How to Spend 48 Hours in Sevilla, Spain
Ahh Sevilla! My favorite city in the Andalusia region of southern Spain. Sevilla is rich in history, hot in temperature, and the best place to tapeo (yes - it's a noun!). My only regret is that we only had a short two days to spend in this wonderful place. Read on to find out how we made the best use of our forty-eight hours and where to go for the best paella, flamenco, and sightseeing.
Where to Stay
We checked into our rental in the Historic Center. I cannot recommend staying in this area more! Especially if you only have a short stop-over like us. It's walking distance to the Real Alcazar, the Plaza de Espana, the Military Historical Museum of Seville - and there is no shortage of tapas and flamenco bars.
How to Get Around
We arrived via bus from Portugal. They dropped us off at the central terminal and we ordered an Uber to get from there to our AirBnB. Other than the Uber rides to and from the terminal, we went everywhere on foot. The city center is definitely much more walk-able than it is accessible by car.
Day 1 - Tapas & Flamenco
Time to Tapeo!
After we settled in - which was super easy having several mini and super markets around the area. It was time to taste the city - and what better way than to sip wine, sangria, sherry and sample the dozens of tapas we can get our hands on. We heard great things about local tapas bar called Las Teresas - it was a five minute walk from our apartment. And I wish I could eat there every day! We saw a small group in a tapa and sherry tour taking in a few bites and sips at this restaurant - so one may think it's too touristy or the local guides may know a thing or two about their tapas. Either way, we ordered what they ordered and we were happy customers!
Time to Boogey - or rather Flamenco! 💃
After a full belly, it was time to boogey! I must admit that the one thing I was looking forward to the most when planning our visit to Seville was seeing a flamenco show in real life! It was hands-down one of the best live performances I have seen! And those who know me well, know that I love live shows. The expression of passion, pain, love, ambition. I didn't understand a single word but I felt the emotions. There were so many to choose from - and I spent nights and nights researching. I settled on Los Gallos - it's a small rustic theater, with a single stage. I highly recommend paying this bar a visit.
We weren’t allowed to take photos of the performance. I snapped this photo of the performers before I was aware of that - so unfortunately I wasn’t able to show you the beautiful dresses and makeup of the female performers. You’re just gonna have to see it in real life yourself :)
After the show, we strolled around the historic center and joined in on the fun and jubilant nightlife. After a couple jugs of cold and refreshing sangria, we turned in to get a good night’s rest for a full day of adventure in our short two-day visit in Sevilla.
Day 2 - Real Alcazar & Paella Hunting
Royal Alcazar of Seville
Visiting the Real Alcazar was at the top of my list of must-dos in Seville, and it did not disappoint me! For those Game of Thrones fans out there, you would really appreciate that this was where they staged the fictional beautiful Palace of Dorne. The gardens and the architecture were everything you would hope to see at a royal palace. So grab your sun hats, put on your walking shoes and get ready to explore!
How to Get In
We were lucky that the queue to enter the palace wasn't very long. We got in without any issues and paid 12 Euros per person for the entrance fee without a guided tour. In hindsight, I probably would have pre-booked a 'skip-the-line with private tour guide' online before going. But we didn't really have a solid plan for our Sevilla stopover, so exploring the beautiful palace at our leisure was a really great way for us to spend the afternoon.
What to Wear
We were in Seville during the end of May, and the temperature outside was already 30°C by 9 am. If you are going during late spring to early fall, I would highly recommend lightweight, breathable fabrics. I wore a chiffon jumpsuit and it kept me nice and cool all day, but after a day of walking around - I was happy to change into a tube top and shorts for happy hour. Sevilla is very casual and laid back, so shorts and cute tops for the evenings were completely acceptable.
Shop My Sevilla Outfit Picks
One of the best things about Spain (and I've also noticed in Italy) is the many convenient potable water fountains all over the city. This was great as it was so hot during our visit so I was able to refill my water bottle everywhere we went.
Hungry for Paella?
The answer is ALWAYS! I was in Spain for about 6 days, and I probably had paella five (or more) times. One of the most memorable paella was in the historical district of Sevilla. We did some research and interviewed a few unsuspecting locals, and found ourselves trekking around downtown with the help of Google map, until we found Gago 6. It was definitely an amazing paella - but I've only landed in Spain for 2 days. I had yet many a paella sampling ahead of me. I would definitely recommend this restaurant - but the best paella of the trip was definitely had in Barcelona.
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