City Rating: Seville
Population of Seville: 700’000
Date of visit: August 2018
Attractions & sights: 4/5
Nightlife: ?/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 3/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Seville is a colorful and lively city full of old charm, fountains, carriages and flamenco, and also one of the most beautiful cities I have seen in Europe yet.
It’s a compact city with numerous attractions, many bars, good restaurants and a car-free Old Town. Seville is, however, also one of the hottest cities in Europe and temperatures can rise above 40°C in summer. Spring and autumn is the best time to visit Andalucia’s capital therefore.
Where to stay:
The Arenal District or near the Cathedral is recommended. The Cathedral is the most central point in terms of sightseeing, as all major sights are in a circle around it.
The Good:
Some people call Seville the most beautiful city in Spain, and I can understand why. The historical center is full of beautiful, colorful buildings (some of them have a strong Arabic influence) which are full of pretty details.
It takes two full days to see the whole city. Seeing all the sights can also be done in one (stressful) day or in three days at a slower pace though. The good thing is that the major sights such as Plaza de España, Parque de Maria Luisa, Real Alcázar de Sevilla, Casa Pilatos, Torre del Oro, Metropol Parasol are not very far from each other.
If you plan accordingly, it doesn’t take more than 5-10 minutes by walking from one sight to another. But you can also take one of the sightseeing buses, although they are not really necessary due to the size of the city. There are even trams in the city which look quite modern, however, we never used them.
Seville has plenty of fantastic restaurants and tapas bars, many of them are located in the historical center. Moreover, the city has some really good rooftop bars. The best one we went to was on top of the EME Cathedral Hotel. Another good rooftop bar is the one on top of hotel Inglaterra.
Another good thing is that Seville is not an expensive city. Hotel prices are reasonable and you can eat and drink without spending a fortune. Plus you won’t need taxis. A taxi from or to the airport costs 25-28 Euros, but there is a bus that only takes 10-15 minutes to the center. A return ticket costs 6 Euro.
All in all, Seville is another great city for sightseeing, dining, having a few drinks and relaxing. It might not be as vibrant as Madrid, but it’s more beautiful than the capital and not as overcrowded as Barcelona. Definite recommendation, as this city has become my favorite city in Spain!
The Bad & The Ugly:
There isn’t anything bad to say about Seville. The only thing I want to mention here is that the weather can be very hot. This is one of the hottest places in Europe, and temperatures can rise above 40°C in summer. Therefore, Seville might be better avoided in July and August. It takes about an hour to go from Seville to the next beach.
People who want to cool down in the water better take a hotel with a swimming pool. Another option is the Ocean Club, which is located about 10km from the city center. The prices are hefty though, as you pay 25 Euros for the entrance (one drink is included).
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