Streets lined with orange trees, tapas bars hung with hams, horse-drawn carriages, flamenco shows, and even a bull ring – Seville’s got everything you’d expect from Spain, wrapped up in one beautiful package, with a mix of architectural influences from the Romans, Christians, and Muslims. In summer you’d be dodging hoards of people and sweltering in 40 degrees. But in winter queues are short and warm sunny days make it feel a world away from a grey Irish winter. Seville is Spain’s fourth-largest city, but still has a small-town feel and you can easily get around on foot. So here are some of my favorite things to do in winter in Seville.
THE WEATHER IN SEVILLE IN WINTER
Seville doesn’t really do winter, and even between December and February the average high temperatures are around 16°C, with lows occasionally dipping down to 7°C at night. There’s an average of five to six hours of sunshine a day so it makes a great destination for a fix of vitamin D, with low rainfall and around eight days of rain per month. The lower temperatures make it an ideal time to get out and explore the city without wilting in the heat.
VISIT THE CATHEDRAL
The third-largest church in the world – Seville’s cathedral was built in the 15th century to demonstrate the city’s wealth. And it certainly shows it off, with 80 chapels, a 42-meter-high nave, lashing of gilt and an altarpiece carving that took one craftsman his entire life to finish. Impressive as it is, even the huge cathedral is dwarfed by the Giralda, the bell tower which rises up above it.
EXPLORE THE LAVISH REAL ALCÁZAR
The cathedral might be Seville’s most visible landmark, but it’s not the most famous – that title has to go to the neighboring Real Alcázar. It started off as a fort for the governors of Seville in the eighth century, and since then different rulers have added their own bits on to make a unique mix of Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque style. It sounds messy but somehow it works beautifully. The royal family still uses the upper floors when they’re in town, and it’s also been a location for Game of Thrones.
Eating and drinking is a social event in Seville, based around tapas bars where you can graze your way around the city until you’re stuffed. Tapas originated in southern Spain and in winter in Seville the city’s tapas bars are cozy spots to spend the evening.
BE DAZZLED BY THE PLAZA DE ESPAÑA
In a city that’s overflowing with spectacular architecture, the Plaza de España takes things to another level. It’s located in the middle of the green oasis of María Luisa Park, which stretches over 50,000 square meters. The Plaza is made up of a grand sweeping semi-circle of rose-gold stone buildings surrounding a canal with arching bridges and a central fountain.
It’s impressive from a distance, but when you get up close you can see that everything from the benches to the balconies is covered in intricately painted blue and yellow tiles. Although it looks like a historic palace it was actually built in the 1920s for the Ibero-American Exposition World’s Fair. So there are Art Deco touches among the Renaissance and Moorish Revival styles.
The Plaza has featured in Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars’ Attack of the Clones. But inside things are a bit less glamorous and it’s mainly used for government offices.
If the Plaza gets too busy by day, just come back when the sun goes down. At night it’s practically deserted and the illuminated buildings are perfectly reflected in the water.
WALK ALONG THE GUADALQUIVIR RIVER
The Torre del Oro is the "Tower of Gold" in Seville. The 36-meter-high tower was built by the Almohads in the 12th century and was part of the Moorish city wall, which ran between the Alcazar Palace and the rest of Seville. The purpose of the tower was to control shipping on the Guadalquivir. A heavy chain ran underwater from the massive tower to the other side to prevent enemy ships from sailing on the river.
The Torre del Oro is located next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Plaza de Toros. The name "Golden" tower refers to Andalusia's prosperous period during the times of the Latin American colonies. When ships entered Seville via the river, they could discharge their cargo (gold) here. In addition to being a storage place, the middle part is a prison. Another reason for the name would be that, in the past, the sight of the second section seemed to be gilded and a golden sheen shone in the river. The last small turret was added to the top only in 1760.
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| Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas |
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| Centro Comercial Torre Sevilla |
The Plaza de Toros de Sevilla is the largest and most important arena for bullfighting in Spain. The largest bullfighting festival in the world is held during the festival week, Feria de Abril. The full name is "La Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla". The oval arena is located in the El Arenal harbor district, was built in the 18th century, and can accommodate 13,000 spectators. The Plaza de Toros has a unique Baroque façade, dating from 1762-1881.
If you want to escape from the rainy and cold Christmas and if you are on a budget, Seville is the right place for you. Thanks for reading the article I hope you liked it, and we’ll read on in the next one. 😀😀
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