You have to stroll calmly around Seville. You will always find on every street some hidden gem that is worth contemplating. This city radiates beauty everywhere. However, you may only have one weekend to enjoy Seville. Don’t worry! TUDESTINO will help you plan your visit. Although it will be impossible to see everything, we assure you that, at least, you will visit the most essential monuments and places in Seville.
In any case, organise yourself as it best suits you: if you are a museum lover, you’ll prefer to dedicate more time to these. If, on the other hand, you prefer to spend time in the many green areas of Seville, you can do it without any problem. TUDESTINO will give you some ideas so that, according to your tastes, your getaway to Seville is unforgettable. And, even if you only have two days … don’t hurry! Seville deserves to be seen and enjoyed light-heartedly.
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- Torre del Oro
- Royal Alcazar of Seville
- Jardines de Murillo
- Santa Cruz
- Patio de Banderas
- Plaza del Triunfo
- General Archive of the Indies
- Seville Cathedral
- Giralda
- Metropol Parasol (“Mushrooms of Seville”)
- Sierpes street
- Flamenco Dance Museum
- San Telmo Palace
- Plaza de Espana
- Parque Maria Luisa
- Plaza de America
- Triana
DAY 1
TORRE DEL ORO
We suggest that your first day in Seville should rather be cultural. A good starting point is Torre del Oro. You’ll love to see from there the colourful buildings of the Triana district on the other side of the Guadalquivir river. The tower served at the time as a watchtower of the city of Seville against attacks perpetrated from the river. It is said that the name Torre del Oro is probably due to the reflection in the river of the tiles that decorate the tower.
ROYAL ALCAZAR OF SEVILLE
If you don’t want to leave Seville without visiting the Royal Alcazar (and, honestly, you shouldn’t!), this is your moment. It opens at 9:30, so we advise you to be there from that time. The best thing you can do to avoid long queues is to buy your ticket online.
You should definitely lose yourself in the beautiful Alcazar gardens, full of orange trees, palm trees, viewpoints and fountains. The Royal Alcazar of Seville has also been a set location for the successful series ‘Game of Thrones’. If you’re a Game of Thrones lover, you’ll love walking around the same places where so many scenes were filmed.
JARDINES DE MURILLO
They are part of the Royal Alcazar of Seville and are, without a doubt, a must see. As you can imagine, the thick vegetation makes this great green area a cosy place that hides many legends and curiosities by which you can walk and take some pictures.
BARRIO DE SANTA CRUZ
After seeing the wonders of the Royal Alcazar and its gardens, we suggest you have a quick break and try some tapas at a tapas bar or restaurant in Santa Cruz. Once you have eaten, stroll around this magical district. Here you will find the Callejón del Agua, the Hospital de los Venerables or the Plaza de Doña Elvira. We advise you to lose yourself on its streets and feel how time stands still.
PATIO DE BANDERAS
Go on until you reach Patio de Banderas, surrounded by the Royal Alcazar. Its large number of orange trees and its magnificent views of the Giralda give this place a very cosy atmosphere.
As a curious fact, the Patio de Banderas was built during the Muslim period with the intention of being a palace, although it’s believed that previously it housed a Christian basilica and even a Roman building. Over the years it functioned both as armoury and as riding school.
PLAZA DEL TRIUNFO
Keep on walking to Plaza del Triunfo. This square was built to thank the divine protection the Sevilians received during the tragic Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which deeply affected the city: nine people died and, as for the material damages, about 300 houses collapsed, the Giralda suffered slight damage and the Torre del Oro was so damaged that it was suggested to demolish it. In the bandstand, located in the square, named “El Triunfo”, you can read those events explained.
GENERAL ARCHIVE OF THE INDIES
From Plaza del Triunfo you will reach the General Archive of the Indies. This building keeps all the documents related to the administration of the Spanish colonies: more than forty-three thousand files with more than eighty million pages and approximately eight thousand drawings and maps of the different administrations of the Spanish domains. Among other things, there are manuscript documents of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan or Francisco Pizarro.
SEVILLE CATHEDRAL
Right next to the General Archive of the Indies, you will find the splendid Seville Cathedral, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It contains innumerable funerary sculptures: here the tomb of Christopher Columbus is located.
LA GIRALDA
From the Giralda you can see the city of Seville at exactly 97.5 metres high. The highest point of the Giralda is the bronze figure of 4 metres high holding a branch and a cross called Giraldillo, which symbolises the victory of the Christian world over the Muslims.
If you want to visit the General Archive of the Indies and the Seville Cathedral, and go up to the Giralda, keep in mind the opening hours of these buildings so you can organise yourself and you can visit them all, if you wish.
In the area there are plenty of tapas bars and restaurants where you can have a drink or something to eat while enjoying the afternoon atmosphere in the city centre.
METROPOL PARASOL (“MUSHROOMS OF SEVILLE”)
Then, we suggest you walk to the Plaza de la Encarnación, where you will find the Metropol Parasol, also known as “Mushrooms of Seville”. From its viewpoint you can contemplate wonderful views of Seville at 28.5 metres high. It is a unique place thanks to its architecture and its viewpoint.
SIERPES STREET
Once you have taken enough photos of Seville at the top of the Mushrooms, walk serenely until you arrive to Sierpes street, with a great commercial activity and with an incessant coming and going of people. You can buy here some souvenir of Seville in one of its many shops.
Take the opportunity to have dinner at one of its many tapas bars or restaurants, where you should try delicious Spanish tapas.
FLAMENCO DANCE MUSEUM
Did you think you would leave Seville without going to a Flamenco show? No way! Visit the Flamenco Dance Museum and go to one of its authentic evening Flamenco shows. You will absolutely love it!
DAY 2
SAN TELMO PALACE
This will be a much calmer day, and you won’t have to worry about opening hours. Starting from Torre del Oro, walk along the Paseo de las Delicias until you reach Palos de la Frontera street, where you will find the imposing San Telmo Palace. Its spectacular facade and architectural style will leave you speechless.
At present it is the headquarters of the Presidency of the Andalusian Regional Government, but at the time it was the official residence of the Dukes of Montpensier until the 19th century. It is one of the most representative buildings of the Sevillian baroque, and the sculptures that represent twelve illustrious Sevillians will catch your attention.
Remember that, if you want to visit it, you need to book in advance by phone.
PLAZA DE ESPAÑA
Keep on walking until you arrive to the fascinating Plaza de España. Its 50,000 square metres make it the most impressive square in Spain. You should walk it unhurried. If you feel like it, you can take a boat trip along the 515 metres of its river.
PARQUE DE MARÍA LUISA
Once you feel completely satisfied with the beauty of Plaza de Espana, take your time strolling around the beautiful Parque de Maria Luisa. Its extraordinary beauty makes it one of the main attractions for tourists and visitors. You will find here many hidden treasures that are worth discovering, such as pavilions, fountains or monuments.
PLAZA DE AMÉRICA
Inside Parque Maria Luisa, look for the beautiful Plaza de America, a square surrounded by the Museum of Arts and Popular Customs, the Archaeological Museum and the Royal Pavilion. All of them have different architectural styles but equally fascinating. Due to the large number of pigeons that are in the habit of hanging out here, as if they were tourists, this square is also known as “pigeons square” or “pigeon park”. You will love sitting down to rest on one of its benches, surrounded by a picture-postcard setting.
TRIANA
Maybe it is time to have lunch, isn’t it? We advise you to walk to the Triana Bridge and cross it, so you can eat tapas in one of the most authentic neighbourhoods of the city. In Triana you can try all the tapas you want at its market or at the many tapas bars on Betis street, by the banks of the Guadalquivir river.
Once you have a full stomach, walk around the neighbourhood calmly. Visit, for example, the Capilla de los Marineros (literally, “Chapel of the Sailors”), where the venerated image of the Virgen de la Esperanza de Triana is located.
If you still have time, spend the rest of the afternoon walking peacefully by the banks of the Guadalquivir river. We assure you that “Seville has a special colour” at any time.
Despite being a visit of only two days, we are sure that with this small guide you will make the most of it. We assure you that, even without having left Seville, you will start making plans to come back soon. There are still many things to see in Seville, since it is impossible to see everything in two days. However, you will also want to go back to the same places you have been during this brief but intense getaway. That’s what Sevilla has… you will never get tired of being here!