Have I mentioned that I love Seville before? I suppose I have. Seville is a beautiful city adorned with breathtaking sights, picturesque walks and busting with flowers. Find out a little bit about the points of interest in my Seville tourist guide.

Seville is always a city I’ll want to return to. There aren’t many cities that I could revisit over and over and love it just as much as the first time. It’s a city that, even though we’ve been before, there was still so much we hadn’t seen before, and still so many more places to visit.

This guide should put you in the right direction of some of the most ‘must-see’ places in Seville, including monuments and points of interest.

We arrived to Seville at 11:30 A.M to the Plaza de Armas bus station. This station is located very close to the city centre and you are welcomed with views of the river as you arrive.

The first thing we did was head straight for something to eat. We weren’t really sure what we fancied, so making use of the Starbucks on every corner we decided to head there. The Starbucks overlooks the cathedral, so we did sit outside, so that it at least felt Spanish. Seville feels very American. It’s almost like America and Spain collided to bring us the sheer beauty that is Seville. My two favourite places coming together? No wonder I love it here so much.

After a brief breakfast, we headed straight out exploring. We didn’t get a chance to head up the Giralda, so I haven’t included that, but, if you do go to Seville, it’s worth booking ahead and getting your tickets. It’s a very steep climb, but I’m told it’s ramps and not stairs! Don’t take my word for that though! 

We did manage to spend a lot of time at Maria Luisa Park, which definitely remains my favourite spot in Seville and plenty of other monuments and points of interest. Are you ready to explore Seville with me?

The Cathedral

The resting place of Christopher Colombus, Seville’s cathedral, is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Does this surprise you as much as it surprised me? It is also recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Taking over a century to construct, starting in 1401 and not finishing until 1506, it is obvious that time was taken to reach perfection. It is magnificent.

We entered the cathedral really early, unable to take part in the full tour, we were able to nip in and catch a glimpse of the free part of the entrance.

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

Another favourite spot of mine in Seville is the Royal Alcázar, or the Real Alcázar. The Real Alcázar is the royal palace which was specifically built for the King of Castile.

The Royal Alcázar of Seville is one of the most important monuments in the city and the country. Historial growth is evident hidden behind the high walls and lush gardens. Influences can be found from the Arabic period, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and the XIX period.

Game of Thrones fans will recognise the Alcazar as it was used for scenes in Season Five, in episodes 2, 6, 7 and 9. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, why not head to the Alcazar and step onto the film set?

I absolutely adore the Alcazar, which is why you should add it to your ‘must see’ in Seville list. It’s a beautiful place for relaxing and wandering around. You can go at your own pace and it just feels perfect to sit on the benches and take it all in.

The gardens are stunning and an oasis to keep cool in the sweltering heat. Andalusian houses typically feature a large, lush garden for this reason! So, if you’re feeling the heat, head to an Andalusian style casa and relax in the gardens. There is no time limit at the Alcazar so spend as long as you like relaxing.

Entrance for adults is 9€, for students and pensioners entrance is a meer 2€ and for under 16’s it’s only 1€. Trust me, it’ll be the best few euros you’ll spend. Queues are astonishing, so book your tickets online. We booked our tickets sat in Starbucks for the same day, showing our scannable e-ticket.

Torre del Oro

We didn’t head into the Torre del Oro, Tower of Gold, this time. We felt it was more of a once you’ve done it, you’ve done it place. Though, the views of the river are fantastic from above.

The Torre del Oro is a purpose built military watchtower in Seville overlooking the Guadalquivir river. It was built back in the 13th century and served as a prison during the Middle Ages. Climbing the seemingly never ending steps, you’ll find out more and more about the history of Seville and its watchtower.

The Parasol

The Parasol. Love it or hate it. What do you think? When we came to Seville last time, I point blank refused to go up. I hated it. I hated the look. It just doesn’t fit. I must say, this wooden thing still doesn’t do it for me. But, it does give you great, panoramic views of Seville.

The six parasols form a giant mushroom, known as ‘las setas’. Located in the old quarter of Seville, it was only completed in 2011. The Parasol causes a lot of controversy amongst the locals, and I can see why. It has supposedly been inspired by the Cathedral of Seville, but I don’t see it myself!

The Parasol was really hard to find, or maybe we were being daft, but if you’re struggling like we were, here’s how to get there! Take the stairs or the escalator down to underground level (Level 0) heading toward the Antiquarium, which is where the Roman ruines are displayed. There, you’ll find a ticket desk! You then take the elevator up to level 3.

On level 3, there is also a restaurant where you can enjoy the views. The Parasol circles around the city so you really do get a 360 view. The appearance might not be great, but the views are.

Plaza de España

We’ve all heard of Plaza de España, right? Probably, the most iconic spot in Seville. If you’re wondering if it’s as beautiful as it is in photos, then let me clear that up for you. It is.

Although we’d visited before, it still had that wow factor like the very first time. Plaza de Espana is like that second home. The place you never really consider home, but it feels like home. Maybe it’s because it holds a piece of every corner of Spain.

Found inside Maria Luisa Park, the square of Spain was constructed in 1929. The complex is a massive semi-circle with bridges, twin buildings and plenty of government buildings. There is also a gorgeous fountain and quiant moat, where you can hire paddle boats for 6€ for 35 minutes with a 4€ deposit.

Is the deposit a scam? Some people were concerned that the paddle boats are setting out to scam you. They aren’t. Although your ticket is printed with a time on, this doesn’t count into your 35 minutes. Once you arrive in the boat, the worker will write your return time. This is 35 minutes after you get in, not 35 minutes after you join the queue. We arrived 2 or 3 minutes late back, but still recieved our deposit.

In Plaza de España there are also tiled alcoves which each represent a different province of Spain. They’re sorted alphabetically. Be sure to seek out your favourite province!

You may recognise Plaza de España from the Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones film. It was also featured in The Dictator. If you’re a Simply Red fan, it’s also the location for “Something Got Me Started”.

You can expect to see street stalls, paddle boats, flamenco shows and mini performances. Be very aware as pickpockets are rife around this area. There are also scams of men pretending to need bread and women asking for help. Be very vigilant.

The Bullring

The Maestranza is the famous bullring located in Seville. During Feria de Abril, it is the home to one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals. I didn’t want to visit the bullring for this reason. I wouldn’t think watching a bullfight would be entertaining and neither did I want to fund it.

Although, we could appreciate the building from the outside.

If you do wish to visit the famous bullring and one of the city’s most recognisable buildings, prices are 8€ for adults, 5€ for students, 3€ for children 7-11 years and free for children aged between 0-6 as long as accompanied by a paying adult.

Palacio de las Dueñas

This hidden gem was somewhere that we weren’t sure whether to go to or not! But, I’m so glad we did.

This beautiful palace was built in the 15th century and is another wonderful example of the collision of the Renaissance, the Gothic and the Moorish. Around the gardens, you’ll find tales of the life of poet Antonio Machado, who was lucky enough to be born there.

It’s a fantastic spot and a welcomed quiet paradise away from the bustling city. Considering we went in the height of the day, we had the entire palace and the gardens to ourselves.

The palace consists of courtyards, museum rooms and stunning buildings.

This is one of the most expensive sites in Seville, but it’s worth it. A general ticket is 10€ or a reduced fee (children, disables, students and over 65’s) is 8€.

I loved sitting out in the courtyards just enjoying the breeze and taking in the Andalusian sun. Like the Alcazar, there isn’t a time restraint, so spend as long as you like wandering around the gardens enjoying a breath of fresh air.

I absolutely loved Palacio de las Dueñas. It was a little on the expensive side if you’re not a student, which we aren’t anymore! However, it is worth a visit. It was the height of summer and nobody was around. It was truly blissful to escape the madness of the city centre and just take some time to breathe and relax in its lush gardens. There is no time limit so take it easy to really appreciate it.

Which tourist attraction would you like to visit in Seville?

Hasta luego,