Sevilla
As the two-year anniversary of my study abroad experience is rapidly approaching, I am 1. amazed by how fast time had gone by 2. reminiscing over the city I called home the spring of my junior year. To commemorate my time in the capital city of Andalusia, I've put together a list of my favorite spots in the city.
El Centro
Plaza de España
Located in Parque de María Luisa, this plaza houses street vendors, flamenco dancers, and a small canal with rentable row boats. Inside the Renaissance/neo-Moorish style, semi-circular building are various government offices. This is also where part of Star Wars: Episode II was filmed.
Royal Alcázar of Seville
In the heart of the city is the Royal Alcázar of Seville. Inside the beautiful palace walls, are copious gardens, palm trees, and fountains. Originally built by the Moors, the palace was constructed with Islamic art features, however, following the Spanish Reconquista, elements of Gothic, Renaissance and Romanesque design were combined leading to the unique style known as Mudéjar. This is also the setting of Dorne from Game of Thrones.
Catedral de Sevilla
This cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Fun fact: Originally, thought to be his whole body, it was later discovered that only part of Columbus’s body is buried here
La Giralda
La Giralda is the bell tower of the Catedral de Sevilla which was built during the reign of the Moors as a place of prayer. Due to this, there are no stairs because high officials would take horses to the top of the tower, making walking to the top of the tower a serious leg workout. The Renaissance-style top was added by Catholics after the Spanish Reconquista.
Parque de Maria Luisa
Similar to Central Park, this lush green area in the heart of Sevilla is perfect for going for a walk, run, or grabbing a bite to eat. Within the park are many notable landmarks such as Glorieta de Juanita Reina, Fuente de las Ranas, Fuente de los Leones, and Monte Gurugú. The Museo Arqueológico de Sevilla and Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares de Sevilla are also located on the edge of the park.
Universidad de Sevilla
Opened in the 1500s, this university is one of the top ranked schools in Spain and is housed in an old tobacco factory. The university is open to the public to walk through and definitely worth the stroll.
Las Setas
On the further edge of the city center, you will find large wooden structures that resemble mushrooms. With a short elevator ride, you can make your way to the top level where you are able to walk along the paths and take in the incredible views of the city. On a lower level, there is a tapas bar to enjoy refreshments and small platters.
Toro del Oro
Originally, a 13th century military watchtower on bank of the Guadalquivir River, the tower has been converted into a naval museum.
Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla
During Feria, this building comes alive as it hosts one of the most popular bullfighting festivals in the world. Despite its popularity, bullfighting is a very taboo subject to bring up with locals.
Plaza Nueva
This is the shopping district in the city center where you will be able to find stores like H&M, Zara, Lush, Adidas, and Bimba y Lola to satisfy all of your shopping needs.
Los Remedios/Triana
Triana is where my host home was, therefore I'm a bit biased toward this part of town due to its homey feel. While there are fewer top attractions to visit in this part of the city, there are plenty of shops and restaurants worth visiting. Some of the most notable are:
Phoenix Pub | Plaza de Cuba, 2 - Permanently Closed
I spent countless afternoons at this sports bar with my friends grabbing a drink or snack. They have a wide drink and food selection, friendly staff, and plenty of TVs so you can watch all the fútbol games. They streamed the Super Bowl LII here, so we were able to see Philadelphia Eagles become world champions.
Long Island | Calle Betis, 56
Long Island was one of our favorite bars in the city. Primarily because it attracted all of the study abroad students in the city with its free sangria on Thursday nights, Route 66 shot challenge, and American university flags hung all over the ceiling.
Calle Asunción
This is like a smaller version of Plaza Nueva but still a great spot for shopping. Unlike Plaza Nueva, this street is also filled with restaurants.
FOOD + DRINK
If you're like me, then food is your favorite part of any trip. As we were focused on saving most of our money for traveling, so we didn't really splurge on any fine dining in Sevilla. However, we still managed to eat at some good restaurants with great prices.
100 Montaditos | Calle San Fernando, 29
Tapas restaurant serving up 100 different montaditos all for 3€ or less and 1,5€ beer, sangria, & radler.
Torch Coffee Roasters | Paseo de las Delicias, 3 - Permanently Closed
By far my favorite coffee shop in Sevilla. It is a chain with locations in Raleigh, North Carolina, Pu'er, China, and Sevilla. Not only is the coffee heavenly, so are the quiche and pastries.
TGB - The Good Burger | Paseo de Cristina, 3
Being from the South, the craving for a good burger is in my blood. While it isn't a classic Angus burger, TGB had cheap burgers and fries that helped satisfy my cravings. Our favorite deal was to get 2 burgers, 2 drinks, and fries for 11€.
Iguanas Ranas | Calle Santo Tomás, 7
Near the Alcazar you'll find Iguanas Ranas, a Mexican restaurant with savory enchiladas and delectable flan.
Slice of NY pizza | Calle Alemanes, 13
Across from the Cathedral is this small pizza shop with huge slices of NY style pizza. The garlic knots here are quite tasty.
La Cantina Mexicana | Calle Francos, 14
Tucked behind the main store fronts on Calle Francos is this gem. With it's Tex-Mex flair, La Cantina Mexicana of course was easily one of my favorite restaurants.
Casa Palacios | Calle Progreso, 7
Ahh Casa Palacios holds a special place in my heart. The workers here saved me unknowingly almost every day when my host mom accidentally packed me a ham sandwich for lunch. For 2€, I'd get a turkey sandwich and a drink. Zach loved their salmon tapas here.
La Abuela | Avenida de la Constitución, 16
Situated between the Cathedral and Alcazar is this gelateria with the best and cheapest gelato in the city.
El Embarcadero | Calle Betis, 69B
Cozy restaurant on the river with a perfect view of Toro del Oro and great cocktails.
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If you have ever talked with me about my study abroad experience then you've no doubt heard my mixed feelings with having chosen Spain as the country to call home. Despite the vicissitude of my time, I would love to visit my old stomping grounds. Spain is gorgeous and definitely a place that you should travel to if given the opportunity, however, if you're allergic to pork and live a typical fast-paced, type A personally, Spain is probably not the best to live for an extended period of time.