Seville the classic Spanish City
Seville in the south of Spain is the capital of Andalusia and one of the country's largest cities with over 700 000 inhabitants.
The city sits in the valley of the Gaudalquivir river which is navigable for 60 km's and as a result was extremely important in history particularly when Spain undertook its conquest of the American continent with large quantities of silver and gold being landed in the city resulting in it prospering.
With its extensive history Seville is famous the world over for its culture, monuments, traditions and artistic heritage.
How to get there
San Pablo Airport is the cities international airport and it has well established good links across Europe and beyond. It sits 10 km from the city center. There is a frequent and convenient bus shuttle from the airport into the city with the journey taking approximately 35 minutes.
There is also the option of a taxi to your destination from the rank directly outside the terminal.
Uber is also another option that can be used in the city.
Santa Justa train station is the main station in the city and again it is well connected to the rest of the country and further afield across Europe by the Renfe high speed train network. A journey to Madrid would take 2 hours 30 minutes.
Cruise Ship, Ok there is no major cruise port in the city meaning the modern large cruise ships can't access the city direct however with the river being navigable some of the smaller ships do visit the city. That said the nearby port of Cadiz is a popular stop on many European cruise itineraries of ships of all sizes and it is therefor possible to visit Seville if your ship docks in Cadiz. Simply catch a train from the port to Seville it is a 1 hour 25 minutes journey and the trains are frequent and reliable. There is also the option of organised excursions to Seville from the port and it is a city well worth seeing.
River Cruise The Gaudalquivir river is navigable and although not as popular as some of the central European rivers you can enjoy and explore the river on a riverboat cruise there are several companies who offer this itinerary and all have Seville as one of the trips main highlights. The river runs directly through the city so arriving from the River means you disembarked right in its heart.
River Gaudalquivir in Seville
Accommodation
Being a major city and a large toursit destination you will have a wide choice of accommodation to pick from no matter if you prefer a hotel or self catering.
The choice covers all budgets and styles.
I do however have a personal recommendation;
Hotel Dona Maria this excellent hotel is only 60 meters from the cities famous cathedral, it has a authentic Spanish feel to it and offers a great location with excellent service and comfortable rooms. One of its real plus points as well as its location is its rooftop bar and pool that offer good views of the Cathedral and surrounding area. We spent 4 nights here and I could not fault it so happy to recommend it, you can check the hotel out via this link Hotel Dona Maria
Reception area
View of Cathedral from our room
Reception
Rooftop pool
View other way from our room
Logistics Manager at the rooftop poolbar
Yours truly at the rooftop pool
What to see and do
Cathedral
One of the two most famous and recognised must see attractions in the city, Seville Cathedral.
This is a enormous structure which you could spend hours within seeing its fabulous architecture relics and curios. It has 80 seperate chapels and is a recognised World Heritage site.
The original building on the site was a Mosque before the Moors were driven from the area by Christians and they then began the construction of what we now see. However once within you can still see some hints of the sites original use especially in the Court of Orange Trees. The big must see and photo opportunity within its walls is the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
Cathedral
Cathedral
Cathedral
Christopher Columbus Tomb
This tower is attached to the cathedral and was originally a minaret for the Mosque that once stood on the site, you can buy a ticket to climb the tower that also gives you access to the cathedral. One unusual feature inside is you don't climb stairs to reach the top its a series of 34 ramps you walk up to reach the top. Apparently this strange design was so that the person leading the call to prayer from the top of the tower could ride his horse up there. It does give some good views over the center of Seville.
La Giralda
View from the top of the tower
Another view from the top
Along with the Cathedral this is the cities other must see famous attractions. This UNESCO listed Palace is still used by the Spanish royal family and to view the rooms they use there is a additional fee. The site which is designed in a Moorish style was developed in the 14th century and as you walk around it you move from one courtyard to another courtyard via stunning gardens. There is also the raised Gruresco Gallery which gives you a elevated panorama over the gardens. This really is a must visit if your in the city it is unique but like the Cathedral its very popular so can get very busy.
Real Alcazar
Room within the Palace
Pond within the complex
Logistics Manager at the Real Alcazar
Dragonfly in the Palace
Logistics Manager in the gardens
Part of the rose garden
View across the stunning gardens
Another part of the Palace gardens
Selfie with the gardens behind us
Some of the rooms in the site have beautiful mosaic design
Ceiling in one of the rooms.
Water rill inside the Palace
Plaza de Espana
This huge monument was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exhibition and stands within the Maria Luisa Park.
Its built in a semi circular design plaza edged by a water canal and overlooked by a large curved Palace.Here you see many statues of famous Spanish figures as well as tiled mosaics representing each area of Spain.
Plaza de Espana
Plaza de Espana
Yours truly in the Plaza de Espana next to the tiled mosaics
Logistics Manager at the Plaza
Fountain in the Plaza de Espana
Maria Luisa Park
This is the largest green space in the city and it can be a oasis on a hot day. It has long avenues of Palm trees and small walks off these with some lovely tranquil areas hidden around the park.
The park is also home to the cities Botanical Garden which has some rare and exotic plants within its collections.
Maria Luisa Park
Bullring
This is one of Spain's most historic bullrings built on the site of a old plaza it's famous Prince Gate ( Main entrance ) was once owned by a convent and gives you entry into a spectacular traditional setting. No matter your view on Bull fighting this site is worth a visit for the history and architecture alone. It is also home to a interesting Museum on the traditions and history of the Spanish matador, this guided tour is interesting and worth doing.
Bullring
Inside the bullring
Yours truly trying my matador moves...
Inside the bullring
Bull pens
Famous matador statue outside the bullring
This 13th century watch tower sits on the River edge and was built by the cities rulers in 1220.It has since been renovated several times the most recent in 2005 and it is now the home to Seville Maritime Museum which tells the history of the river and Seville's place in Atlantic exploring.
Torre de Oro
Las Setas
Las Setas or as the locals call it the Mushroom is one of the more unusual attractions in Seville, its a canopy of wooden structures on large pillars the structure covers ancient ruins that can be seen underneath it and you can climb to its top and then use the walkways designed into it to discover some interesting views of the city.
Las Setas
Logistics Manager on the walkway at the top of Las Setas
Interesting design of the structure
Yours truly on top of the structure
View from Las Setas
Santa Cruz
This is the area surrounding the central courtyard where the cities Cathedral sits, it was the old Jewish Quarter of the city and is now the heart of historic Seville. Its a maze of small cobbled streets allys and romantic courtyards within which you find many of the cities best tapas and flamenco bars. This is a area that gets busy particularly on hot summer nights and it is well worth a wander around just to sample the atmosphere. However if you want the authentic feel do try some of the tapas on sale or simply enjoy a drink and soak up the ambience.
Santa Cruz street
Nightime vibe
Santa Cruz at night
Enjoying a refreshment in Santa Cruz
Romeo and Juliet Balcony
Now its not certain this was the balcony that inspired the famous and romantic classic story however it claimed that it was and there is no end of toursist who hunt the small path within the Santa Cruz District, the path leads you into the romantic setting of the Plaza Alfaro where the famous balcony can be seen high up in the building in the Plaza.
The Romeo and Juliet Balcony
Triana
This is the former gypsy area of the city and is one of the most distinctive areas from where many famous Matador's emerged. It has quaint colourfull streets lined by many tapas bars
many of who's walls are plastered with fading Bullfight posters and flamenco dancer's all adding to this areas unique setting. 
Triana area
Small street within Triana area
As I have already said there are a couple of excellent areas of the city to enjoy some real good quality food and drink. I would encourage you to try some local dishes although it is fair to say many of them are meat based, few suggestions could be, Secreto Iberico a melt in your mouth pork dish, or Serranito de Lomo a local sandwich of pork loin serrano ham and chillies or if you wanted something sweet why not try Torrijas a deep fried bread eaten with syrup or honey.
However in terms of authentic and excellent establishment's I have no hesintation in recommending the following premises to try we visited all of these and enjoyed them all.
Bar La Bodega
This great bar is to be found in the Santa Cruz area and offers classic local sweet wines, sherry and tapas. It is very popular with the locals and can get busy but it really is recommended and one you should try and experience.
El Rinconcillo
This very authentic bar and restaurant claims to be the oldest tapas bar in Spain. Dating back to 1670. It can get very busy with tourists and locals alike but it has a wonderful friendly and very Spanish ambience.
The upstairs is a restaurant but its downstairs you feel the real history of the place as it looks like nothing has changed in decades with old bottles of wine decorating the walls as a large Jamon dangles from the ceiling. To add to this setting the bow tied waistcoated waiters serve you at the bar and keep a record of your bill useing there own unique chalk markings on the bar in front of you. This really is one you should try. This is a link to its website El Rinconcillo
Logistics Manager at the bar in El Rinconcillo
Maqulia Bar
Now this is a bit more modern tapas bar that also does a great menu of craft Beers.
You can even get a tasting menu of various beers where you get a small glass of each.
The food here is also more modern but comes highly recommended as we really did enjoy our visit here so give it a look, its situated not that far from the Las Setas and has a good Facebook page if your looking for more information check it out here, Maquila Bar
The craft beer menu on the day we visited
Bodeguita Romero
This traditional bar located in a quiet street corner only a stones throw from the city center and Cathedral is family owned and run. It has a nice outdoor seating area as well as a indoor grocery section, something that is very traditional in Seville. As well as a back room area that serves local distinctive food specialities sush as pringa pork washed down by a local rich sherry or other regional delights. The Bodeguita is a typical establishment from this area of Spain and is another one where we found a warm welcome from the staff and where we enjoyed a good lunch and a few refreshments. Visit there website here, Bodeguita Romero
Tablaos and Flamenco Shows
OK Seville is a modern vibrant city so you have all the normal nightlife choices to choose from but it is also home to some fantastic traditional Spanish entertainment.
Flamenco happens in Seville every night no matter what time off year it may be, and a tablao is a good way to experiance it with a live musicians and dancers alongside bar or restaurant service.
There are number of these establishment's across the city but if you staying near the Cathedral then Tablao el Arenal is a good choice with two 90 minute shows accompanied by dinner or tapas per night.
So that's Seville a brilliant vibrant and historic Spanish city to visit that offers so much to the visitor. Plus what I have not mentioned is it is situated in one if not the driest part of Europe and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine yearly.
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