We loved this city. A wonderful, relaxing three-nighter, Seville is perfect for a winter break and going there didn’t break the bank either! With a festival feel and plenty of city-walking, there’s also sun here in December! It’s not bikini weather, but it’s a wonderful break from the colder months further north. Visit the royal palace – Alcazar – and the cathedral. Beautiful, serene, and oranges growing everywhere.

We found an Airbnb apartment that I’ve recommended multiple times since. Staying here helped make our trip fabulous; the best Airbnb host that we’ve encountered and a part of town where you get to experience real Seville life. We were still within walking distance of the places we wanted to visit.

Alexis (our host) is also an expert olive oil taster and offers an olive oil tasting experience on AirBnb. We decided to try it, and wow, I’ll never buy or taste olive oil the same way again. Experiencing top quality olive oil made me realize that buying the good stuff really makes a difference. It’s not easy to buy great olive oil in the USA so we brought back a fair amount. Alexis advised us to buy California Olive Ranch oil when we’re shopping at home.

 

Visiting the cathedral – now this can be super-easy if you buy your tickets at the church of El Salvador. Arrive at El Salvador earlier in the day. Buy a combined ticket to the church and the cathedral. Check out El Salvador and when you arrive at the cathedral, you’ll see really long lines – but not for you! Walk to the very front of the line with your combined ticket and find a security guard or someone who works there. Show them your ticket – and you’ll head right inside. I hear there’s also an online ticket purchase option. I haven’t looked into that. We found it really challenging to use internet in Seville. I recommend buying tickets before you arrive if you’re thinking of doing that. We had many attempts at buying tickets online for Alcazar, but we didn’t get an email receipt. We were fortunate to be let in because we had a photo of the final purchase screen saved on a phone. Buying before you leave is worth it. Even in December there were long lines for the main attractions.

Check out the indoor market, the outdoor market – where you’ll see passports for sale(!) walk the Metropol Parasol for the view, and dine out as much as you can. Order orange juice. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted. The dining options are plentiful, delicious, and inexpensive. It’s worth booking ahead and remember there’s a siesta every day when it’s difficult to find dining options of any kind. Gluten free? They’ve got you covered! Some restaurants had gluten free menus. Now, I can’t say it’s safe to dine with celiac disease, but if you speak some Spanish, you might be fine on that front too.

December is a great time to visit Seville. If we’d known, we would have also stayed for new year’s eve. Everyone – all ages – were out in the streets enjoying the atmosphere, visiting restaurants and flamenco places, and checking out the incredible street décor. The baubles are so huge you can go inside, and they play light shows all through the evening.

Free to everyone  to enjoy!