Romance, history, culture, adventure and family fun – a break in Seville delivers on all counts. Ranked #1 Travel City for 2018 by Lonely Planet, Seville is having its moment to shine.
And shine it does….
Seville is Spain’s fourth largest city and the largest city in Andalucía (Spain’s southern region). Walking through the streets, visitors can admire the city’s beautiful and iconic architecture, soak in authentic culture and tradition, and feast on Spain’s most famous culinary speciality—tapas!
Our family flew into Seville’s international airport for a four-day, fun packed adventure. The city amazed us at every turn and left us wishing we had planned a longer stay.
When you’re travelling as family, having a good central base makes all the difference. Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento was an ideal home from home for us. The hotel is located next to Isla Magica (Seville’s theme park), but also just a short distance from Seville’s city centre. For those moments when you’re not exploring your surroundings, Barceló offers spacious rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, fitness centre, and helpful staff who are always ready to welcome families of all sizes.
A Tapa Or Two: You could spend days idling through the cobbled, scenic streets of the city’s centre, browsing the little shops in Barrio Santa Cruz or admiring the world famous cathedral (the largest Gothic building in Europe).
Another great way to experience all Seville has to offer is by taking one of Devour’s award winning food tours and eating your way through the city. Jamie, our guide, delighted us with an afternoon of incredible sights, fun facts, and tasty treats including a jamon tasting (Spain’s famous ham), artisan ice creams and pastries made by nuns from the local monastery.
Flamenco dance is synonymous with Spain but few cities can rival the talent found in Andalusia. We experienced it first hand at the Museo de Flamenco (the Flamenco Museum) where artists performed a variety of dances expressing emotions from happiness to anger to passion to grief. It’s normally hard to keep three young boys still for more than five minutes but ours were transfixed by the costumes, Spanish guitar and the amazing footwork. Ole!
Just next door to Barcelo is Isla Magica (Magic Island) theme park. Explore the Amazon, be a pirate for the day, or simply enjoy the themed rides, shows and games that the park has to offer.
Seville has thousands of great bars and restaurants dotted throughout the city. The Andalusia art of tapas (or small plate sampling) allows you to try different dishes and experience the flavours of Mediterranean cooking at its best. Do as the locals do and try several places in one night. If, however you’re looking for one spectacular place for lunch or dinner, look no further than La Casa de Joaquin Marquez.
I was fortunate to study in Seville some…(cough) many years ago. My local host family brought me to their favourite restaurant in the city- La Casa de Joaquin Marquez. I was blown away.
Joaquin, head chef, delights with traditional top of the line Spanish cuisine. Plate after plate is served until you just can’t eat any more. And then, they bring out dessert- a plate of homemade flans and cakes that no one and I mean Not. A. Single. Person can resist.
I have eaten all around the world, in some of the top restaurants, yet nothing seems to top my memory of La Casa de Joaquin Marquez. So it made sense that while visiting Seville, I would want to share this memory with my family. Now run by Joaquin’s son Jesus, the experience didn’t disappoint. Be warned: the restaurant is normally always full so make reservations early if possible. Also try their sister restaurant La Reserva de Joaquín Márquez.
Our time in Seville flew by and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye to the beautiful buildings, warm weather, and friendly locals. The city will always hold a special place in our hearts.
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