Last December my sister and I went to Seville and it was such a nice Winter break. We wanted to go somewhere warm and sunny (well compared to London anyway!) and Seville fit the bill. It's quick to get to, flights weren't too pricey and we found a cute and cosy AirBnb. All it all it was a cheap and cheerful holiday, perfect for a change of scenery and would be easy going as I was in my second trimester :)
Take a stroll around the Plaza De Espana (Av de Isabel la Católica) This is their iconic plaza with bridges, fountain and moat, which you can rows boats along. It's a lovely place to walk around and enjoy the open space. Also if you go in the evening, it's all lit up with lights.
For a casual lunch or brunch spot head to Cristina and Co (Calle San Fernando, 19) It had good reviews on Google so that's a good sign! It's a small cafe with a nice open and airy feel, with rustic decor. The food was simple, nicely cooked and good sized portions. You can also grab hot drinks and cake, if you fancy a snack.
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A must see on your visit to Seville is to visit the gorgeous grounds of the Royal Alcazar (Patio de Banderas s/n) when I saw the images of the Royal Palace online, I knew we would had to visit! Tickets are 9.50€ to have access to the sprawling grounds and gardens, which is a mix of medieval Islamic, Spanish Christian and Moorish architecture. Once you're in, take your time and walk around the beautiful gardens
with the orange trees and take in the amazing courtyard and pool (get ready to queue for a photo here!) The sun was shining and it wasn't too busy with crowds, I can imagine in the Summer this place is packed. If you watch Games of Thrones, they shot some scenes here as well - pretty cool.
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We had some amazing meals in Seville, their tapas were simple, fresh and tasty. One of our favourite restaurants included Mama Bistro (Calle Mateos Gago, 9B) this place had raved reviews online and we can see why, the service was friendly, food was delicious and the decor cute and kitsch. We ordered the Italian breaded tomato soup with steamed mussels and sliced octopus, potatoes, chorizo and black olives - both were so flavoursome! For dessert I had the cheese cake baked with pineapple and ginger and green tea sauce and sis had mascarpone cheese cream, Nutella chocolate, crumbled meringue - yum!
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A short walk from our Airbnb was the Casa de Pilatos (Pl. de Pilatos, 1,) we couldn't find this place at first as it wasn't signposted outside but we walked inside and found a little gift shop where they sold the entrance tickets, 6€ for the ground floor and 8 € for the ground and upper floor - audio guide is also included. This palace is home to pretty azulejos tiles, a rose garden and the main courtyard and rooms upstairs.
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Spaniards eat very late so every night we ate out we were the early ones! I found this tapas restaurant El Pinton ( Calle Francos, 42,) through a blog and we loved the modern and stylish decor when we walked it. We ordered 3 tapas and the portions were huge, we weren't used to the large tapas plates! A little pricer than some of the other places we've been to but a great place for dinner and cocktails in a chilled and cool atmosphere.
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For views over Seville head on up to Metropol Parasol (Pl. de la Encarnación, s/n) also known as the mushroom building. It's a large wooden structure and for 3€ for the entrance ticket, you also get a free drink at the cafe downstairs as well as a free post card from the gift shop!
I would also recommend seeing a flamenco show whilst you're here. We went to the Museo Del Baile Flamenco and it was such an amazing experience, one of the highlights of our trip! It was 20€ for an 1 hr show and the dancers, singers and guitarist put on a dramatic, thrilling and entertaining performance.
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I hope you enjoyed this travel post, what do you think of Seville? Have you been? Feel free to bookmark or pin these images on Pinterest for future travels :)
What are your travel plans this year?
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