48 Hours in Spain: A First Look at Sevilla

48 Hours in Spain: Falling in Love with Sevilla

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Sevilla (or Seville) was one of the places we opted to visit on this Enrichment Voyage in which I had zero expectations. Sometimes that’s the way to travel: Expect nothing, be blown away. That’s what happened when we reached southern Spain.

Sevilla, Spain

Now, I’ve been to Spain several times. You may recall I wrote my first guidebook on Spain. I’ve even been to both Sevilla and Cadiz, the port town in which the ship was docked, en route to Morocco in 2005. But I hadn’t been to Sevilla and Cadiz—other than to sleep on the bus station floor and take a ferry, respectively.

Sevilla, Spain

For some reason, I remembered Cadiz as a dirty port town. Turns out it’s not in the slightest.

Cadiz, Spain

But because of this preconceived stereotype, I picked the nearest mid-sized city and decided our group would go there for the two days and one night we had back in Spain.

Sevilla, Spain

I found us a cute little four-star hotel for just over $100 a night off of one of the city’s many plazas. It was clean, modern and boasted this view from our balcony.

Sevilla, Spain

Best of all, the staff couldn’t have been nicer. What more could you want? Speaking of staff…it’s harder than it looks keeping track of seven little meandering ducklings in as crowded a place as Sevilla. Sometimes I felt like I needed some sort of order or baton, like this woman.

Sevilla, Spain

Something else exciting happened in Spain: This little gal joined us!

Sevilla, Spain

Only, she hadn’t shaved when she first arrived.

Sevilla, Spain

Because my sister is a first-year CPA, the most she could take off from work was six days, so she hopped over the pond and joined us for half of this leg of the cruise. We were pretty stoked to have her on board; after all, she brings the party.

Sevilla, Spain

We had planned to do what my mom always insists on doing anytime we have a short amount of time in a city and explore by “the big red bus” (aka the hop-on, hop-off city sightseeing tour). WELL. Let me tell you. The one in Sevilla sucks. We waited at the main stop for two hours and…it never showed up. Then one finally came, it went one stop and made us get off. At that point it was time to pick my sister up at the train station, so we bailed entirely. But I am done with that stupid City Sightseeing company for life. The local rep said I had to contact corporate to get us refunds (17 euro per person), only corporate doesn’t respond to calls, emails, Tweets or other forms of harassment.

Sevilla, Spain

Our one night there, we found ourselves eating delicious tapas (and drinking even more pitchers of sangria) on Calle Mateo Gagos near the Cathedral. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs as by the end of the meal, there were at least 35 plates on the table—and only nine of us!

Sevilla, Spain

Then, we wandered around the Cathedral en route to our nighttime Flamenco show. If the 16th-century structure was stunning by day, that had nothing on what it looked like by night.

Cathedral in Sevilla, Spain

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside of the Flamenco show, but trust me in that it was awesome and you should go to a show when in Sevilla (but book tickets in advance as they are full nearly every night!).

Sevilla, Spain

The one thing we did not do was sample the local delicacy: LIVE SNAILS.

Snails in Spain

They were available in every restaurant (meaning I’ll have ample opportunity at some other point in my life, I’m sure).

Sevilla, Spain

But still, snails aside, with tapas, sangria, Flamenco and some cultural “stuff,” Sevilla as a whole was just good, old-fashioned family time at its finest.

Sevilla, Spain

Sevilla, Spain

COMMENTS
  • May 17, 2013

    We loved Sevilla. We almost skipped the Flamenco (which we showed up to without reservations) because it was $100/pp. It made my heart pound and was breathtaking. We had a table for two by the stage and could feel the feet thumping inside of us as they danced. It was an amazing experience we still recall vividly over 3 years later. Highly recommended to anyone in Sevilla!

    We went on a weeknight, without reservations as I said, and had no problem being seated. Even if you show up without ressys try to get into a show!

    • May 17, 2013

      I think ours was 35 euro pp (including one drink), and we thought THAT was pricy! You’re right: worth every penny, though.

  • May 17, 2013
    travel guy

    are you working on SAS again or just a passenger this time? if so what is your role? thanks!

    • May 17, 2013

      You bet. Third voyage, second as Comms Coordinator.

  • May 17, 2013

    I also went to Seville with no expectations and LOVED it. My favorite part was soaking in an underground tub at an old Arabic bathhouse. I found the city on the whole to be very romantic. Too bad I was just there with a friend!

    • May 17, 2013

      WHY did I miss that! That sounds like a fun way to experience Seville!

  • May 17, 2013

    Seville, take me away! I sat in front of my screen, sighing as I scrolled through your gorgeous photos. You look like you’re having an amazing time and seeing some beautiful sights. Thanks for sharing!

    http://sagebrushgazette.blogspot.com/

  • May 18, 2013

    Wow! I have to admit I am so jealous right now. I hope that I can go to places like this in the future. In trips like this there seem to be dull moments. Thanks for sharing all those lovely photos.

  • May 18, 2013
    Haidang

    I NEVER do that red bus! Yikes. Does it ever work ?

  • May 19, 2013

    Over two thousand years old, Seville’s rich history and traditions have given the modern-day city a lot to offer: amazing architecture, historical landmarks, colorful festivals like Feria and Semana Santa, and a vibrant nightlife that features authentic flamenco dancers, Sevillanas musicians, and delicious restaurants.

  • May 19, 2013
    Emily

    I studied in Sevilla for four months and loved it there! These pictures make me want to go back so much! The Cathedral really is pretty at night and the food is amazing. I also skipped the snails.

  • May 20, 2013

    Gorgeous photos! I’ve been craving a trip abroad and you made me rethink the Spain destination! 🙂

    I’ve only been to Barcelona (I saw your pics on there, too!) and can’t wait to return to Espana!

  • May 20, 2013

    I’ve always wanted to go to Seville! I hear good things about it and your photos do make it look super clean and charming. Glad to see you are feeling better!

  • May 22, 2013

    beautiful pictures!

  • May 28, 2013

    Spain should be your travel destination in 2013, and you need to be prepared financially. Mid-ranged foods cost between $10 and $15, while for accommodations, you should budget $40 to $70 for every night. The country is an incredible place to visit during spring break because it offers variety in the destinations you can visit and you can learn important lessons about Spain’s history and culture.

  • May 28, 2013

    I’m still really, really freaked out that people eat snails and I’m not a little bit freaked out by the snail doodles on the windows. Otherwise, it all looks absolutely beautiful!

  • May 28, 2013

    You’ll find that it is almost impossible not to have a good time in this beautiful city. As the capital of Andalucia, you’re never far away either from discovering the beauty and charm of southern Spain.

  • May 30, 2013

    The picture with the mustache has to be one of my favorites 🙂 I love the place. I will be visiting there in the near future.

  • May 30, 2013
    Andi

    There is also a really great aquarium there and lots of fun festivals. I visited several times and had a blast!

  • June 8, 2013

    Over two thousand years old, Seville’s rich history and traditions have given the modern-day city a lot to offer: amazing architecture, historical landmarks, colorful festivals like Feria and Semana Santa, and a vibrant nightlife that features authentic flamenco dancers, Sevillanas musicians, and delicious restaurants.

  • July 2, 2015
    Ana

    Just discovered this blog and it is amazing. I am really enjoying it… Traveling through someone else’s adventures while seating in the office. Why not? By the way… Snails are cooked when eaten. And they are delicious!

    (ps. I am Spanish 🙂 )

  • May 21, 2017

    Lovely post about Sevilla! Been there one day on our roadtrip through Andalusia in Spain. Next time you should visit Cordoba and Granada as well!

  • April 25, 2018

    The places that I liked most about Seville were the Plaza España and the Archivo de Indias. This building is from the early eighteenth century and keeps all the documentation of the Spanish conquest in America

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