Sevilla, Spain had some of the most intense culture I have ever come across!  I found that everything Sevillanos do, they do with an intense passion and it is so inspiring.  Sevilla is such a beautiful city with TONS to offer beyond the typical city blocks and fabulous tapas bars.  We had the best day filled with the royal gardens, some Game of Thrones scouting, horse and carriage rides, a bull fight (!) and ended with a flamenco show, a dance that originated in Sevilla.  Whew!  Are you ready?

Spend Time in the Royal Alcazar and Gardens

Simply put, the Royal Alcazar is stunning.  It then takes you to the royal gardens and you can’t believe your eyes.  It is set up really well because as you travel through the interior and then exterior gardens, you think each spot can’t possibly be better than the next… until it is!  The upper palace is still used by the royal family as their official residence in Sevilla, but many will recognize it as Dorne from Game of Thrones (disclaimer: I have not yet watched GoT but my brother and his girlfriend were giddy with all of the GoT sites in Sevilla)!  The line to get in will be long so I recommend getting there early to beat the crowds.  If you do have to wait in a long line don’t worry, it is worth the wait!

This southern Spanish region has Arabic influences which are prevalent amongst all of the gorgeous tiles throughout the royal buildings.  The gardens are also sublime.  They have fruit trees, water, everything the royalty needs right on premises.  As I walked through I couldn’t help but envision what it would be like to live here and have this little oasis at your fingertips.  The Spanish really did it right!

Enjoy Tapas and the Colorful Street Life

Looking to grab a bite?  Tapas bars are a plenty in Sevilla!  Don’t be alarmed by the boisterous atmosphere, they are meant to be enjoyed with friends and plenty of laughter.  Our two favorites were Bar Estrella and Bodega Santa Cruz, a local favorite with cheap prices.  A real winner!

I have touched on this before but the streets can get pretty jam packed in the evenings, filled with Sevillanos looking for a good meal, hang out with friends, or celebrate the local festivities.  The streets come alive in the evening!  Be sure to check them out, but we had different plans on this day.

Spot Some Game of Thrones Actors at Hotel Alfanso XIII

My brother and his girlfriend are big Game of Thrones fans (we are probably the only people on the planet that haven’t watched yet…) and heard that the actors always stay at Hotel Alfonso XIII, one of the most luxurious in Sevilla.  It turned out the cast had just finished filming two days prior!  Of course we checked out the hotel, grabbed a drink, and waited to casually run into them.  No luck was had as we just missed the cast by one day… but we still enjoyed the outdoor bar.

Take A Carriage Ride Through the City…

We had a fun evening planned and our local friends suggested we show up to our venue in style in none other than a horse and carriage.  You can arrange to have a horse drawn carriage ride throughout the city and gardens right at the Puerta de Jerez, near the entrance to the Royal Alcazar in the center of the city.  They are all lined up outside, so the easiest way is to just walk up and arrange it on the spot.  I normally would not jump at this opportunity because it may seem a little touristic, but I have to admit it was absolutely magical.  The ride lasted about 60 minutes so we had plenty of time to chat and even learn from the guide (en Español).  We were lucky to do this with my family and our good friends who live in Sevilla so they knew all of the fabulous things to do.  I am so glad we took their advice and did the carriage rides!

We had a group of eight so we had two carriages that took us around the city, through lush gardens, to the Plaza de España, and back to Puerta de Jerez.  They stop in front of the Plaza de España for a photo op but by far my favorite part was strolling through the gardens.  We were all dressed up and honestly felt like royalty.  It was a highlight, although everything in this list was to be honest!

…Before you Watch a Bull Fight

I know this may not be everyone’s top activity when visiting Sevilla, but we decided to do it for the authentic culture and opportunity.  It is a deep seeded tradition, especially in southern Spain.  If you want to see a Bull Fight, please do some research beforehand so you understand what exactly goes on!  I had taken Spanish classes throughout grade school so I knew what we were getting in to.  It is a personal choice if you would like to see one or not!  I was happy we were with awesome locals who could explain all of the traditions to us.

With that being said, our experience was quite enthralling.  Bullfighting to Sevillanos is in my opinion like college football to American southeast – it’s what they do and they do it passionately.  Each evening has three toreros, or bullfighters, who each fight a bull consecutively for three rounds.  All in all you will see nine bull fights with nine different bulls.  There are different stages of each fight and they gain intensity with each stage.  To signal a stage transition, there are trumpet players.  It is really very interesting, even if I did have to close my eyes at some points.

The boys decided they needed some sombreros for the event!  Are we in Texas or Southern Spain…? 😉

Off we went!  When you buy tickets, you will have to choose either Sombra or Sol, shade or sun.  The shady seats are a bit pricier but so worth it in the hot southern sun.  We were glad we picked the sombra seats (thanks Steve for the heads up!).  I might add that the stadium is gorgeous!

It was absolutely enthralling, and I do have to say that the toreros we saw put on a show.  The toreros can really move their body and their hips like crazy, and the good ones are pretty theatrical about it.  After each torero’s fight, the fans will either clap and cheer madly if they loved him, or hardly at all if they didn’t think he did a great job.  There are also judges that sat somewhat close to us, and if they think the torero did exceptional, they will throw a white cloth over.  We saw two times where they threw their white cloths over the rail!

Carmen explained to us that if you think the torero did exceptional, you can throw him your sombrero when they do a lap around the stadium.  The first torero had a CRAZY round where the bull actually did hit him (!!!) but he kept with it.  David threw this young torero his hat, and he threw it back to us!

 

Finish the Night Across the River with Flamenco

Our crazy day wasn’t over yet!  Steve and Carmen took us across the Guadalquivir River over to Triana, a cool suburb of Sevilla.  The Guadalquivir River runs straight through Sevilla, and is what Christopher Columbus sailed to return to Spain and Sevilla after finding the Americas.  Hows that for some deep history!

Once in Triana, we headed to Baraca Sala Flamenca, an amazing and authentic flamenco bar.  Included in the ticket is one drink, and you get seated around the flamenco stage so be sure to get there before it starts.

If you’ve ever seen flamenco, it usually starts out with a guitarist or singer, and they will add more people but the only music is 100% made from the few performers, usually with loud clapping and stomping of feet and one person singing.  Then the beautiful flamenco dancer arrives on stage, twirling and dancing with that intensity and passion of the Sevillanos.

It was truly an epic way to end the perfect day.

If you head to Sevilla, please make sure to do some of these highlights and let me know how you liked it, you won’t regret it.

xx