Local tips for your first trip to Seville.
Seville (Sevilla) is the hottest European city in winter and should be on your must-visit list if you want to walk the streets in a t-shirt when other parts of Europe are freezing. To experience a more authentic feel of the city, I’ve put together some local tips for you.
Avoid the international hotel chains.
The path of least resistance is often to book a room in a well-known hotel because this offers peace of mind and an expectation of reliability. While this is true in many cases, you can tick the same boxes by staying in a family-run pension or boutique hotel and experiencing the added benefits of contributing to the local economy and receiving valuable advice and tips from owners who live its city life day in and day out.
Seville is divided into 11 districts and 108 neighborhoods, called “barrios”. A search online will produce results advising which one is the best to stay in, and why that district is considered the current on-trend area. My preference is always to stay in the Santa Cruz district because it is central and because it has many value-for-money, locally-run accommodation gems. Sure, you can also find these in the “hip” Triana, but you won’t be as close to Seville’s life-blood. The heart of Seville is its cathedral and the cathedral is in the Santa Cruz district.
My go-to place is Pensión Córdoba, Farnese Street, 12. I am a return guest to this gem because it is a family-run business, it is tucked away on a side street, it is close to literally everything in Seville, and because it offers fantastic value-for-money accommodation. Pensión Córdoba’s website: https://pensioncordoba.com/
Fit in like a local.
Of course, you can’t expect to visit Seville and be accepted as a local. There are, though, some things that you can do to distance yourself from the image of the stereotypical tourist.
- Make an effort to learn some Spanish phrases and words. No one expects you to turn up speaking fluent Spanish, but the locals will appreciate it (and treat you a bit nicer) if they see that you are making an effort. Simple things like saying “¡Hola!” or “¡Buenos Días!” go a long way and you may be surprised at how a few phrases and words will open doors that would otherwise be closed.
- Turn down the politeness. As an Englishman, I often start a sentence with “sorry” or “thank you”. It’s just something that is so ingrained in me. In Spain, they don’t like it when you are overdoing the pleasantries. Instead of please asking for a black coffee (because any other coffee variant is against God) and then thanking the server very much, just say, in a pleasant voice: “café solo”.
- Get yourself a grocery bag. Head to a supermarket and buy one of those cheap grocery bags. When you go out to explore the city, instead of carrying a day bag, place what you need in your grocery bag and you will look like a local on her or his way back from their local shopping routine. The other advantage of this tactic is that you will attract less attention from thieves.
- Rewire your concept of time. If you want to fit in with the local culture, don’t show up for lunch and dinner too early. This can be managed by taking an afternoon siesta. Seville locals have lunch at around 2pm and restaurants start serving food from 9pm onwards. The sweet spot for dinner is to arrive at 10pm.
Places that I recommend.
I don’t consider myself an expert on everything that is Seville, but I have spent a hell of a lot of time in the city and its surroundings exclusively with locals.
If it were my first trip to Seville, I would spend breakfast, lunch, and dinner in these places:
Breakfast in Seville
After a comfortable night’s sleep at Pensión Córdoba, I’d take the 5-minute walk to Bar La Candelaria (Calle Muñoz y Pabón, 18) for a café solo and a small tostada. The toast is a half baguette with a topping of your choice – crushed tomato, jamón ibérico, jam/marmalade, and pâté are popular options. The bar is popular with locals, and when I was there they were super-friendly to me too. If I still had room in the engine, I’d take another short walk to Bar El Comercio, for another black coffee, a cup of hot chocolate, and the magical churro.
This magical combo was enjoyed in another town in Spain when I was walking the Via de la Plata Camino, in La Bañeza, and resembles the combo that you will find at Bar El Comercio:
Lunch in Seville
After walking off my breakfast on the cobblestone streets and stopping by the Setas de Sevilla (https://setasdesevilla.com/) for a superb view of the city’s rooftops, I’d continue slowly-sauntering my way over to the San Vicente neighborhood in the Casco Antiguo district. This is very much an area most frequented by locals, with the Plaza de la Gavidia projecting its square-of-oasis vibe. A bar of the same name is located on the plaza and it’s my favorite in Seville. Gavidia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gavidia_sevilla/
Depending on the manager’s mood that day, you might be met with a wide smile or pseudo viennese gruff, but, either way, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming – one of the current bar staff speaks fluent English and is happy to converse – and, besides, the manager is quick to warm up. The coffee is excellent, the (Cruzcampo) beer on tap is served chilled in a clean, branded glass, there is a healthy array of spirits to choose from if you so wish, and the food is excellent. The clientele are well-heeled and Gavidia’s furnishings reflect this charm.
Dinner in Seville
Between lunch and dinner, you will need to make room for an afternoon siesta. Before or after your siesta, you could visit the cathedral, any number of museums, Plaza de España, the Royal Alcázar Palace, or you could simply take a walk along the embankment of the river and stroll through one of the many green spaces that seamlessly juxtapose the city’s Baroque, Gothic, Mudejár, and Renaissance architecture.
A visit to the Triana Market is a must and you reach it by crossing the Triana Bridge. Yes, it is a tourist trap, but the market is also a daily ritual for the locals who do go there to buy produce. It is here that I recommend heading to Pescaderia Loli and ordering a plate of sautéed prawns that go so well with a glass of Jerez de la Frontera sherry, or a glass of water, if like me, you don’t drink alcohol or drink it only on occasion.
It’s then a 5-minute walk to Las Golondrinas (C. Pagés del Corro, 76) where some of the best tapas in the city await you. Try as many different ones as you feasibly can, and definitely order the grilled mushrooms topped with a layer of green aioli. Las Golondrinas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barlasgolondrinastriana/
Additional tips.
Earlier, I mentioned a warning about thieves. I have never had a bad experience in Seville, but I have spotted pickpockets – always where there are crowds of tourists. Obviously. Seville doesn’t have the same crime epidemic that Barcelona appears to have and my advice is to be vigilant but not be overly paranoid. Violent crime seems to be rare in Seville, but still remain vigilant if walking back to your accommodation late at night or very early in the morning. Seville has some very dangerous neighborhoods – areas where the street cleaners need a police escort to go about their business – but these neighborhoods are on the periphery of the city and I’ve never heard of the violence spilling into the areas frequented by tourists.
Do always check your change when paying for things as shortchanging appears to be a national sport (sorry, Spain – I do love you, but you can’t be perfect).
There are certain areas where it does become very crowd-intensive with tour groups and other assembles of tourists. Luckily, Seville is a big city with boulevards (similar in stature to Vienna) and you can easily escape the mob – something that is so hard to do where I live in Prague, with its narrow streets and condensed center.
In general, Andalusians are very warm people with a great sense of humor and they are just so much fun! If you have an issue, ask and someone will help you. Some may moan about the tourist invasion, but the vast majority of locals are welcoming and seem proud to show off their wonderful city to passing visitors.
Have a wonderful time on your first trip to Seville!
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