard tower, the Torre del Oro (Gold Tower), built by the Moors and later serving as a prison and storage locker for treasures brought back from the Americas.

After sunset, you might want to cross over to the district of Triana for some great food and an evening of dance, or else opt for a little flamenco back in El Arenal, plus a tour of the local tapas bars. Tapas have a long culinary tradition in Andalusia and Seville and are a delight to eat.

These are just a few suggestions we hope will whet your appetite for all things Seville. Whether you have some money to spend or not, Andalusia’s most important city will provide you with all kinds of entertainment.