Seville | 18 Interesting Tips, Activities & Restaurants To Know About
Seville is a smaller spanish city, but one of our favorites! It has the feel of a big city, yet the charm of a small town. So best of both worlds! It is a very walkable city and has so many fun things to see and eat. Because there are so many cool sights, cute bars and insights we learned from our trip, we put together a list of 18 important tips, activities and restaurants we think you should know about before you go to Seville!
What to Know
People in Seville are very friendly! Don’t be afraid to mingle with the locals, as they would love to help with directions or even just chat!
Most places don’t open until 11AM or 12PM, and are closed from 5PM-8PM. A normal dinner time is about 9:30/10PM.
Tipping is not necessarily expected, however, if you receive really good service, then feel free to tip 5-10%.
Wear comfy shoes and bring a backpack (visit our travel shop for great suggestions!) or a bigger side purse to carry a water bottle.
Don't waste money on bottled water. Seville has some of the cleanest tap water, so you can drink straight from the tap! You can find water fountains in the more touristy areas.
Skip the line! Buy tickets to attractions ahead of time!
Where to Go
Real Alcazar
The Real Alcazar was once the royal residence and is still a working palace to this day! It is simply magnificent, with incredible gardens. Plan to spend at least two hours exploring all the wonders of this palace.
Fun Fact: this is one of the Dorne filming locations for Game of Thrones!! So we freaked out a little bit!
Las Setas de Sevilla
Las Setas De Sevilla is a huge wooden structure that is designed to look like six mushrooms. You can climb all the way up, a lot easier than you think, and walk the whole length. It is so very cool, kind of like being on an adult jungle gym. You are high up in the sky, climbing mushrooms and seeing some fantastic views. It is the perfect place to be for sunset!
Triana Walking Tour
The Triana Walking Tour from We Love Tapas is an amazing tour! It is a 3.5 hour food tour that takes you to a spanish market and three restaurants in Triana. We had a wonderful guide, Shawn, who taught us so much about the food we were eating and the history of Triana. You will try everything from cheese to wine to quail to delicious Spanish delicacies. One of the best tours we have been on!
Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla
AKA A real Bull Ring! Bull fights only happen at certain times of the year, so for the rest of the year, the ring is open for viewing. If you are in Seville during Bullfighting season, then you can see a real bull fight for about $60. Just be aware that it is six rounds and the bulls are killed in each round. It can be intense, but something you might only see once in your life. If this sounds horrible to you, then at least go see the amazing ring on an off day to feel all the history!
Plaza de España & Maria Luisa Park
The Maria Luisa Park is a beautiful park down by the river. At the end of the park, you come across the most magnificent building you could ever see: Plaza De Espana. I must have taken 500 photos, because of how beautiful it was. If you do one thing in Seville, go see the Plaza De Espana.
Seville Cathedral and La Giralda and Iglesia De El Salvador
While there are so many amazing churches and cathedrals in Seville, we recommend going to at least these two
The first one is Iglesia De El Salvador. It is absolutely beautiful inside! Fun Tip: you can buy a joint ticket for this church and the next one!
The second one is the Seville Cathedral and La Giralda. The Cathedral is, of course, amazing, but La Giralda, aka The Bell Tower, is the best part. La Giralda stands 343 feet tall and you can walk all the way to the top! It has the best views of Seville!
What to Eat
Breakfast at Almazen Cafe
Almazen Cafe is an adorable cafe that is perfect for a quick breakfast and delicious coffee! Be sure to try a cappuccino and a yummy pastry!
Tapas at Bar Alfalfa
Tapas are a must in Spain! Tapas started back in the day when workers were so poor, that they couldn't afford food for lunch, but they could afford a beer. They would come back to work after lunch so drunk and cause many accidents. So the King made it a law for each bar to give a small bite to each patron who ordered a beer. Thus, the beginning of tapas!
Some bars, usually if they are completely tiled on the outside, will give you a free tapa with a drink to this day! So, keep a look out for the tiles!
The bar we went to for tapas did not give us a free one with wine. However, it is still worth going in!
We just happened to stumble upon Bar Alfalfa. It is a pretty tiny place, but we had the best dinner. From the amazing tapas to the great bartender, who put up with all our questions, we simply had the best time. Make sure to try the cheese, the meats and the Iberian Pork Cheek Stew!
Croquettes at Casa Morales
Croquettes are a MUST in spain. You can certainly find them on every menu. But one of the best places to try them, as well as many other tapas, is at Casa Morales. If you don’t know what a croquette is, it is basically fried potato and cheese, sometimes with meat. So good and a perfect little snack!
Solomillo Al Whiskey at El Rinconcillo
Make sure to try a local Seville dish called Solomillo Al Whisky, pork in a garlicky whisky sauce. It looks kind of funky, but is so yummy! The best place to try this dish is at El Rinconcillo. Sadly we did not have time to make it here on our last trip, but everyone talks about how good the solomillo al whisky is there. We will be sure to check it out next time!
Honey BBQ Ribs and Manchego Ice Cream at Espacio eslava
Our tour guide recommended Espacio Eslava to us and we were so happy she did! It is a perfect little restaurant with so many delicious dishes. You have to try The Honey Pork Ribs and famous Manchego Cheese Ice Cream. The ribs are some of the best I have ever had, with an amazing sauce and the ice cream is so weird and interesting, but definitely a must try!
Paella at Any Bar!
One dish I think of when I think of Spain is Paella. When you are in seville, you will find that paella is more of a tapa, rather than a meal. You can find decent paella at any bar you go to, and sometimes it will be given to you free when you order a drink!
If you are looking for more of a structured, day-to-day itinerary for seville, then check out our one week in spain itinerary!