After our recent trip to Seville, we've had lots of requests for recommendations, so we thought we'd share our thoughts in a short blog.
As many have said before, this is real Spain. The city is like a living museum, an ancient blend of Moorish and Gothic architecture, rich in Andalusian heritage and culture from Flamenco to Bull Fighting and some fantastic gastronomy. It's been on our list for years but direct flights from Birmingham have now made it easier than ever to get to.
We flew with Ryanair from Birmingham on the Wednesday, returning Sunday, and arriving at lunchtime on both days. This worked really well, giving us time to explore on Wednesday plus three full days in the city.
We didn't do any formal restaurant dining, we just bar hopped and tapas surfed each day. It was brilliant. Each tapa, beer, glass of sherry or wine started at about 2.50 euros. We booked trips before we got there and put 500 Euros onto a Monzo card when we arrived, surprisingly coming home with almost 100 Euros left.
Our weekend break was in July, and if I'm being honest, it was too hot. Temperatures regularly exceeding 40 degrees in the afternoon, when the city centre would be desolate as locals took their siesta and visitors returned to their hotels.
We stayed at the Melia Sevilla, which we thought was in a great location, opposite the stunning Plaza de España. However, once that particular sight was checked off, we found ourselves a good 25 minute walk from everything else. Had the heat not been so intense that would've been fine but given that a typical day included a morning walk into town, back for a dip in the pool during the afternoon and then back out again in the evening, we would have been better picking something more central. The Melia was clean and well appointed but a bit too corporate. The pool was rammed in the afternoons and getting a sunbed was a challenge when you were not at poolside for the morning sunbed scamble. We unexpectedly ran into some friends from Birmingham whilst we were there, and they had chosen a boutique hotel with a pool in the winding streets of the Santa Cruz district. We would have gladly done this in hindsight.
Hotel Melia Sevila, a stone's throw from Plaza de España
We booked three trips / activities before setting off. A Flamenco Show at the Teatro del Flamenco for the first night (£33.78 for two - at a one hour show), a tour of the Cathedral, Alcazar Palace and Gardens on the first full day (£97.10 for two people on a three hour tour), and a tour of the Medievel Roman town Italica plus a neighbouring Monsatery for our last day (£65.82 for two people on a four hour tour). We enjoyed each trip but could probably have swerved Italica. If you've ever been to Pompeii or the Coliseum in Rome then Italica is worth giving a miss. Unless you're really keen to have a photo in the Amphitheatre where the warring factions from Game of Thrones meet, which was pretty cool.
Cathedral, Real Alcazar and Gardens
We booked our Teatro del Flamenco tickets and all our other trips through Get Your Guide. The show was excellent with two female dancers, two male dancers and a gaggle of male singers / guitar players. I would have been happy to book a Flamenco Show every night but Lucy had scratched that itch on day one. Teatro is the largest venue in Seville with three performances per evening in peak season but there are lots of simarly priced events in smaller, more intimate venues that looked great too. Some of these included meals but we would rather seek out our own dining destinations. There was plenty of late availability for shows across the City but you might want to book in advance for a Friday or Saturday night at the 7pm slot. Flamenco Shows can be found in Santa Cruz behind the Cathedral but also in old Triana on the other side of the river.
Teatro del Flamenco
Most people visitng Seville include a visit to the Alcazar Palace and Gardens and we're glad we did too. The gardens were not so impressive but are included in the Palace ticket anyway, and have a few nice photo opportunities. It was also the setting for the Gardens of Dorne in A Game of Thrones. We would definitely recommend including the Cathedral in your Alcazar ticket. You'll get a chance to climb the 97 metre tall Giralda tower, which is over 35 floors high but pretty easy to climb as you will be ascending via sloped ramps designed for horseback riders rather than a series of steps. This Moorish tower was used to call locals to prayer before being absorbed into the Gothic Cathedral once the Moors were cast out from Seville.
You should book your Alcazar visit in advance. We booked about a week before we set off and still couldn't get the upgrade package that included a visit to the apparently impressive bedroom quarters of this still used Royal Palace.
We booked another event ticket whilst we were there and that was to visit the impressive La Setas, a giant wooden mushroom structure that provides incredible views of the city and a light show at night. Tickets for La Setas are not hard to come by, but, everyone wants tickets at dusk to watch the sun set in the mountains, as the moon rises from the city, day turns to night and on comes the lightshow. We did this on our last night and it was the perfect way to finish our weekend break. Check the time for sunset during your stay and book La Setas for 20 or so mins before sunset and you can stay as long as you like.
La Setas
I love researching a holiday or weekend break and finding all the best things to do but I'm only allowed to this on one condition. That we leave some free, unplanned time to go where the mood takes us. This was our Saturday and it was one of the best days. We wandered the streets of Santa Cruz, visited the Archivo de Indias (Christopher Columbus's collection of maps and records of the Americas (he thought he had arrived in India)) and Hospital de Venerables Sacerdotes (a grand home for retired priests). These were short fun visits with a small fee for the latter.
Archivo de Indias / Hospital de Venerables Sacerdotes
Throughout the whole trip we ate and drank like Kings but still came home with change from our 500 Euro dining fund. Almost every time we stopped for tapas, I had two glasses of sherry, strictly in the interest of research of course, and was pleasantly surprised by the unheralded quality of Andalusian wine (I've never seen any on sale in the UK).
Top Sevillian Tipples
You won't see the word ‘sherry’ on any drinks menu but you will see plenty of sherries. They'll be listed as Oloroso, Fino, Palo Cortado, Pedro Ximinez, Manzanilla etc. My advice is to try them all. They range from fresh and acidic to sweet and sticky and I loved exploring. Below you'll find a list of what's what in the world of Sherry.
Two other famous local drinks that you cannot miss .. Orange Wine (no not that one) and Vermut. Vino de Naranja is from nearby Huelva. Its a chilled, red, dessert wine, aged on Seville orange peel and is a delicious pre dinner drink. Vermut is a sweet red vermouth served over ice with a slice of orange and equally delicious.
Clockwise from top left - Andalusian white, Vino de Naranja, Olosros, Fino
Top Sevillian Tapas
We ate Tapas every day, something Seville is famous for. Here are some of our local favourites:
Salmorejo And Gazpacho - two types of cold tomato soup, both fantastic. Salmorejo is like Gazpacho but made with bread and cream and topped with Serrano ham. You often find Salmorejo used as a sauce with other dishes too.
Pescado Frito - a big fried fish or shrimp fritter.
Carrillada - slow cooked pig cheeks, sometimes served in a rich sweet Pedro Ximinez sauce served with potatoes or chips.
El Cochinillo - suckling pig, served with potatoes or chips
Rabo De Toro - bull's tail stew
Espinacas Con Garbanzos - spinach and chickpeas. Sounds plain, tastes amazing!
We supplemented these local dishes with all the tapas you already know and love, chorizo in red wine, patatas bravas, russian salad, prawns in garlic etc. but there were loads more local options that we tried and I've forgotten or we didn't get around to.
Tapas of Seville
Some of our favourite bars, bodegas and tapas joints
Taberna Manolo Cateca - Back street Sherry Temple with over 200 sherries by the glass. Brisk Spanish service, not particularly welcome of tourists, even the ones that are trying to speak the lingo but still an experience. Small but good tapas memu. No veggie options other than cheese! Opens only between 11-5 Monday to Saturday.
Tipico Tapas - Modern tapas bar in old Triana. Youthful friendly team, big choice of wines and beers. Probably our favourite dining experience. Highly rated and recommended.
Bar el Comercio - Traditional bar with a hole in the wall serving house Vermut, Vino de Naranja and Churros. A great pitstop on the way through the back streets.
Flores Vinos - Good wine by the glass selection just before the bridge heading over the river to Triana from the main city.
Bar Casa Funes - A stones throw from the Cathedral, so prices a little higher but still good value.
Taberna Miami - Very busy, rustic Taberna in the heart of Triana. Great buzz in the evening, excellent food and around 100 yards from Tipico Tapas.
Bodega Diaz Salazar - Excellent Bodega close to the bullring. Lively, great drinks and tapas.
Bar Las Teresas - Traditional bar with giant hams hanging from the ceiling. We just did drinks but the food looked good.
Lama La Uva (Lick the Grape) - Apparently Seville's top wine shop and bar. Shop shelves were poorly stocked and there was no wine list but the staff speak good English, and Andalusian wines were good, as was the modern take on tapas. Conveniently located very close to La Setas.
Bodegas and Tabernas
Don't miss / Don't bother
Don't miss ..
Cathedral and Real Alcazar
Flamenco
La Setas
Plaza Espana
Santa Cruz (Jewish Quarter)
Don't bother ..
Italica and Monastery tour
Torre de Oro
Calle Betis riverside walk
We had a fantastic weekend and would definitely recommend a visit. Would also work well as part of a wider Andalusian tour featuring the likes of Cadiz, Cordoba, Ronda and Jerez.
Salut! Tony
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