California, Mexico, Chile, Cuba; no matter where you travel in Latin America or any former Spanish territory you will be exposed to some part of Seville or some remnant of old Seville, preserved in architecture, food, music, and art. The timeless city is the capital of Andalusia in Southeastern Spain and the area’s economic and cultural hub. Few cities share the same breadth of historic landmarks and cultural infusions as this beautiful regional capital. It was founded as a Roman city, later ruled by the Caliphate of Cordoba, and finally became the central economic powerhouse of the kingdom during Spain’s golden age of conquest and expansion. All of this molded the city’s culture into the vibrant powerhouse of food, architecture, and art it is today.
Seville stretches along the North-South flowing Guadalquivir River roughly 100 kilometers or 62 miles from the nearest coastline. It’s sandwiched between the beaches of Cadiz, Arcos de la Frontera — the gateway to the Pueblos Blancos, and the beautiful Sierra de Hornachuelos National Park. Its weather, typical of a warm Southern Mediterranean climate, is characterized by stiflingly hot and dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Its history and climate are reflected in its art, architecture, music, and food. Everything can be experienced on foot or by public transportation. Within a few days the city’s main sites can be explored, leaving more time to get lost within the small alleyways and less visited parts of the city. Each of these areas contain an unmeasurable amount of history and charm, without the heavy presence of tourists.
The Cuisine
Few cuisines in the world, in my opinion, can compare to Andalusian cuisine. With it you peel back layers upon layers of history and influencing cultures. Arab, North-African, Jewish, European, Latin American, and many others have left their indelible mark on Seville’s gastronomy.
Like many other Spanish cities it’s very important to time your meals. Going to a restaurant, bar, or cafe when they’re empty of local clientele will generally frustrate the poor cooks and ultimately you as you wait and wait and wait for your food. Generally breakfast is light, a small pastry and a strong coffee at a curbside cafe between 8-10am. After breakfast you’re on your own until well after 2pm when Sevillanos crowd into the tiny kitchens to slowly enjoy their favorite meal of the day: lunch.
Lunch is normally the biggest meal of the day and this is the time to become hurriedly acquainted with the city’s dining spots. I enjoyed hoping around the timeless tapas bars in the neighborhoods I was visiting, concentrating on the most crowded, oldest, and highest rated places. Many old-school mainstays are very old, sometimes over a century old, with creaky wooden floors and whole Jamónes swinging like Peking Duck in the window.
Ordering food in Seville is an adventure that will surely please you. Classic Andalusian dishes like pulpo con patatas (Octopus with potatoes), espinacas con garbanzos (Moorish chickpeas with Spinach), and Steamed Spanish prawns became some of my favorites. During a hot summer day ordering a cold bowl of Tomato and summer squash or any type of gazpacho is a nonelective choice. Gazpacho is made with vegetables, olive oil, and soaked bread, pureed into a cold salad soup. Originally developed by poor farmers who had leftover stale bread and veggies, Gazpacho became a true working class food that has become a much loved staple in Spanish cuisine. I found my favorite in the tiny yet wonderful Ovejas Negras located on Calle Hernando Colon after spending hours roaming the cathedral in the sweltering fall heat.
Jamón
For those without Halal or Kosher dietary restrictions Jamon is a must, everyday, all hours of the day experience. Unfortunately discerning the different grades and varieties can be confusing. Luckily there’s plenty of online information and overjoyed local experts to learn from.
It all starts with the breed. The Ibérico pig is the preferred breed native to the Iberian peninsula. Others include the Duroc and Landrace although most high quality hams are made from Ibérico.
The next important variable is the feed. The higher quality the ham the more ballota (acorns) in their diet. The highest quality Jamón is from 100% free range Ibérico pigs fed on a 100% ballota diet. In Spanish this is called Jamón 100% Ibérico de Bellota. Jamón of this quality will set you back a few Euros but is worth trying at least once.
Other varieties include Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, a cross bred free range ham with 100% Bellota diet; Jamón Ibérico Cebo de Campo, or cross bred free range hams with a mixed diet; and simple Jamón Ibérico and Serrano which are hams raised on primarily feed.
I am no expert or connoisseur but my personal favorite, after sampling several types at various price ranges, was the Jamón Ibérico Cebo de Campo. It won’t set you too far back and the flavor complexities were comparable to the higher grade Jamóns twice the price.
Seville’s Top Sights
Seville is littered with historic monuments and amazing things to see and do but the highlight, as with most places in the world, is to try to absorb the natural day-to-day rhythm of the local culture. Engaging with locals and experiencing their favorite haunts will make the experience special. That’s why I recommend starting off in the lesser visited areas of the city for the first few days. By immersing yourself, even for a day or two, you gain even more appreciation for how people live here.
For centuries the haves-and-have-nots were separated by the narrow Guadalquivir river which was the city’s main connection to the outside world. Immigrants, sailers, and skilled tile-craftsmen largely wound up settling on the western shores, in the barrio (neighborhood) known as Triana. Here they sold and performed their art forms which would become synonymous symbols of the city and its culture.
Triana is the perfect place to start off your experience in Seville. It’s where the Romani, the nomadic group of people from Northern India, first settled, bringing their music and culture with them. This likely had a significant role in the development of Andalusia’s most prized art form: flamenco.
Walking around the neighborhood both day and night you encounter old tapas bars and restaurants, churches and historic homes, flamenco artists and painters. Inside the bars you find pictures of the vast amount of famous bull fighters who hailed from the barrio. Bull fighting, like it or not, probably owes its modern existence to the Triana native Juan Belmonte who revolutionized the sport by continually staying within centimeters of the charging bull, using graceful motions in close proximity until the show’s bloody denouement.
Old markets can be found all over Seville but few are as exciting and historic as the Mercado de Triana. Built over the remains of the Castle of San Jorge, one of the centers of the inquisitional court, the market continues to have a central role in the community’s food scene. Here you can sample a whole range of delightful tapas while watching local chefs and home cooks search out the finest ingredients in the city. Tile merchants selling the neighborhoods famous tiles run small stands in and around the market as they’ve been doing for generations. There’s also the Museum of Tolerance, built to display the horrors of the inquisition and its religious persecution.
Los Remedios, located south of Triana, is the perfect place to explore next. It’s most famous for being the home of the city’s springtime festival known as the Feria de Abril. For one week in April the neighborhood transforms in a massive party with grand entrances and food stalls built around the barrio. Beautiful buildings with small stores and restaurants cover the neighborhood. After shopping and eating your way through the barrio a stop at the Parque de los Príncipes is in order. The large park is a beautiful place to retreat to when the afternoon sun becomes unbearable.
After exploring the lesser visited neighborhoods of Triana and Los Romedios it’s time to head over the bridge to the old city. Concentrating on the central Casco Antiguo district you can explore most of Seville’s historical and cultural landmarks. I started off my exploration of the central district by getting lost in the Jewish quarter where narrow cobblestone streets meander through colorful complexes of centuries old buildings, museums and restaurants. Wandering through this lively area at night is an incredible experience and one I repeated daily throughout my stay.
The Reales Alcazares
Honestly, it was the HBO show Game of Thrones that initially fueled my desire to visit to this landmark. Difficult to find yet unimaginably beautiful, the Reales Alcazares was a highlight that requires at least a half day.
Constructed from 1181-1600, the former Moorish palace is still used today as the official residence of the royal family when they are in Seville. Gardens and courts surround the central grounds. The interior design of the main palace (Palacio del Rey Don Pedro) is reminiscent of the Alhambra in Granada and is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in Europe.
Be mindful of the symbolism in the interior carvings and tiles. Starting at the bottom of the photo astronomical and religiously significant symbols tell a story to anyone entering. Colors and shapes play an important role in Islamic art. Each tile color signifies a specific aspect of the religion. Green represents Islam and is said to have been the Prophet Muhammad’s favorite color. The color white in the tile inlays represents purity and peace while blue represents the depths of the sea and universe.
Elaborately carved pillars stand supporting arches shaped like a crescent moon. As you look up, the intricacies of the carvings get more complex along with their range in meanings; from representations of the heavens, God, and nature. This culminates into the celestial sequences of shapes carved perfectly into the ceilings; a feat that before modern computers seems impossible.
Inside the Palacio Gótico, accessed from the gardens, are the Baños Doña Maria de Padilla. These pools are ancient baths and rainwater storage areas and at one point they were commonly used by Seville’s nobility. The reflective water and smooth curvature of the ceilings makes this one of the most surreal and peaceful places in the city, if you can avoid the crowds of tourists.
Seville Cathedral
Europe’s gothic cathedrals are majestic and awe inspiring yet eerie and un-proportional, the perfect places for anyone who enjoys complexity and subtle vulnerability in their architecture. Seville Cathedral, also known as Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, is the largest gothic cathedral and third largest church in the world. The impressive structure was built in 1500AD and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The massive interior columns and stained glass windows form a majestic medieval canopy over the main interior. The cavernous size of the main chapel is hard to fathom. Echos of footsteps and chatter reverberate throughout the hallway, overloading the senses. What’s striking is that the cathedral’s carvings are covered in gold, by some estimates as much as 40,000 kilos. The highlight of this extravagance is the altarpiece which is considered by some as one of the most beautifully carved works of art in Europe.
Each arching entranceway is adorned with intricate engravings and fantastic shapes. My favorite was the Door of the Conception on the Northern facade. This entrance is kept closed until the cathedral opens up for festivals and religious celebrations.
Several prominent historical figures and monarchs are buried here including Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand III. Spanish monarchs, explorers, and anyone venturing to the Americas would enter into this cathedral for a final blessing before setting off for battle or exploration. Because of its history and architecture the cathedral was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Standing at 105m at the northeast corner of the cathedral is the former islamic minaret called the Giralda. It’s a relic of the former mosque which the cathedral was built on and resembles the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco. The Giralda was constructed in 1198 along with the main mosque. The impressive structure is fun to climb and unobstructed views of the city await those who venture to the top. I found myself gazing at the cathedral’s structure below and watching the traffic below navigate the narrow city streets.
Outside the cathedral are several important buildings. The most notable is the UNESCO Heritage Site known as the General Archive of the Indies. The great Renaissance structure was built in the 16th century to house documents and chronicles of the Spanish Empire’s conquest into the Americas.
After sightseeing around the Cathedral you can visit the Calle Mateos Gago, a street that’s full of tapas bars and restaurants. Being so close to the cathedral it’s definitely over priced but I found a few gems to eat at, namely the Bar Catedral. They had a great selection of grilled artichokes, grilled tuna steak with potatoes and parsley aioli, and other delicious small dishes to enjoy.
Metropol Parasol
The Metropol Parasol, also known colloquially as Las Setas de la Encarnación, is the largest wooden structure in the world. Built by the famous German architect Jürgen Mayor in 2011 it stretches across a concrete open space and acts like a giant urban canopy providing much needed shade in the hot summer months. From the top you can see the expanse of Seville and its landmarks while enjoying a beverage from the cafe.
Roman and Moorish ruins were discovered under the building during construction. The city planners decided to continue its construction after it was halted for excavation. The ruins are open to the public in the lower museum.
Museo del baile flamenco
Located in the Jewish quarter in the Barrio De Santa Cruz, the Museo Del Baile Flamenco is an interactive museum and performance center for Andalusia’s most famous international export. Flamenco represents sensuality and rhythm and exhibits lyrics of love and strife that resonate with every listener.
Originally it was the folk music and dancing style of the Romani’s but has since taken on a wider role as the traditional folk music of Southern Spain. Several elements come together to make Flamenco: baile (dance), toque (guitar), cante (singing), jaleo (vocalizations), palmas and pitos (clapping and finger snapping).
There are a few things to consider before going. Purchase tickets in advance. This is always a good idea when traveling, especially in touristy cities like Seville. I recommend a week in advance if possible. Also keep in mind that Flamenco is not only the musical element but a highly energetic and passionate dance done in generally warm conditions and humans naturally sweat. As tempting as it is to sit in the front think twice!
Puente de Isabel II
The first solid bridge in Seville was built during the reign of Isabella II and connects the colorful neighborhood of Triana with the central district. Walking along the riverfront at night and checking out the many tapas bars and cathedrals along its banks is the perfect thing to do during the evening. Sunsets and sunrises are particularly romantic along this stretch of river and lovers, painters, musicians, and others wanting to enjoy the classic European ambiance can be found congregating here.
Torre Del Oro
South of the Centro district, near the University of Seville is the iconic Torre Del Oro. The dodecogonic military tower was built in the beginning of the 13th century by the Almohad Caliphate as a protective military post and anchor for a large chain that could block the Guadalquivir river. The tower played an important role in the Castilian invasions but ultimately its defenses were breached. Today it stands as one of the city’s most revered and photographed landmarks.
To the North of the Centro district is the barrio known as Macarena. Here you can the old defensive city walls (Muralla almohade de Sevilla) dating back to the Roman Empire. The neighborhood is also full of amazing restaurants, museums, old churches, and palaces now converted into art museums housing large collections spanning from classic Andalusian art, new world, to avante-garde. One of the most exquisitely beautiful is the Palacio Marqueses de la Algaba.
In the Barrio of San Vicente is the beautiful Plaza del Museo. Every Sunday it’s home to the Plaza del Museo Art Fair. If you love fine art, and better yet affordable fine art, then come check out this popular Sunday morning art walk. Seville’s best artists come to sell their work and there’s often something truly astonishing to be found here.
Plaza de España
The Plaza de España was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition. It was constructed in a mixture of traditional Renaissance Revival, Moorish Revival, and Spanish architectural styles that today make it one of the most unique buildings in Spain. The structure is shaped like a half dome surrounding a large concrete courtyard and pond. Provincial mural alcoves form benches on the building’s exterior and are kept warm by the afternoon sun. They are the perfect place to rest, read, or just sit during the cooler winter evenings. Star Wars fans will be happy as the plaza doubled as Theed plaza, Naboo’s capital, in episodes I-III.
Surrounding the building is the Parque Maria De Luisa. It’s a beautiful green space with large trees and well-kept walkways. As you go into the interior of the park you come to the Plaza De Americas, a smaller but impressive plaza representing Spanish America. There is also the Seville Archeological Museum which showcases Roman and Moorish relics among other treasures found in the city. A word of caution: restrooms are hard to find here.
In Closing
I miss Seville. There’s something to be said for the food-centered life-style the Sevillanos enjoy and edify their guests with. The daily sites, sounds, and smells, so vibrant and inviting, they seem to pull you in thousands of directions at once. The operatic flamenco music ringing through the streets, serenading people with its rhythmic clapping and snaps resembling the horse trots on the stone alleyways of the Jewish Quarter. Losing yourself in the mazes of streets, tiny bars, markets, and festivals. Imbibing in a healthy selection of delectable tapas, cañas, and sherry while engulfed in unbelievably beautiful architecture from the city’s Gothic, Mudejar, and Renaissance periods. History is mirrored in everything in Andalusia’s capital and traditions die hard. Now add a warm sunny climate and friendly locals to the mix and it’s little surprise Seville is one of my favorite cities in the world and one that I long to return to.