First things first – Seville, Spain is at least three-day adventure.
A day trip doesn’t offer enough time to fully explore and appreciate all this city has to offer.
Like Bruges and Ghent, Seville deserves more than just a ‘couple of hours.’
This is the lesson I learned during my day trip to Seville from Malaga.
The initial plan was to stay in Seville for the Thanksgiving weekend. Logistics and flight schedules made this a headache. So I chose to fly to Malaga and take a day trip to Seville, which is only a 2 to 3-hour train ride.
Seville is stunning. There are many things to see and do. Honestly, I prefer Seville over Barcelona and Madrid. Seville was less chaotic, while both Madrid and Barcelona were too busy for my brain to relax and enjoy.
GETTING HERE:
Researching the train from Malaga to Seville is a prerequisite. Yes, driving is always an option, but I like the comfort, and low cost, of the train.
I chose the 2-hour train ride over the 3 to 4-hour train ride, though it was 50% cheaper. The 3 to 4-hour train would further limit the time I would have in the city. I also chose the 2-hour ticket because it arrived before 9 a.m., which would give me time for a quick photo safari before other day trippers descended upon the city.
I must add that I greatly admire Spain’s consideration for safety and security.
This was the first time I ever had to have my bag scanned at a European train station. Every train station I’ve used, with the exception of the EuroStar, there were no security checks performed. Folks just hustle onto the train and store their luggage.
In an age where attacking ‘soft targets’ are becoming the norm, having to go through security and have luggage scanned is a small inconvenience to ensure peace of mind.
The train ride was peaceful. Watching the sun rise as we choo-chooed along got this adventure started off right.
Upon arrival at Seville Santa Justa Train Station, I took my time viewing the station. Not exceptionally spectacular, but very functional. You’ll get where you need to go without too much hassle.
Afterwards, I immediately looked for a place to buy public transport tickets.
However, this proved more irritating than useful.
The lady selling the tickets stated she would only accept cash, though the sign next to her clearly said credit cards preferred. Additionally, the tickets were only €8, according to the official tourism site, but the lady was charging people €12. This explained, at least to me, why she would only accept cash.
Don’t get me wrong, I know many places in Europe only accept cash. This is why I always ask if credit cards are accepted before I purchase anything, including food and souvenirs. If the answer is no, I move on to another store.
Carrying loads of cash doesn’t feel safe to me. It also makes you a target for thieves, so I don’t carry any more than €50 at any one time.
A taxi proved the better option as I order and pay via the FREENOW app. Hopped in the taxi and off to the city centre.
PHOTO SAFARI
The sun was still rising when I reached the city centre. Not much was open, so I decided to explore and complete my photo safari.
Seville is a beautiful city.
ROYAL ALCÁZAR OF SEVILLE
The Royal Alcázar of Seville is the top attraction in Seville, according to Visit A City.
First things first – buy your tickets online and pick your schedule time. I went against my gut and decided to purchase on site. While not a horrible experience, it was frustrating. The queue was slow and tickets were timed-stamped and only a certain number of tickets were available for certain times.
Additionally, it was required to present your ID or passport when purchasing tickets, then again when entering the site. This was a requirement even if you purchased online.
This was the first time I ever had to show my passport to enter an attraction. Seriously, even the Vatican only scans your bags. They don’t ask for a passport.
Let me tell you – this little tidbit angered a lot of people, especially visitors from inside the EU who don’t normally carry their passports with them when traveling within the Schengen area.
Luckily, I carried my passport with me just in case I needed to show it while on the train.
Following a 30-minute wait to purchase tickets, there was another 40-minute wait to enter the site. Security performed another check of the ticket and passport, followed by a security check of bags and purses.
Normally, this development wouldn’t upset me, but given that I only had a limited time in the city, spending 70 minutes to enter one site didn’t exactly put me in a tranquil mode.
The Baños de Doña María de Padilla had a relaxing effect that was eroded by the entry process.
The “Baths of Lady María de Padilla” are rainwater cisterns beneath the Patio del Crucero. The cisterns are named after María de Padilla, the mistress of Peter the Cruel.
The cisterns were beautiful. Just standing there put me in a serene mood, though the wannabe Instagram “influencers” trying to hog the photo area pissed me off. It really outraged the other visitors to the point an employee told the wannabes they had to leave.
The Sala de Justicia was the next stop. The Hall of Justice is the first Moorish work of Alcázar. Built by Alfonso XI as a commemoration of his victory after the Battle of Salado in 1340. Nowadays, instead of justice, the space is designed to be enjoyed by the senses. The fountain at the center serves as a reminder that water is the source of all life.
ALCÁZAR GARDENS
The Gardens is the palace’s main attraction for many visitors. Containing more than a hundred species of plants, the gardens provided food for the royal court. It is also an exquisite mixture of Christian and Islamic architecture.
Exploring the gardens felt as if I was trapped in a maze. A beautiful maze no doubt. Visitors can easily spend about 90 minutes simply walking the gardens, marveling at how each section represents a different aspect of the palace’s history.
My visit concluded two and a half hours after it began. Honestly, exploring the palace can easily take upwards to four hours at a normal pace, especially for photographers. I actually forced myself toward the exit. If I hadn’t, I would have lost valuable city exploration time before I needed to head back to the train station.
HOP ON/HOP OFF
Next up was a two-hour Hop On/Hop Off tour. I chose the Alsa Seville Green Tour Bus over the more well-known CitySighting Red Tour because the Red Tour took a bit longer than the Green, and time was limited.
The tour was the typical tour you get in most cities, so nothing special. A nice overview of the major sites and a bit about the city’s history is good. Plus, it was a nice way to give my feet a rest after walking the city centre and palace. Also, the bus had free wi-fi and a working USB hub that I used to charge up my phone.
The tour started at the Torre del Oro, the Tower of Gold at the Quidalquivir. Not a Tower of Gold, but a military watchtower.
Now that I think about it – the tower’s nickname feel more appropriate as it’s purpose was to control shipping on the Guadalquivir as ships entered the city to discharge their cargo.
The tour continued, passing the Aquarium, Plaza de España, and Cartuja de Sevilla – which looked rundown to me, but apparently is open to the public as a technological and scientific complex.
The tour ended back at the Torre del Oro after stopping at the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla.
Only one thing truly bothered me. A couple brought their dog on the bus with them. The dog wasn’t a small puppy, but a large breed that looked more like a teenager. The dog took up two seats on the bus, which prevented other customers from sitting.
The most annoying thing was the dog barking and howling throughout the tour, which prevented me from hearing the commentary. The couple thought it was cute and funny. The other riders didn’t, and one person told the driver, who asked the couple to leave the bus.
I get that people love their pets and treat them as members of the family. However, just as you would discipline an unruly child, you need to have some accountability for your pets as well — particularly when you bring them into public places like a tour bus.
Back to my adventure.
SEVILLE BULLRING
Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla was another highlight of this adventure.
Actually, it was the best and my favorite part of this adventure.
Regardless of my personal feelings on the sport of bullfighting, the history of the building and the ring intrigued me enough to visit.
The €10 entry fee felt steep at first, but the site featured a mini-museum, complete with paintings and bullfighting prints.
The mini-museum tour ends with a varied assemblage of bullfighters’ suits, capes, posters, bulls’ heads and paintings by contemporary artists. Truly a unique view of history.
The cream of the crop of the visit was stepping onto the actual bullring.
Seriously, I was inside the actual bullring grounds, not just hanging out in the stadium seats.
#AWESOMENESS
GRILL CORNER SEVILLE
Hunger set in after visiting Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. There are so many good restaurants in Seville, it’s hard not to find something that pleases your palate.
I stumbled upon Grill Corner during my photo safari. The menu looked tasty and the prices were reasonable, so I stumbled on inside.
A nice place, cleaned and customer service was outstanding. They also accepted credit cards.
I ordered grilled nachos with melted cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo as a starter.
WOWZERS!
What I received could have been my main meal. The nachos were hot and gooey. Deliciousness all around.
My main meal was Angus beef steak with chips and chimichurri sauce. I debated between fish and steak, but chose steak since the only decent fish selection was salmon.
The portion size wasn’t as plentiful as the nacho, but that was a good thing. The steak was cooked to my taste. The chips were crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, with just a hint of sea salt.
SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS!
My tummy was full afterwards, so I passed on dessert. Overall, a nice meal in a beautiful setting.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Seville is certainly a city worth a multi-day adventure. A day-trip is nothing more than a tease to explorers. The city is beautiful, warm and inviting. Take advantage and enjoy it to the fullest.
Spending a ‘couple of hours’ in Seville is a disservice to the explorer in us all.
NEXT ADVENTURE:
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