Complete Guide to Seville: Know Before You Go

Are you going to Seville and have no idea what to do or how to start planning? Here is a complete guide of everything you need to know before taking a trip to the best city on earth! I consider myself somewhat of a local; I studied in Seville for six weeks, and now it holds a huge piece of my heart! As a student, I got a good taste of the best coffeeshops to study in, the craziest discotecas, and everything in between. You could explore Seville for years and not see everything, but here is my best attempt at a list of the best things to do in Seville!

Where to Stay

• Tayko
  • I’m only listing this one because it is absolutely where you need to stay. It’s got great prices and is right next to Puerto Jerez in downtown Seville! There is a rooftop pool, great service, a very kind and helpful staff that speaks English and Spanish, and the location is phenomenal!
  • Click here for their website!

Coffeeshops

In order to see everything on a time crunch, it’s best to start with a nice cup of joe to fuel your walking! You can often grab a pastry while you’re there; be prepared for a giant croissant and a tiny shot of coffee! Here are some of my favorite cafes in Seville.

• Cafe Universal
  • This is a spot near downtown Seville that I absolutely adored!

• San Tomas
  • For the best pastries ever, you have to give San Tomas a visit. I also went here pretty often to do work since it is right next to the university.
• Anana
  • This is much more of an Americanized place with smoothie bowls and Americans, but its delicious!

• Poco Loco
  • This is a great spot right next to the University of Seville; I loved it because all of the students and locals congregate here during the day. It really feels like you are one with the community.
• Terraza Fulton at Plaza Alianza
  • This is a WONDERFUL little rooftop bar and cafe that I stumbled upon one day when I was exploring Seville. You go inside the Palacio Alcazar hotel and go up to the top floor, and there is a bunch of seating and lovely flowers and a really kind staff! Its not crowded and has an incredible view of the cathedral.
• Almazen Cafe

• Salt and Sugar Coffee
• SantaGloria Coffee and Bakery
• JESTER!!!!!!!!
  • This was my friends and I’s #1 favorite place to eat in Seville. Granted, it is not a very Spanish or cultural spot. I loved it though because it had a variety of vegan pastries, smoothies, and all sorts of things in between. They also have really great coffee. You can only sit outside, but its an adorable street side cafe with seating next to beautiful flowers. 

Nightlife

Be prepared to pay a cover for any bar or discoteca that you visit! Sometimes if you get there before midnight or 1 a.m. you can avoid paying, but just bring money to be prepared!

• Koko
  • This is a great spot in the central historical part of Seville with an amazing crowd and fun music. The cover can get expensive, but it comes with a free drink and is 100% worth it!
• Juris Bar and Ruko n Roll
  • These are next door to each other. When I went with all of my friends, they played a ton of fun American throwback pop songs and let you sign the ceilings! I also met a ton of people from all corners of the world… Germany, France, Australia, and more!

• Occo
  • This is a beach club in Seville with a pool. Need I say more? The energy is INCREDIBLE; if you only have one night in Seville, this is my recommendation!
• Manhattan River Bar
  • I loved this place. Its on the river and has great music and fun lights. It’s an outside bar so it can get chilly at night, but the vibes are too good to miss out on!

Ice Cream

Spain can get pretty hot; how better to cool down than with some BOMB Spanish ice cream!? You can get ice cream pretty much on every street, but these two were my absolute favorites! I was pretty much a frequent.

• La Abuela
• Rayas

Thrifting

If you’re a big shopper with an empty wallet, here were some of my favorite places to shop!

• Halo
• Alas de Mariposa
• Humana
• Lefties
• Stradivarius (shop)
  • While this isn’t a thrift store, it’s a really cheap option compared to other stores! I bought a ton of staple items from this store!

Tourist-y things NOT to miss!

I hate feeling like I’m a tourist doing all the “basic” things that a city has to offer. However, the below places are things you absolutely must see if you’re visiting Seville! The top 4 are “must-see”s, and the other ones are fun to throw in if you have the extra time!

• Plaza de Espana
  • SOOO cool! Part of Star Wars was filmed here also (fun fact). There are sometimes concerts held here occasionally. It’s also surrounded by beautiful gardens that I loved walking through!

• Las Setas
  • These giant “mushrooms” are definitely a little odd and feel out of place, but they’re worth a visit. If you’re feeling crazy, you can head up to the top and get a rooftop view of the city!

• Real Alcazar
  • A MUST-VISIT! INCREDIBLE!

• Cathedral of Seville
  • You can walk in for free! The huge ceilings and incredible design of this building is mind-boggling. I went several times while in Seville.

• Palacio de Dueños
• Plaza Nueva Tapas
  • Explore this area and grab a bite at one of the side street restaurants.
• Torre del Oro
  • This “castle of gold” next to the river is really neat and contains a ton of history! You can also climb to the top!

• Puerte Jerez
  • This fountain and surrounding area contains flamenco dancers, music, shoppers, and horse-drawn carriages! Whenever I was going to explore more of Seville, this is where I would start. It’s a great center of downtown.

• Italica Roman Archaeological Site
  • If you’re a history buff or a lover of Rome like I am, you’ve got to head over to this place. It’s an incredibly well preserved Roman colosseum! It’s a bit of a ways outside of Seville but incredible. You can walk inside the colosseum and feel the screaming mob that was there a few thousand years ago.

In your spare time…

After hitting the essentials, here are the other things I suggest if you find yourself in Seville for a long time!

• Get a drink at Hotel Alfonso
  • There is a rooftop bar where you can get a drink and look out over Seville!

• Jewish neighborhoods
  • Explore the Jewish quarter in Seville and sink into its history.

• Voi scooters
  • If you’re not a big fan of walking or want to save money on an Uber, download the Voi app to get places quickly on these electric scooters! I had a really fun time zooming around on a scooter and getting to see the city a lot quicker!
• Olive oil tasting at Basilippo Oleoturismo
  • While very random, my trip to Basilippo Oleoturismo to see how olive oil is made, pick olives, and taste different types of oil was very interesting!

• River cruise with tapas
  • Grab a couple of buddies and book a night cruise down the river while enjoying drinks and tapas!
• Explore the banks of the river of Seville!

• Book a paddle boarding session in the river
• Flamenco dancing classes 
• Soccer!
  • There are a couple different stadiums around Seville; the Seville soccer team is very successful and well-known, and sometimes you can watch a game or two! During your time in Seville, google any upcoming games or scrimmages to watch!

• Book a tour of the Replica of the Neo Victoria
  • Basically just a giant boat on the river. I ran in circles around the deck and played the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack and had the time of my life.

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If you are planning on doing some more adventuring in Spain, I recommend heading over to my Madrid Itinerary, my Cadiz Itinerary, and my Southern Spain Day Trips for Seville!