Quien no ha visto Sevilla no ha visto maravilla… A famous Spanish quote that praises the very charming city of Sevilla. Economic, cultural and political capital of Andalusia, it will surround you with its history through its extraordinary architecture with an astonishing Muslim heritage still present on the buildings of the city. Here are some visits that we were able to discover, and I wanted to share them with you below. Enjoy your visit!

Where to stay in Seville? What are the neighborhoods?

Although the city is not very big, we still find different neighborhoods, each with its own charm. Depending on your budget and your travel plan, accommodation will make all the difference to a convenient and memorable stay.

For our part, we wanted to be in the center and close to the Santa Justa station, since we were leaving from this train station to our next destination, Cordoba.

Thus, we opted for the district of Santa Cruz, a hostel which offers private rooms with bathroom, and which was perfectly located, the New Samay Hostel on Avenida Menéndez Pelayo. The night cost us 72€ for a stay at the end of June. In addition, if you do not have a plan for the day, the reception will offer you a practical guide with a plan of the visits to be made throughout your stay and which are located near the hotel. For example, we wanted to know a beautiful place to admire the sunset and easily accessible by foot. Santa Cruz is the historic center of the city par excellence! Walking through the small alleys offers us an enchanting setting typical of Andalusia. In the evening, the historic calm turns into a fiesta with street music, tango, tapas, bars and people laughing and partying all night long. We loved this neighborhood! Back at our hotel, it was very quiet and respectful, we did not hear the festivities at all from outside.

You also have neighborhoods like Macarena, north of Santa Cruz, this neighborhood is more economical for housing since it is a bit far from the center.

Alameda, west of Macarena, is a livelier area, there is a lot of partying there with lots of bars and restaurants, a very nice atmosphere and is less touristy than Santa Cruz.

El Arenal is a smaller district, on the west side of Santa Cruz, it is more chic and close to the center too, you will find restaurants that are more refined.

You can move away and stay in the neighborhoods of Triana and Los Remedios, where you will have to cross the river, but you will find more authentic and popular neighborhoods. Few or no tourists are there, you will immerse yourself in the most authentic local culture. In addition, housing is more affordable.

For a first visit, it seems that the neighborhoods to avoid would be Santa Justa, San Bernardo and Nervion. They are not considered dangerous, but there are fewer pedestrian streets for example, the typical atmosphere of Seville would not be there.

One-day tours in Sevilla

Since we stayed in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, we were able to walk to the main attractions. We did this following tour:

– Sevilla Cathedral and the minaret transformed into a bell tower, the Giralda – This magnificent cathedral, the biggest in Spain, built from 1402 and consecrated in 1507 was a short walk from our hotel (10 minutes). We walked along Plaza de Santa Cruz and came to the Giralda tower, which is part of the cathedral but was once a minaret of the great Almohad mosque in Sevilla. The city was reconquered, and the mosque became a cathedral, the minaret a bell tower. The architecture is still impressive with a Gothic decor that has not lost its charm. This is also where the tomb of Christopher Columbus is located.

– Spain Square and Maria Luisa Park – Then we visited the Spain Square (Plaza de España) in Sevilla. Before going there, you can stop at the Real Alcazar of Sevilla, for fans of Games of Thrones, scenes were shot in this place, which represents a fortified palace.

Plaza de España is a beautiful square in Sevilla that you shouldn’t miss. By its architecture, its history, its atmosphere, it is located in the very charming Maria Luisa park where we strolled all around. Plaza de España was created for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929, a symbol of peace with its former American colonies. The entrance is free.

– Torre del Oro – We passed by the “Tower of Gold” formerly a military observation tower built at the beginning of the 13th century. We did not visit it inside, but it is located on the Guadalquivir River, on the very charming Christopher Columbus promenade, a very nice walk for lovers, friends or family that I would strongly recommend.

– Sunset at the Isabel II Bridge – Walking along the Torre del Oro and the Columbus Walk, we headed to the Isabel II Bridge to see the sunset. At the reception of our hotel, we were advised to go there to see it. It is a beautiful sunset that can be admired around 9:30 p.m. off the canal which makes it a reflection on the water, then it ends up passing under the bridge to illuminate the city and go down peacefully.

– Nightlife of the Santa Cruz district – In the evening the world goes out in Sevilla and I don’t really know until what time, since the streets are all animated between songs and street music, flamenco, also the choice of bars and restaurants is not lacking in this neighborhood. The good atmosphere reigns there, it almost seems that the city changes at night with a calmer rhythm during the day. We ate in a restaurant called Bar Pelayo, the paella is a must try 😊 The tapas are very good there!

Transportation in Sevilla

A quick note on transport in Sevilla. The city is well served, you have the tram, the bus, the train from one city to another, but the district of Santa Cruz is easily done by foot. We did not rent a car, since parking lots are difficult to find and can be quite expensive. From the airport we took a taxi to our hotel, it cost us 25€ one way. Depending on the length of your stay and your accommodation, having a car might have been an inconvenience for our short stay, the walking tours and the train to another town worked perfectly.

Our trip to Sevilla was a very pleasant surprise, the calm and gentle rhythm during the day with a magnificent temperature, and a very lively nightlife filled our hearts. We leave with very beautiful memories in mind and were hoping on returning one day for a longer stay.

Have you ever visited Sevilla? Tell me everything 😊