3 Days in Seville, Spain
I rolled into Seville (se-VEE-yah) by train on a Wednesday afternoon, catching an Uber straight from the train station to my hotel. The main accomplishment for the day felt like doing some strategic sink laundry, a critical travel skill.
Later that night around 9:50 PM after wrapping up work, I decided to venture out for food. As soon as I stepped outside, the smell was incredible — It’s mid-April, and everything was blooming. The first 2 nights I stayed about 20 minutes north. First impressions of the area: much quieter, way fewer tourists, at least compared to what I imagined downtown would be like.
Thursday kicked off with some breakfast and a few hours of work in my hotel room - the "digital nomad" reality is not all rooftop views and margaritas. After I wrapped up, first stop: Plaza de España. A sprawling garden with plenty of horse-drawn carriages to test your dodging agility. After wandering through the plaza, I stumbled on a tiny bar tucked into the edge of Parque de María Luisa and grabbed a beer and some tapas. A small beer and 2 tapas were less than $7…
I eventually made my way toward the river and checked out the Torre del Oro, a watchtower built in 1220 to defend against attacks from the Guadalquivir River. I contemplated skipping this because looked like “just a watchtower.” But, my philosophy is usually ‘I’m here, I might as well. I don’t know if I’ll be back.” I’m glad I did. I learned a lot more about what I’ve read in some of my history books about Spanish naval exploration.
It’s wild to think about how long it’s been standing there — by 1248, Ferdinand III and Admiral Bonifaz had already taken the city from the Moors.
Later in the day, I circled back to the Cathedral of Seville — unfortunately it was closed by the time I arrived. But even from the outside, it's a stunning Gothic building and yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spain (1987). It has had many iterations of the years - starting as a Moorish mosque around 1100, then turning into a Christian mosque after the city was conquered by Ferdinand III, then the Cathedral was built in the mid-1400s and completed in early-1500’s. They then added the Giralda tower in 1568. There's a few rooftop bars right across the street from the tower, and while still expensive, it was worth it for the view.
Dinner that night turned into an impromptu tapas crawl: crispy shrimp croquettes, endless slices of Iberian jamón, and plenty of Cruzcampo to wash it all down. On a whim, I grabbed a last-minute ticket to a flamenco show. I didn't know quite what to expect but it was absolutely worth it — the music, the rhythms, the raw emotion of it all just pulled you in.
After the show, I came back to a bar that I had heard on my way to flamenco. It was Arfe 11, and I could still hear the singing and guitar. If I ever come across sirens, I am so screwed. It was a lively bar where patrons traded off playing the guitar, singing, and dancing. I tested the patience of some patrons with my Spanish, but one even offered to help with my UK Visa!
Last stop was a bustling tapas joint featuring the usual favorites as well as deliciously tender pork cheek, which was a first for me. Two beers and 4 tapas was less than $20. In the US that would easily be $40-50…
Friday was more low-key. I moved hotels, worked, and only got out at 8PM, slowly wandering around town.
Tapas that day included queso de cabra with Seville's bitter orange marmalade (honestly incredible for just cheese), solomillo al whisky (basically pork in a garlicky whisky sauce), and tortillitas de camarones (tiny, crispy shrimp pancakes). Also, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many ice cream shops concentrated in one place. Just about every block seemed to have one.
My favorite part of Seville was walking around the side streets away from the commotion, just enjoying the quiet charm of the city. I didn’t get to see the Alcázar because I wrapped up work late, but seeing some peacocks, wandering side streets, and finding the rooftop bar overlooking the cathedral made up for it.
Saturday morning, I got up early — before 8 AM — and walked the quiet streets one last time. It was peaceful: just birds chirping and the soft squeak of tires against the cobblestone roads. Seville was still asleep, and it was time for me to go.
TL;DR
3 days felt like just enough. It would've for sure been plenty if I didn't need to work and if I booked tickets in advance for things like the Cathedral and the Alcázar.
- Flamenco - Tablao Flamenco Andalusi
- Torre del Oro
- Plaza de Toros
- Cathedral of Spain
- Alcázar
- Plaza de España
- Arfe 11
- Bodeguita Antonio Romero
- Metropol Parasol ("The Mushroom")
