Sevilla, Spain

Architecture lovers will obsess over Sevilla (or Seville in English). Hands down my favorite thing is how the city developed around the Canal de Alfonso XIII, with six (!) different bridges spanning across and tons of restaurants and bars along the banks, presenting the perfect alfresco dining opportunity. You could easily spend a whole day just sitting along the river at an outdoor cafe people watching, but then you’d miss all of other amazing cathedrals, palaces, and sites Sevilla has to offer. Word of caution: Sevilla is HOT. I was there in August, and you can see there’s a haze on all of the photos (even with the older quality – thanks 2004!).

Planning Guide

• Where to stay: Near Puente de Isabel II
• Flight details: Fly into Sevilla Airport (SVQ)
• Time of year visited: Summer
• Time in Sevilla: 3 days
• Spain itinerary: 8 weeks study abroad in Spain, including Cádiz, Granada, Madrid, and Sevilla

Save this map to use on your trip:

1. Click the star to the right of the map title
2. Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone
3. Click on the three lines in the upper left corner and select “Your Places”
4. Select “Maps” and the map will be saved there for you to use on your trip. Have fun!

 

Favorite Moments

The Architecture

Unique architectural styles abound in Sevilla telling the story of the city’s vibrancy, changing of rule, and overall expansion. A study in the contrast of the ancient and modern, you definitely won’t want for photo-worthy moments.
Don’t Miss: Catedral de Sevilla, Real Alcázar de Sevilla, especially the Mercury Fountain, and Plaza de España are all worth spending time at. As always, I recommend buying tickets online in advance to avoid the long lines in the summer months. If you love architecture, I also recommend seeing the Metropol Parasol, which was built in 2011 after I visited.

Logistics: Sevilla is one of the few places where I recommend hopping on those big red double-decker City Sightseeing tour buses. The city is walkable, but it’s quite large, and most tourists only plan around three days total there. The bus tour will allow you to see some of those drive-by sites like Torre de Oro, while allowing you to get off at the old city fortress wall, while allowing you to get off and spend more time at the big ones listed above.

 

The Bridges

The six bridges of Sevilla were constructed for the 1992 World’s Fair, which was organized to celebrate the 500th anniversary Christoper Columbus discovering the Americas. While I don’t recommend visiting the Expo site (it hasn’t been kept up that well and it’s just a bunch of random ’90s-style buildings; you’ll drive past it and see what I mean on the City Sightseeing tour), I could sit along the Canal and stare at the bridges all day. Each offers a different architectural viewpoint from the ultra modern arch of Puente de la Barqueta to the playful orbs supporting Puente de Isabel II.

Don’t Miss: All of the bridges near the central historical district, such as including Puente de Isabel II, Puente del Cristo de la Expiración el Cachorro, and Puente de San Telmo, have pedestrian walkways. Make sure to venture across them for a unique viewpoint of the city.

Logistics: There’s no need to walk to the far ends of the city if you want to hit up the more modern bridges. You’ll drive over or past Puente del Alamillo and Puente de la Barqueta on the City Sightseeing tour.

 

Calle Betis

Walk across the Puente de Isabel II to Calle Betis, famous for its nightlife. Many of the bars and restaurants offer views of the waterfront and city beyond, lit up with twinkling lights at night. It’s also one of the best places to cool off, especially in summer months when the heat is sweltering.