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Twelve memorable things to do on a short visit to Seville

Great local wine, fantastic traditional tapas, and a wealth of artistic and cultural activities to enjoy, there's plenty you can fit in during a two or three day visit to Andalusia's majestic capital.

Published: 6 May 2019 12:15 CEST
Updated: 16 May 2022 13:15 CEST
Twelve memorable things to do on a short visit to Seville
Taking a relaxing boat ride around the incredible Plaza de España, just one of the ways to have fun in Seville. Photo: Shai Pal/Unsplash
 
From the largest Gothic cathedral in the world to taking in an authentic flamenco show, here’s the lowdown of 12 essential experiences to have in Seville.

1. Marvel at the Cathedral

No trip to Seville would be complete without a visit to the city’s iconic Cathedral. Officially the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the sheer size of the building alone makes it worth exploring. Once inside, you can appreciate the detail and intricacy of the decoration, with no corner left unadorned. Also, don’t miss out on the chance to head up the Giralda tower, which was the minaret from when the building was originally a mosque. From the top, you can take in some incredible views of Seville – not to be missed!

View from the Giralda tower. Photo: Tom Podmore/Unspalsh

2. Lose yourself in the Barrio de Santa Cruz

With a huge selection of beautifully decorated, narrow streets, the Barrio de Santa Cruz is the perfect place to explore while visiting Seville. Originally the Jewish Quarter of the city, the area’s maze-like structure makes it tricky to maneuver, but don’t let that stop you. There are amazing squares, such as Plaza de Doña Elvira, to discover and beautiful, hidden corners of Seville to enjoy.

An Andalusian patio in ‘el barrio de Santa Cruz’. Photo: Jl FilpoC/Wikipedia CC BY 4.0

3. Experience the passion and artistry of an authentic flamenco show

As the home of flamenco, Andalucia is the perfect place to experience a traditional, authentic show. However, with such a huge amount of shows available in Seville, and a number of them admittedly geared towards tourists, you have to ensure you choose carefully when deciding on the best place to go. Casa del Flamenco provides a comprehensive overview of flamenco culture with their hour-long shows in a historic, Andalusian patio. With some of Spain’s most accomplished artists performing each night, you’ll not soon forget your Seville flamenco experience.


Flamenco – The passion and power of an authentic flamenco show will stay with you long after you leave Seville. Photo: Devour Tours

4. Savour some of Seville’s best traditional tapas

After a huge surge in the popularity of modern tapas in Seville, there is no shortage of gourmet places to eat. However, while these places certainly provide good food, there is something truly special about stepping into an authentic, off-the-beaten-track tavern to eat among locals. One of our favorite spots is Casa Morales, where you can enjoy everything from spinach and chickpeas to slow-cooked pork cheek, as well as all the thinly sliced cured meats you can handle.

Spinach and chickpeas – Espinacas con garbanzos is one of many typical tapas in Seville that show off the city’s Moorish heritage. Photo: Devour Tours

5. Explore the Moorish history of Seville at the Alcazar Palace

If you are an architecture or history buff, or just appreciate a stroll through some beautiful surroundings, the Real Alcázar is an unmissable stop on your Seville visit. Located just opposite the Cathedral, this Moorish fort which evolved into a Royal Palace is one of the best examples of mudéjar (Moorish & Christian) architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. For fans of TV series Game of Thrones, you may even find some of the Alcázar familiar as this is one of a number of places in Seville where scenes from the show were filmed!

Real Alcazar – From unique architecture to intricate tiles to a stunning collection of gardens—Seville’s Real Alcazar Palace has it all. Photo: Akshay Nanavati/Unsplash

6. Enjoy Seville’s modern side at the Metropol Parasol

Although Seville is a very historic city, it still has a modern side for you to enjoy. The best example of modern architecture in the city is the Metropol Parasol, also known as“Las Setas.”This mushroom-shaped monument is actually the largest wooden structure in the world and caused quite a stir when erected, given its unusual shape and style. However, locals have warmed to it and with carefully excavated Roman ruins to explore underneath and an amazing viewpoint—the best panoramic view of Seville—on top. 

The uniquely beautiful Las Setas monument doubles as one of our favorite spots to enjoy a stunning city view.  Photo: Joan Oger/Unsplash

7. Sip some iconic local wines

It may be surprising, given it’s a far cry from the sickly sweet drink often thought of when someone mentions sherry, but it’s actually the bone dry manzanilla that is the most popular sherry wine among locals in Seville! You can’t visit the city without trying some, and the authentic atmosphere at Bar Las Teresas makes it a great place to enjoy it, especially when paired with some delicious jamón Ibérico. Not into dry wines? Why not try another Sevillano specialty wine—vino de naranja! The deliciously sweet orange wine has been available at Taberna Álvaro Peregil since Álvaro’s great grandfather introduced it to the city in 1904.

Sherry and Ham – Two things you simply must try when visiting Seville—bone-dry manzanilla sherry and thinly sliced acorn-fed Iberian ham. Photo: Devour Spain

8. Take in the Seville sun at Plaza de España

There are a number of architectural marvels in Seville to enjoy, but none compare to the beauty of the city’s iconic Plaza de España. Built in the lead up to the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 in the city, the intricate detail of the tilework on this enormous pavilion have made it hugely popular with locals and visitors alike. When visiting the square, don’t miss out on the stunning Maria Luisa park located alongside it, the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city center.

The ornate details of Seville’s Plaza de España are not to be missed. Photo: Alessandra Easterthere/Unsplash

9. Admire Seville’s amazing skyline

With so many beautiful buildings dotted throughout the city of Seville, it’s only natural there would be plenty of places with an amazing view in the city. And what better way to take in the Sevillano skyline than with a drink in hand? Head up to the rooftop terrace of the Hotel Doña María for an amazing view of the cathedral, especially striking at sunset!


Photo: sepavone/Depositphotos

10. Venture over the river to Triana             

While there are plenty of things to do in the center of the city, a trip to Seville isn’t complete without crossing the bridge to visit the Triana neighborhood. Known for its bullfighters, vibrant flamenco scene and delicious tapas, there is a sense of pride unique to the area and the people who call Triana home. Also, Triana is the perfect place to buy some beautiful ceramics, a great souvenir to take home from Seville.

Fishermen relax next to the Guadalquivir, with Triana neighbourhood in the background. Photo: 5888244/Pixabay

11. Wander through a local food market

Visiting a local food market is a great way to experience local foodie culture for yourself. At Seville’s food markets, you don’t just buy top quality, fresh produce, you can also step into one of the bars in the market and enjoy authentic tapas made from the market’s finest ingredients. A visit to the Mercado de la Feria, Seville’s oldest food market, gives you the perfect combination of both sides of market culture in the city.

Triana’s market is the perfect place to buy and eat some delicious local produce. Photo: Lothar Boris Piltz/Unsplash

12. Discover the artistic heritage of Seville

Birthplace of artists such as Velázquez, Murillo and Zurbarán, it’s not surprising that Seville boasts one of the most significant art collections in all of Spain. These amazing pieces can be found inside the Fine Arts Museum, a stunning building complete with a typical Andalusian patio. 

This article was written by Devour Tours , a company founded by Spanish food lovers as a way to connect hungry travellers with the local, family-run businesses that make amazing food. Devour Tours offers award-winning, fun and delicious food tours and tapas tours in San Sebastián, Seville, Barcelona and Madrid.

For members

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

 
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