48 Hours In Sevilla

If you take any piece of advice from me about Spain, make sure it’s a trip to Sevilla. I went back and forth many times about whether or not I should stop here and I am SO happy that I did. I wish that I would have stayed for at least 3 days, but even with 48 hours I got a good taste of this magical city. It’s going to give you a very different vibe from Madrid and Barcelona. Think narrow cobble-stone streets, colorful buildings, horse and carriage rides, super cute shops and so much charm. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. I felt extremely safe here. So far I’ve traveled to 8 cities in Europe and Sevilla is definitely one of my absolute favorites. I am dying to go back and I actually want to take my mom. It’s been her dream to go to Spain since forever. She didn’t know much about Sevilla, but completely fell in love with it just by watching my insta-stories and looking at all the photos I posted. Mother/daughter trip to Spain? I’m all for it!

I saw a lot more solo travelers here than I did in Madrid and Barcelona or maybe I was just more aware of them. It’s kind of this cool feeling when you see a fellow solo traveler. It sort of gives you this extra boost of confidence when you see someone else doing it too. Since I was only going to be here for 2 nights, I wanted to make sure that I saw the top attractions while also giving myself time to wander in the streets. I got lost, many times! The streets there are literally never ending. Each time you turn a corner there’s another narrow path to go down. I kept stumbling upon all these little hidden gems simply by wandering with no set destination. That’s one of my favorite things about traveling alone. You don’t always need to have a plan or itinerary. You’re on your own time. There’s no rush. You can metaphorically stop the clock and embrace the beauty around you. I can definitely get used to slower living.

WHERE I STAYED  

Barrio Santa Cruz –  To be honest, I didn’t know much about Sevilla before booking my trip, so I pretty much googled everything that I wanted to know. A lot of people recommended that I come here, so I was excited to venture out into another area of Spain. The first step was looking into all of the main sights to see and figuring out what I could realistically do in 2 days without overwhelming myself. The next step was finding a hotel that would be super close to all of these things. I used Trip Advisor to read reviews and basically mapped out the hotel location from all the sights and then determined from there what made the most sense. I was trying to find a hotel that would be walking distance to almost everything so that I wouldn’t have to worry about transportation for such a short stay. I came across Hotel Alminar and it seemed to be my best option. I knew that I wouldn’t be spending much time here, so I just made sure it was clean and safe by checking out the reviews. I am so happy I stayed here because it was literally in the perfect location and the room had everything that I needed for the two days. I somehow scored a room that had a private terrace with a view of the Cathedral! Not too shabby.

 

SIGHTS TO SEE/PLACES TO GO 

Seville Cathedral – I got off the train (Rail Europe) from Madrid to Sevilla around 11 in the morning and checked in. I was ready to explore right away so that I could take full advantage of the 48 hours ahead of me. As soon as I walked out of my hotel and turned to the right, I could see the Cathedral. That’s how close I was to it. It ended up being the perfect landmark to help me navigate my way back to the hotel whenever I got a little lost. It was pretty much the first thing that I got to see in Sevilla and it’s actually what made me start my love affair with this charming city. All around the Cathedral were horse and carriage rides, tons of outdoor restaurants, a fountain in the center of the square and stunning architecture. You can get tickets and go inside, or simply hang out around this area to take in the views. There is plenty to do here, so don’t miss it!

Real Alcázar – You HAVE to go here! I got lost on the grounds (on purpose) for about 3 hours or so on my first day in Sevilla. I  made sure that my hotel would be in close walking distance because this was at the top of my “must see” list. It’s a little bit further out than the Cathedral, but still super close to where I was staying – maybe a 10 minute walk. I did not purchase tickets in advance so I had to wait on line for about a half hour, but it was definitely worth the wait. Real Alcázar is a royal palace with massive fountain-filled gardens and incredible architecture. It’s both indoor and outdoor, so you can just wander around at your own pace or I believe you can sign up for a guided tour. I still don’t think I got to explore every inch of this stunning beauty, but I tried to see as much as I could. This is a top tourist attraction in Sevilla and whether you visit for one day or a week, I definitely recommend putting aside a few hours to check it out. My only regret was not having a zoom lens with me. It was difficult to capture everything in the frame, but I still managed to get some beautiful images. It was hard to narrow these down! If I do end up going back with my mom or even solo, this is a place I would visit again for sure.

Plaza España – This was another place at the top of my list, so I made sure to visit it on the second day since it was more out of the way from my hotel. I remember it being super hot, so instead of walking I took a taxi. It was a short and inexpensive ride. It’s another attraction that I visited without a guided tour, but again you can totally sign up for one if you prefer. When I’m solo, I sometimes just like to check things out at my own pace. I hung out here for a few hours wandering around and taking in the incredible views. I sat down on the many steps or hung out on the bridges and just admired my surroundings. There is so much history here. The architecture is seriously stunning. I fell in love with all the Spanish tiles. You can rent one of the row boats and go around the plaza. I would have loved to do this, but decided against it since I would have been rowing the boat by myself. This would be fun for couples. Don’t forget to go inside too. You can see more of the building details and hang out from the balconies. There were even a few street performers inside as well and I would just stand there, listening to them play and I felt so calm.

Maria Luisa Park – It’s right next to Plaza España, so you can’t miss it. It stretches along the Guadalquivir River. I would love to spend more time here on my next visit. I wandered through quickly, but since I spent so much time at Plaza España, I decided to head back closer to my hotel to eat and relax.

Metropol Parasol – If you ask about this place in Sevilla, they call it the “mushrooms.” It’s basically this massive wooden structure where you can see amazing views of Sevilla. It was on my list of must-sees, but a few people I met told me they didn’t think it was worth the trip since I was only there for 2 days. I ended up not going, but still wish that I did!

Flamenco Show – You HAVE to do this in Sevilla. My friend was there a few days before me and said it was a must. The day that I checked in, I had my hotel make a reservation for me at Casa de Flamenco. I had never seen a flamenco show before so this was a great experience for me. Perks of being solo was the guy put an extra chair in the front row for me so I had an amazing seat. I swear I had a smile on my face the whole time and was in complete awe. You are not allowed to take photos or film until the finale. You can see a more casual flamenco show at La Carboneria. It’s more of a bar type place that puts on shows. I tried going here my first night and got lost so I just saved the stage show for my last night. I think my red off-the-shoulder dress was perfect for the occasion!

Calle Sierpes – This is one of the main streets where you can do some shopping and I sort of found it by accident. There are a bunch of shops, cafés and tapas places over here in this area. I came here one morning for some café con leche and to do a little people watching. There are also plenty of shops close to the Cathedral area too. That’s where I always got lost since each narrow street turns into another one!

WHERE TO EAT 

You will not run out of options here! There were so many places near both sides of my hotel and I loved that I could walk to all of them. One thing to note is that some places did close a bit earlier than I expected for Spain. I remember one night they were closing up around 11:30 I believe. This is not everywhere, just several places near my hotel. Also, another thing to note is that you have to pay extra for water and bread. Not a big deal, but just a heads up as you will see it appear on your bill.

Antigüedades – (Calle Argote de Molina) This was right around the corner from my hotel and the first tapas place that I went to for lunch. I think my server had a crush on me lol You might remember him from my insta stories! I came here twice and sat outside. Got lots of vino, their cheese platter, huevos con jamón and croquettes. So yummy and the perfect place to just sit back and relax. There are several other places along this street too and people are constantly sitting there for hours just drinking and hanging out.

Bar Pelayo – (Calle Placentines) I randomly came across this place as it was just a few blocks from my hotel. At first I was just admiring all of the decor and flower pots, but then when I looked at the menu I decided to come back for dinner. I ended up eating here twice because I loved this place so much. I instantly made friends with my server. She even did an insta-story with me too! The stuffed avocado was AMAZING (stuffed with rice, shrimp & pineapple) and I also loved their croquettes. The decor is super cute and overall I just loved the vibes of this cozy place. They have a great menu with tons of variety.

These were the two main restaurants that I loved and could remember (sorry), but you will literally stumble upon one right after the other. A few others to note are El Rinconcillo, it’s the oldest bar in Sevilla where you can get some tapas. La Mamarracha was recommended to me and it’s a block or two from the hotel I stayed at. I think it’s more of a fancier tapas restaurant. I passed this really cute spot below while getting lost in the streets. There’s a shop in this area where I purchased a gorgeous bag made by a designer in Spain. Get lost in this area!

I tried to do as much as I could in just 48 hours. It was a short stay, but in such little time I came to adore Sevilla and all it has to offer. I took an insane amount of photos for just 2 days, but as you can see it’s so beautiful I could not help myself. I am trying my best to get better at travel photography. I’m getting very passionate about it, especially when it comes to capturing scenic shots and architecture from around the world. I finally bit the bullet and purchased Lightroom over the weekend. I’ve been watching tons of tutorials to learn the basics and while I am a total amateur and have a lot to learn, I think I did an OK job editing these pics! Let me know what you think.

I hope that you will get to experience this incredible place for yourself one day and I hope my post helps you out if you ever do take the trip! Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions that I might not have covered about Sevilla. Next stop: Barcelona! Stay tuned. ❤️ P.S. Check out my Madrid Travel Guide Here.