We’re finishing up our last 2 days in Seville. And like most vacations, there are some incredible spots you’ll always remember and others you’d probably want to forget! That’s why we decided to put together our picks of the top 5 things to do in Seville, especially if you’re short on time.
Seville is a mixture of old and new architecture. We were amazed by Metropol Parasol, a modern structure right in the heart of the old city.
Planning a trip abroad takes plenty of work — so we hope this helps guide you in your planning. We included a mixture of sights as well as must-do experiences for an unforgettable time in Spain.
Exploring the many gardens in Seville. The city is so lush and you’ll pass many along your trip here.
5. Climb Through Living History at the Alcazar
Entering the Alcazar, a royal palace in Seville built for king Peter of Castile.
If the Alcazar in Seville looks familiar, you may have actually seen it before. The building has served as a backdrop for several scenes in Game of Thrones. I’ll just have to take my guidebook’s word since Kevin and I are probably among the 3 people out there who have never seen that show!
Inside one of the many inner gardens in the Alcazar.
If you missed the super-sized Alcazar in Granada, then this one should be at the top of your Spain bucket list. We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance online. We waited to buy them until the day before, but there were still spots available. Otherwise, you can just show up. But be warned, the wait can take between 1-2 hours to just get tickets (or even longer depending on the season).
Exploring more inside.
This palace is massive — so we recommend narrowing down a few places to visit so you don’t overwhelm yourself (or pass out from exhaustion!). One room you should NOT skip is Admiral’s Hall. This part of the building is where the original Spanish explorers like Magellan and Vespucci planned their first travel around the world. I felt like I was back in elementary school, learning about the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria! It’s also where navigator Juan de la Cosa made the first world map. It made me think of how many big decisions were made in this room. And how my big decision on where to get lunch afterwards seemed pale in comparison. Though, I don’t take those decisions lightly!
Inside Admiral’s Hall in the Alcazar in Seville decorated with paintings from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
We bought an audio guide — you know, the ones that look like old-school telephones. It gave A LOT of details. So we quickly ditched the guide and roamed around reading the signs posted. The other major stop to check out are the outdoor gardens and the labyrinth. It was designed in 1914 and inspired by the renaissance models. We love mazes like this, but this one was pretty easy since you could literally see where to go next over the hedges. Oh well, we still had fun!
Don’t get lost Kevin… Okay, you won’t since you can see right over the hedges!
4. Sip Cava on Seville’s Most Stylish Rooftop
Enjoying the views overlooking Seville’s Cathedral at La Terraza de EME
I love finding hidden gems whenever I travel. And La Terraza de EME certainly fits that bill. Take the elevator up to the 4th floor of the EME Hotel where you’ll get to walk the plank! Actually, it’s a very stylish bridge over their inner courtyard… but it sort of looks like a pirate ship plank to me!
Look out below – the bridge you cross over to get to the EME rooftop terrace.
After crossing the bridge, it’s just a few more steps up where you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view of the cathedral. They also have a full menu of food if you’re not in the mood for a drink. With views like this, it isn’t exactly cheap. But it’s worth it for the unbeatable panoramic view that is good day or night.
3. Unwind in a Hammam (a Moorish-style bath)
Kevin rests inside the inner courtyard – ready to get a massage at the hammam.
We took full advantage of the hammams across Spain. Not familiar with a hammam? In short, it’s a Moroccan-influenced bath. We visited some in Morocco, but they weren’t anything like the ones in South Spain (clearly geared towards a higher-end spa experience rather than the everyday bather).
The pools inside Aire de Sevilla, that vary in temperature.
Seville had our favorite hammam in all of Spain. And trust us, we tried pretty much all of the major ones! The hammam is Aire de Sevilla, which is actually part of an international chain of spas with one even located in New York City. We recommend getting a massage package, which gives you access to the best part: the rooftop pool! You’re only supposed to get 15 minutes. But Kevin and I managed to blend in (not sure how!) and stayed for a good hour. We would have stayed longer, too, but they eventually figured it out!
Look at that view – the rooftop pool where you relax after the massage.
2. Test Your Culinary Skills at Taller Andaluz de Cocina
Paella cooking class in Seville at Taller Andaluz de Cocina
In my previous blog post, I reviewed Taller Andaluz de Cocina’s evening Paella class. Talk about a fun time! The class takes you through the steps to make 3 typical Spanish dishes as well as includes plenty of sangria and wine.
Kevin is slaving away in the kitchen. A rare sight indeed.
It’s a fun way to break up the trip — especially eating out night after night. We felt like we learned not just how to make the dishes but why certain meals are so important for Spanish families and culture. I’ll probably never make Paella at home (umm, I gave up after learning there was such a thing as a Paella pan!), but some of the dishes are actually pretty simple and only a few ingredients.
Let it rip! Adding most of the bottle of the olive oil into the blender to give the soup some thickness
We took the Paella experience class, which is offered in the evening and 44 Euros per person or $52 USD. The school also offers food market tours and Sherry wine tasting in Seville. We highly recommended it — but be sure to book your class ahead of time since classes often sell out. Reservations can be made by visiting their website.
1. Be Amazed by Flamenco at Casa De La Memoria
And our top pick for Seville? An evening flamenco performance at Casa de la Memoria. Sure, you’ll find plenty of flamenco performances in Seville as well as all over South Spain. But none can compare to the intimate space of this venue and the quality of the performers.
Looking out from the lobby, you can see just how tiny this venue is.
Casa de la Memoria is more than just a performance space — its a complete cultural center that includes exhibitions, courses on dance and information on the history of flamenco dancing. All performances take place inside off a traditional courtyard house that were once old stables of a neighboring palace. The performances are chilling and you’ll feel like you’ve been transformed back to the 16th century! After the show, I couldn’t help but get into the action and walked up on stage to try making music like in the show. Let’s just say, I should leave it up to the professionals!
Attempting to make some music on stage at Casa de la Memoria.
Casa de la Memoria offers 1-hour shows every day at 7:30 PM and 9 PM. Depending on demand, sometimes they offer a 3rd performance at 10:30 PM. Tickets are 18 Euros per person (or around $20 USD). And you can always grab dinner right before or after the show since the space is right in the heart of old Seville. We loved the sidewalk tables at the nearby restaurant Baco. And of course, ordered more ham and cheese. We are so predictable (eating this literally everyday on this trip!).
Yum, can’t get enough of the ham and cheese. We recommend grabbing a bite at Restaurant Baco, located just steps from the Flamenco show.
And there you have it! Hard to believe our time in Spain is coming to an end. Until our next journey!
No Comments, Be The First!