Visiting Seville
For those of you wondering what´s the best time to visit Seville, I’d love to share the story of my perfect Seville weekend. Since I visited the city quite a few times myself, I am ready to give you this personal piece of advice.
Visiting Seville
Why everyone loves Seville
You never know where to start with the descriptions of Seville since there´s honestly a lot that falls under this umbrella.
Seville is one of the top places to visit in the Spanish region of Andalusia and an absolute must-stop on every Southern Spain Itinerary. The city hosts some of the most iconic festivities in Spain and is simply perfect for rekindling one´s romance with Spain (and life itself).
The endless small details form the most charming side of Seville: the Moorish walls and the Roman ruins, the Baroque churches, and the Renaissance architecture… not to mention those orange-tree plazas and cute tiled patios, delicious tapas and vibrant flamenco outfits at local shops´ windows? – All the famous things Spain globally ranks for can be found in Seville. So, you really don’t need to search for any more reasons to plan a weekend getaway in the city – just go and enjoy it to the fullest.
Seville is such a gem when it comes to unique Spanish landmarks. Actually, this part has completely overcome my initial expectations during this Seville weekend. Seville is a mixture of the traditional Spanish charm and endless sightseeing plans.
The city of Seville can not be called a hidden gem or one of the most underrated towns in Spain. It is obviously well-established on the tourist track. Yet if we compare it to Barcelona, which gets 16-32 mln visitors every year, Seville is way more appealing for the fans of Undiscovered Spain – the city only gets 2 million travelers every year.
My story with Seville
My personal love match with Seville did not actually happen at first sight.
The moment I admit I didn´t like Seville the first time I visited the city, I almost feel like I´m about to get booed before finishing the phrase (very much like when I say I prefer Madrid over Barcelona). Literally, no one ever agreed with me on this one. But before you stop reading this post, just hear me out – there´s more to the story.
Well, the first time I visited Seville was in July ( I think this fact on its own actually explains a lot for those in the know).
The trip happened long before my 15 expat years in Spain, during one of my first trips to the Iberian Peninsula. So, I was obviously unaware of the temperatures: the official average for Seville in July is 36C. But in reality, it was way beyond that – around 40C, at least (but it felt like 50C). While I do not recall an exact number, I do remember how exhausting all the walking around the city was. Even the desert-like Wild West Theme Parks of Almeria felt more refreshing to me. And as if it was not enough: the city was actually quite packed with tourists. Apparently, lots of people had no clue of what they were getting themselves into.
After that trip, I was fully convinced that Seville was simply not my kind of city, and with time have ultimately settled for that. With Spanish destinations like Formentera, The Canary Islands, or the Spanish Pyrenees I immediately clicked. With Seville, it felt like it was never meant to be.
But the years went by…and suddenly one of my Andalusia road trips changed this perception forever. I got to spend a weekend in Seville one October and fell in love with it. Just like that.
Noticing this second-time charm of places is not something that happens to me quite often. So take my word for it, Seville is one of a kind.
Over the last few years, I have occasionally returned to Seville, while on the road to Extremadura and Algarve. Always loved it.
Finally, the city has somehow made it to my list of favorite destinations in Spain. So, that first impression of mine has definitely failed me.
Best time to visit Seville
When is the best time to visit Seville? – This is a popular question everyone is talking about. But the answer is very objective: let´s get into the details.
The timing might not be essential to every visitor. At the same time, knowing when to visit Seville will make or break that Seville weekend for many of us. So research and preparation lift your chances to make the most of it. Why not try having the best experience one possibly can? – So, let me share with you my impression of Seville through different seasons.
Seville in Summer
While those who bear well high temperatures might like Seville in summer, personally, I would not recommend it.
Summer is officially considered the low season in Seville since it´s one of the hottest places in Europe. But from my experience, I felt like the same people who swore by that 36C we promoting the off-season concept of Seville. While there were obviously not so many people outside at midday – the city was still quite touristy for the rest of the day. Summer is always about work and school holidays in Spain – don´t expect to have all the monuments to yourself anywhere across the country.
To sum up, neither the weather was good to explore the city, nor was Seville empty.
Seville in Autumn
Autumn is a different story. For me, it´s undeniably the best time to visit Seville.
Here I´m talking more about October and even early November. Since schools in Spain usually begin around mid-September (some people will still be on vacation the first half of the month). Therefore, Seville is usually quite busy in September.
November in the South and East of Spain is still warm. But it might let you down if you expect your Seville weekend to be totally summer-like. I remember a few years ago I was still able to swim in Benicassim around November (and the Valencian Community is way more refreshing than Seville). But you can’t count on this. It´s relatively warm in Seville all year round, but that summer-like warm in November depends on your luck.
Seville in Spring
The next best time to visit Seville for me is Spring.
Except for the April. But you could totally give me an argument on this one. It´s when one of the top festivities in Spain, Feria de Abril, takes place every year. If you are interested in seeing the traditional religious processions and don´t mind a busy Seville weekend (with partying and dancing all day and all night) – that might even be your best time to visit Seville.
As I have mentioned earlier, I once made a stop in Seville around May, on the way to Algarve/Portugal. It was busier than October but still lovely. While the rest of Europe in May is still preparing for the summer vibes, in Seville it´s already as good as it gets.
Seville in Winter
My last Andalusia road trip took place in February and it felt like an off-season indeed.
Seville in winter is still a great winter-sun destination in Spain. However, it´s like there was less fiesta in the air, which in the case of Seville o one would want to miss out. So, personally, I liked Seville in winter slightly less than in October or May. Yet, if winter Seville will be on the road during one of my Spanish road trips – I will be glad to plan another Seville weekend asap.
My perfect Weekend in Seville
Now that we are clear about the best time to visit Seville. Let me share with you my perfect Seville weekend, the one that has set a new beginning in my relationship with the city.
For this time in the city, we were staying at Hotel NH Collection Sevilla. Actually, I liked the location – it was enough centric, yet relatively quiet. Since both of us, me and my husband, love exploring cities on foot we usually try staying close to the center (but not too close in order to avoid the nightlife buzz).
Seville Weekend – Day 1
Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España
We started our weekend in Seville with a walk towards the central Park – Parque de María Luisa, which was full of quiet fountains and pretty gardens. It was around 9 a.m., so the city was still waking up.
It was a perfect moment to visit Plaza de España Square, which is definitely the heart of the whole city. It was built for the 1929 Ibero-American Expo, back in 1928. The square exposes many tiled alcoves, representing different provinces in Spain.
Plaza de España has been used as a filming location in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Star Wars II – Attack of the Clones (2002).
This square was so beautiful in the morning with the first tourists starting popping up. Yet, I heard it would be especially magical during the blue hour when you´re catching a glimpse of the setting sun. Therefore, at the end of the day, we returned: was beautiful indeed, but already quite busy.
Guadalquivir river
After exploring the center of Seville, we headed for a walk along the Guadalquivir River and had some drinks and snacks at one of the waterfront cafes.
Centro Ceramica Triana
Since I´m a fan of Spanish pottery, traditional arts&crafts, we couldn´t miss a local ceramic museum Centro Ceramica Triana.
While I liked it less than the ceramic Museum of Manises or Valencia Ceramic Museum, visiting Seville s Ceramic Museum was still such a cool artsy moment. Plus, it was not crowded at all, so the visit was enjoyable.
We also stopped for a coffee at one of the local cafes nearby and it looked so cool inside…
Seville´s Cathedral and La Giralda
Seville´s Cathedral is one of the most well-known places of religious cults in Spain. Due to the 500 years of Arab presence on the Iberian Peninsula, it was built on a mosque (after the Reconquista of 1248). The main entrance, Puerta del Perdon, is the only part of the original mosque which remains within the current structure. Inside the cathedral, you´ll find around 600 paintings by famous Spanish artists like Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Francisco de Zurbaran, and Francisco Pacheco.
La Giralda Tower is one of the symbols of Seville, built between 1172 and 1195. You can walk all the way to the top for some magnificent cityscapes of Seville. However, this Seville weekend we didn´t go up (since it was already getting late and we´d previously done it anyway).
A curious thing I´ve noticed about this Seville weekend is that we were moving around quite slowly (despite my usual fast-paced vibe on the road).
The city center was full of beautiful shops and cafes, so I had lost count of the occasional stops made along the way. Actually, I feel like that´s some sort of Seville vibe that gets under your skin (not only cause they take time serving you in restaurants). It´s all about no rush, enjoying small things in life, and taking things easy.
Seville weekend – Day 2
Real Alcazar of Seville
On the second day of our Seville weekend, we booked a tour (a few days in advance) of Real Alcazar of Seville, one of the absolute must-stops in Andalusia (as well as a popular Game of Thrones filming location in Spain). It was a bit of chaos getting in: the line was huge. Well, actually there were supposed to be two lines (for those who got tickets in advance and for those who did not), but somehow both got mixed and it was a bit of elbowing our way in. Whatever, I took it as a part of an authentic Seville experience.
In my personal travel history, I have lived this organizational chaos at some landmarks in Andalusia quite a few times (especially if we were to compare Southern Spain with Northen Spain – there is even a hit Spanish comedy Ocho Apellidos Vascos, portraying those differences for a reason).
Anyway, The Real Alcazar of Seville was absolutely stunning. For sure, my favorite place from this Seville weekend.
The walls and towers of Real Alcazar dated back to 913 and were built by Abderraman III ( the emir of Cordoba). The later Arab rulers and then the Christian kings (especially Pedro I el Cruel) had all added lavish architectural details to the unmatched interiors.
If I am completely honest with you – I enjoyed The Real Alcazar of Seville even more than I did the world-famous Alhambra of Granada. Real Alcazar of Seville is still one of the most storybook places I have ever visited in Spain.
After this tour, we initially planned to visit The Metropol Parasol ( a wooden structure reminding giant mushrooms, built over a Roman Antiquarium), but after visiting The Real Alcazar of Seville, we spontaneously decided to spend more time wandering around the city center and shopping.
I felt like I haven´t had enough of Seville´s architecture before setting off. Who knows when we’ll get a chance to have a Seville weekend again?
If you have visited the city yourself, please, share with others your own thoughts on the best time to visit Seville!
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Interesting to read that you did not like Seville on your first visit. But glad you went back and found all there was to love about this city. We visited in May and it was over 40 so I understand that July would be a challenging time to enjoy the city. Good to know the city is still great into November. A good time for all the walking we do.
I visited Seville in the height of summer, and it was quite warm. I love the heat, though. I know that the Flamenco dancers are quite energetic, but the sweat was pouring off of them. Seville is great.
Loved this narrative way of describing Seville, a mix of recommendations and your own stories (and travel lessons, ha!) Seville has always been on my list, and now even more so!
I’ve never heard of Seville before reading this! After reading your recommendations I’d love to visit this spot one day. Personally would love to visit Real Alcazar as I was a fan of the TV series Game of Thrones. Thanks for sharing!
I think Seville sounds like my kinda place – particularly in Spring. Thanks for the inspiration.
I was recently in Spain and planned to visit Seville. However, we made a last-minute change and went to Morocco instead. Now, I know I will need to find another excuse to get to Spain so I can see Seville! Thanks for your tips.