A week in Andalusia: Seville

Hello again!

Today I want to talk to you about a trip that I took through Andalusia. We went by car from Galicia, spending a night in Salamanca, until our first stop: the city of Seville. We also visited Granada and Cordoba, which I will talk to you about in the next post. We spent two days in Seville, since there are quite a few things to see, and giving ourselves just a day we would have been tight on time.

Seville, and well, the whole of Andalusia in general, has a very different culture to which I am used to in Galicia And it is strange to see how such different cultures can exist within the same country, it is what I like the most about Spain. Galicians, the same as the Basques, are usually characterised by being a bit more reserved than those from the south of Spain. It is usually said that at the start we are not very open, but once you gain our trust we are kind and generous. Like all stereotypes, sometimes they are wrong, but when I visited Andalusia I was aware of how realistic they can be. The people are super happy, talk for England and they are super open-minded and sociable. It was nice to go to a bar and order a drink because of the way that they looked after you, or even stopping to talk with you even though they don't know you.

Our trip through Andalusian terrain could have not started off any better than by getting to know its capital: Seville. And this city forms part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Three of their most important monuments were also declared World Heritage Sites, specifically the Cathedral, the Real Alcazar and the Archivo de Indias, since they perfectly represent the step that the Almohad and Christian civilisations took in Andalusia.

And not just this, the well-known magazine Lonely Planet chose Seville as the best city to visit last year. It is the third most visited city in Spain, since it is a city with a great wealth of heritage, and in every street and corner there is some kind of monument to visit. As well as that, its historic quarter is the biggest one in Spain, so as you can see, it is definitely worth spending at least two days here. In addition to all the other reasons, there is also its gastronomy and its people.

As I told you before, we went to Seville by car, so that everyone that does the same as us instead of taking the plane or train, it is important to leave the car parked somewhere which isn't very central (since in the centre it will be practically impossible to find somewhere to park for free and just forget about it until it is time to leave Seville. That is because Seville is a city to go around by foot, it is very pedestrianised and there is something to see in every corner, so it doesn't make any sense to go around by car. Thus, the best thing to do is to find accommodation which is more or less in the centre.

If there is something that characterises this city and all of Andalusia in general, it is flamenco which is an art which has also been declared World Heritage. There are lots of flamenco stages where you can enjoy a show, which allows you to get to know the culture in depth and enjoy a style of music which is completely unique.

I have to say that for quite some time I have never been much of a fan of this kind of music, in fact, I never really gave it the time of day. Saying that, don't hesitate in going to see one of these flamenco shows in one of the most famous places in the city, since it is something that I think that you have to see at least once in your lifetime. The truth is that I loved it, in fact, I had goosebumps during the show. There was just one guy playing the guitar and the other singer who stamped and clapped his hands at the same time, and even though half of what he sang I wasn't able to understand, it put me on edge.

Now I want to talk to you about some places which I think are must-visit locations for everyone who visits the city. Of course, there are a lot more, but these are the ones that we were able to see in the two days of our visit, and they left us amazed.

Seville Cathedral.

It is the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, the largest Christian Gothic cathedral. It is located in the Plaza del Triunfo, right in the city centre, and they started to build it in the 14th century, but its construction took a really long time (no less than almost 500 years), so within it, you can also appreciate different architectural styles.

It forms a monumental ensemble with the Giralda (I will talk to you about that later), the Patio de los Naranjos and the Royal Chapel. The impressive front of the building, which is full of details, catches your attention.

To visit the inside, in summer there are usually long queues to enter, so the best thing to do is to go there early morning, if you are visiting the city during these dates. In the Royal Chapel there are very important people buried, such as Christopher Columbus, Alfonso X or Fernando III.

To enter, you have to pay an entry cost of 9 euros, and if I remember rightly it doesn't include an audio-guide visit through the cathedral, thus you have to pay a supplementary price on top.

The Royal Chapel and gardens

This 11th Century palace is one of the oldest in the world and it was my favourite place that I visited in Seville and one of the places that left me the most impressed, joint with the Alhambra in Granada.

It is interesting that in this palace you can appreciate the mark of different cultures from throughout the centuries. At the start it was the home of Muslims, then it was passed onto the Christian kings. But you can see the mark of other cultures as well, such as from the Renaissance or Baroque.

Its inside will leave you the same way it left me: gobsmacked. From the Hall of Ambassadors, to the Room of the Kings or the Doncellas Patio, of Andalusian Mudejar art. Then we walked through the Gardens of Real Alcazar, full of fountains, orange trees and palm trees... I personally fell in love with the Mercury Pond and the Garden of the Ladies.

It won't surprise anybody that this beautiful palace has been the setting of different films and series, such as the Kingdom of Heaven, although the one that you probably would have heard of is the series the Game of Thrones. Here they filmed scenes from the fifth season in Dorne (Martell house).

As you can see, the palace has lots to offer, thus it takes around 2 hours to visit to be able to appreciate each and every one of its details. To be able to enjoy this palace and its gardens you have to pay 11.50 euros entry. It is quite expensive but I assure you that it is 11 euros very well spent.

The Giralda

The Giralda is the bell tower which is located in the Cathedral of Seville. It is a complete icon of the city and was constructed during the Muslim period. Being almost 100 metres high, you can see the main part of the city from it.

It is formed by three bodies, the two bottom ones belonging to the Almohad era, whilst the upper one is from the Renaissance. The tower finishes with the Giraldillo, which is a large bronze sculpture.

You can go up to the top by paying 9 euros (which is included with entry to the cathedral) to be able to enjoy the incredible views that it offers of the city. However, we had the bad luck to go and see it when the tower was completely under renovation and we couldn't go up it, we could only admire it from the outside.

Anyway, you will probably have better luck, and you will climb the 35 ramps (not stairs) up to the top. It was built this way so that it was possible to go up it on horseback to go and pray.

During the night, the Giralda has a very different appearance to during the day since it is completely lit up, so it is also worth going to visit it during the night.

Archivo de Indias

It was created at the end of the 18th Century during the reign of King Carlos III, with the objective of compiling all of the documents related to the Spanish colonies in the same place. Here, you can therefore find documents which show us the history of the discovery of America, as well as its colonisation. They therefore have great historical value, which is a reason why this place has also been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

It is possible to access the inside for free, however, we didn't do this because the queue in the street to enter was enormous and we didn't want to spend the whole morning waiting around. It was a shame but we made the most of the time to go and visit other places.

Anyway, we went at the end of June, which is the start of the biggest tourist season, so it was not strange that we had to queue up to enter the majority of monuments. So, my advice is to buy the entry tickets on the internet in advance, which will save you some time.

Metropol Parasol

This building is very different from all of the other places which I have talked about in this post. It is quite a modern building whose construction was only finished 8 years ago, in 2011. It is located in the Plaza de la Encarnacion and it is also known by the name of the Mushrooms of the Incarnation, since its structure is the same shape as some mushrooms.

It has a height of 26 metres and by paying 3 euros to go up to the upper part, you are able to obtain perfect views of the city of Seville from a viewpoint. It is an area with a big atmosphere, as much during the night as in the day, in fact going down this Metropol Parasol you can find different local places and the Antiquarium museum, and the whole of the plaza is generally full of bars and restaurants.

Plaza de España

Now I am going to talk to you about what is definitely one of my favourite places in the city. It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 which took place in the city and it stands out for being an enormous monumental square.

It is formed by a half-circle shaped building in which you can see different tiled benches. Each one of them represents the different provinces in Spain. It is strange to see all of the tourists looking for the bench which represents their province, as we did. There are 48 in total and on each one of them you are able to see the map of the province and its coat of arms.

In addition to that, there are two towers at each side of the building, and in the inside of the square there is also a kind of small canal on which you can go across by renting a boat. I don't remember how much it cost, but we decided to enjoy it by crossing the different bridges over it. These four bridges together represent the Spanish coat of arms: Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarra.

This square is located within the Maria Luisa Park, therefore it is perfect to walk calmly around it and breathe in the fresh air. It is true that it is a bit further out from the centre than all of the other attractions, but you can get to it easily on foot. It is a public park so you can access it as well as the Plaza de Espana for free during the whole day.

As an interesting fact, here they have filmed some scenes from films such as Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones or The Dictator, maybe they ring a bell.

Torre del Oro

We will now move on to another one of the city's icons, this defensive tower from the 13th Century built by the Almohads, which was part of the old wall which surrounded the city. It is 36 metres tall and you can find it next to the Maestranza bullring, on the left side of the Guadalquivir river which crosses the city. This is therefore why the San Telmo Bridge is the perfect place to enjoy this tower from, and from which you can get great views of the city in general.

Even though in the past it was used as a prison, you can now visit it and go up to the top. In fact, inside you can find the Seville Naval Museum. We decided to enter it to discover the inside and in particular, enjoy the panoramic view. The price to enter is 3 euros.

Another way to enjoy the views of this tower and of the river Guadalquivir in particular, is to go for a boat ride along the river. There are lots of different trips which fit whatever your tastes are. It is here, in the area where the Torre del Oro is located, where there are lots of different companies who offer you different options and price points. We considered it, but the price seemed quite high to us for just an hours ride (around 16 euros) so we decided to give it a miss.

Triana

To get to this neighbourhood, which is separated from the historic district of Seville by the Guadalquivir river, you go over the Isabel II bridge, known as the Triana bridge. This is a famous area known for being the place where renowned persons were born, from Rodrigo de Triana to flamenco singers and dancers such as Marife de Triana, Maria Jimenez or Isabel Pantoja. There are also other famous people who maybe you have heard of, such as Paz Vega, the Morancos or Antonio Canales.

In this neighbourhood, the Plaza del Altozano and Calle Betis are famous, the latter being a perfect street for going for tapas since it is an area with lots of atmosphere, as much during the day as during the night, which is especially popular with young people. It is also famous for its gastronomy, in particular its shellfish and fish.

In addition to all the historical places that I have spoken to you about, and all the others which exist in the city, Seville stands out for the art which is made by its people, its music... This is therefore why it is so worthwhile visiting it, to be able to discover a culture which is so different to the rest of Spain.

This has been everything, for now... Soon I will talk to you about the other two Andalusian cities that I visited: Córdoba and Granada.

Thank you as always for reading!

Photo gallery