Seville, Spain
Seville’s old, tiny streets are lined with lived-in white plaster walls, so characteristic of Andalusia, with pops of coral, orange, cobalt, butter, brick, and yellow. The plazas and sidewalks are covered with cream sun shades high overhead, like sails, draped across and heavy in the middle. But small pools of sunshine lay where the packed-in buildings and trees allow it. Seville is a true melting pot of culture and religion, with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian influences layered on top of one another. It is full of ancient churches, clay rippled roofs in burnt red and terra cotta, and brightly colored, mismatched even, Moroccan tile. It’s a mix of citrus trees dotted with green, unripe oranges, Spanish pine trees, and palm trees. Everyone is walking or bicycling by—the cutest little kids in neat uniforms walking to school, holding their moms’ hands—accustomed to having to back up against a building to let a car pass by. Olives, Iberico ham, and 1 euro cervezas (synonymous with Cruzcampo, pretty much the only and best good-bad beer in Seville) at every corner bar pit stop. And siesta! We leaned in hard to siesta. There was no better place to enjoy the quiet hours between 4 and 8 than on the bougainvillea and succulent covered rooftop of our townhouse with a pitcher of Aperol spritzes.
Some highlights & tips
Honestly, the best part about Seville (and everywhere we went in Spain for that matter) is that it is so walkable and approachable. I highly recommend just setting out and wandering—it is difficult to take a wrong turn or end up too far from something interesting to take in. We stumbled into plenty of great shops in Seville, especially for babies (Bam Bam had the sweetest clothes, toys, and nursery decor, and Bubi for classic handmade baby clothes that made me feel like Kate Middleton), and we took every opportunity to stop in a corner bar for a drink or a coffee.
The siesta is no joke—most restaurants and shops (or anything that isn’t a tourist trap) close between about 4 and 8 pm every day. This made having an Airbnb that we loved especially clutch—it was one of the most unique and beautiful places we’ve ever stayed. We had no guilt hanging out on the roof to sunbathe, nap, or have our own Happy Hour of beers and cured meats and cheeses that we’d picked up from a butcher shop.
Sightseeing…
The Real Alcazar, or royal palace that is a cultural amalgamation representing centuries of Seville’s history. Its Moorish architecture covered with impressive tile work is stunningly beautiful and the gardens are magnificent, as well. We unfortunately didn’t love our tour or tour guide, but I’d imagine that’s a fluke, and it was still worth it to skip the line. The Seville Cathedral is beautiful and right next to the Alcazar. Also unfortunate was that we struck out on the Maria Luisa Park which happened to be closed when we went but came highly recommended. While none of us wanted to see an actual bullfight, I loved seeing the beautiful royal bullring, Plaza de Toros. Walking across the river to the Triana area was fun, too, for eating and shopping.
EATING & DRINKING…
We had unbelievable tapas (and drank way too much) sitting at the bar at Eslava in a fun, buzzy atmosphere. They don’t take reservations for tapas, but it is worth the wait to order one of everything. Our favorite Iberico ham sandwiches were from Gocho. We also loved having dinner under the night sky at San Marco Santa Cruz, an Italian restaurant of all things, housed in an old Arab bath house from the 12th century (!!). We also had great coffee all over! We went back for seconds (in one sitting) at a place called De Nata for Portuguese egg tarts, coffee, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Speaking of orange juice, it’s fresh squeezed and delicious everywhere. Oh and visiting the oldest bar, El Riconcillo, for a drink was neat as well. I do recommend doing your restaurant research or relying on recommendations, because we did encounter a couple of regrettable traps.
Next up: Cordoba and Toledo
…and in case you missed it: Traveling abroad with a baby