Seville is the capital of Andalusia and the most Spanish of Spanish cities — a place of flamenco born in the streets, orange trees lining every boulevard, and a Moorish architectural legacy that reaches its peak in the extraordinary Real Alcázar palace complex. The birthplace of Carmen, Don Juan, and the bullfight, Seville is a city of passion, history, and one of the most intense Easter week celebrations in the Christian world. Here are the best things to do in Seville.
1. Visit the Real Alcázar
The Real Alcázar of Seville is the oldest royal palace still in active use in Europe — a labyrinthine complex of palatial rooms, courtyards, and gardens built and modified by rulers from the Moorish caliphs to the Spanish monarchy over more than 1,000 years. The Mudejar palace built for Pedro I of Castile in the 14th century is the highlight: its Ambassador's Hall (Salón de los Embajadores) with its honeycomb golden dome is one of the most beautiful rooms in Spain. The gardens — a rambling ensemble of fountains, orange trees, and hidden bowers — are equally extraordinary. Book tickets online to avoid queues.
2. Climb the Giralda Tower
The Giralda — originally the minaret of Seville's great mosque and later converted into the bell tower of the Cathedral — is the defining landmark of the Seville skyline. The ascent to the top is unique: rather than stairs, a series of 35 ramps (designed so that the muezzin could ride a horse to the top) wind upward to a viewing platform with outstanding panoramas over the Cathedral, Alcázar, and the city. The Cathedral itself is the world's largest Gothic cathedral — its sheer scale is overwhelming.
3. Experience Semana Santa
Seville's Holy Week (Semana Santa), held in the week before Easter, is the most intense and atmospheric religious event in Europe. For seven days and nights, more than 60 brotherhoods (hermandades) process through the streets carrying enormous floats (pasos) depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ and the Virgin Mary, accompanied by Nazarene penitents in pointed hoods and the haunting music of brass bands and the saeta — an improvised devotional song sung from balconies. Hotel rooms book out a year in advance.
4. See Live Flamenco
Seville is the spiritual home of flamenco — the art form that emerged from the fusion of Romani, Moorish, and Andalusian traditions in the 19th century. The Triana neighborhood, across the Guadalquivir river, was historically the birthplace of many of flamenco's greatest artists. For the most authentic experience, seek out peñas flamencas (local flamenco clubs) rather than the tourist-oriented tablaos on the main routes. The Casa de la Memoria and La Casa del Flamenco in the Santa Cruz neighborhood offer intimate, high-quality performances.
5. Wander the Barrio Santa Cruz
The Barrio de Santa Cruz — Seville's former Jewish quarter — is a labyrinth of narrow, whitewashed lanes, flower-filled patios, and hidden squares built on such a small scale that two people can barely pass in some streets. The smell of orange blossom fills the air in spring. The Callejón del Agua, Calle Agua, and the Jardines de Murillo are among the most photogenic corners. Escape the tourist crowds on the main routes by ducking into side streets — the neighborhood rewards aimless wandering.
6. Explore the Triana Neighborhood
Triana, across the Guadalquivir river from the old city, is Seville's most characterful neighborhood — the birthplace of flamenco, ceramics, and bullfighting culture. The Calle Betis along the riverbank, with its outdoor terraces looking back at the Torre del Oro and the Seville skyline, is one of the city's finest evening experiences. The covered market (Mercado de Triana) is excellent, and the ceramic tile shops along Calle Alfarería sell the distinctive hand-painted azulejo tiles that decorate buildings across Andalusia.
7. Visit the Torre del Oro and the Guadalquivir
The Torre del Oro — a 13th-century Almohad watchtower on the banks of the Guadalquivir — was once part of Seville's city walls and is believed to have stored gold brought from the Americas during the Age of Exploration. Today it houses a small maritime museum. The river itself offers excellent boat tours, and the Paseo de Cristóbal Colón along the western bank is a pleasant riverside walk connecting the Torre to the Teatro de la Maestranza opera house.
8. Attend the Feria de Abril
Two weeks after Semana Santa, Seville hosts the Feria de Abril — one of Spain's greatest festivals and a celebration of Andalusian identity. A temporary city of casetas (striped fairground tents) springs up in the Los Remedios neighborhood, and for six days and nights Sevillanas fill the streets in flamenco dresses dancing, drinking sherry, and eating fried fish. Most casetas are private (belonging to families or associations), but the public areas around the fairground are accessible to all, and the atmosphere is extraordinary.
9. Day Trip to the White Villages
The Sierra de Grazalema natural park, an hour's drive from Seville, contains some of Andalusia's most beautiful white villages (Pueblos Blancos) — Arcos de la Frontera, Grazalema, Zahara de la Sierra, and Vejer de la Frontera among them. These dazzlingly white hilltop towns, draped over limestone crags above rolling olive and cork oak hills, are the Spain of the imagination. Combine a white village drive with a visit to the sherry bodegas of Jerez de la Frontera.
10. Explore the Plaza de España
Seville's Plaza de España, built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, is one of the most magnificent public squares in Spain — a vast semicircular arc of brick and tile architecture flanking a canal with rowing boats, decorated with 48 ceramic alcoves representing each province of Spain. It's over-the-top to the point of fantasy, but the effect is genuinely spectacular, especially in the golden light of early morning or late afternoon. Film fans will recognize it as the Naboo senate city in Star Wars: Episode II.