One day in Seville

What to do in Seville for a day trip from Madrid? The following was tried and tested in late November 2015. All the places we went were within walking distance.

Took a Renfe train from Madrid Atocha train station to Seville Santa Justa station. The train ride was about 2 hours and 30 minutes. We took an early train so that we would have time to cover more places in Seville in one day.

Casa de Pilatos

Our first stop was to see Casa de Pilatos. It took us about 15 minutes walk from the train station to this place. This 15th-century mansion was gorgeous. This amazing mansion had a lot of different pattern of mosaic on the walls and floor tiles.

The garden was impressive and beautifully maintained. It had sculptors and also mosaic.

And then we had to look up because the mansion also had beautiful ceilings as well.

A big mansion cannot go without those interesting fountains to complement its beauty. So here are some fountains we came across.

Seville Cathedral and Giralda Bell Tower

After Casa de Pilatos, our next destination was the Seville Cathedral and Giralda Bell Tower. It was about 10 minutes walking distance. Seville Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 3rd largest church in the world. The Gothic-style cathedral was built to be as opulent and beautiful as possible to show off the city’s wealth.

The Giralda Tower, which stands at 103m, is a good place to view the city of Seville. However, you will have to climb to the top to get the magnificent view. One thing special about this tower is instead of stairs, it has wide ramps leading up to the top of the tower. I had climbed a few towers in the past and I personally think ramps are easier to climb than the stairs, what do you think?

Royal Alcazar of Seville

Third place to go was Royal Alcazar of Seville. It was just right next to the Cathedral. This is a Moorish royal palace with fountain-filled gardens, ornate arches & 16th-century tiles. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the oldest European royal palaces that are still in use. This huge palace had some paintings and ceiling frescos that we could see. Do not forget to look at those arches all around the palace and stairways with colourful tile mosaics.

Plaza de Espana Seville

The last stop was Plaza de Espana Seville. From Alcazar, it was about 8 minutes walk to this plaza. We could see people rowing boats, taking photos or simply taking a stroll. There was a big fountain in the middle of the square and a canal surrounded the square. There were four bridges along the canal and they were decorated with beautiful tile mosaics.

We took a stroll, took some photos of the place and also sat on the steps on one of the bridges to rest our sore feet. It was quite relaxing and calming.

After all the walking, with tired feet and happy hearts, it was time to say goodbye to Seville and back to Madrid. I wished I had more time in Seville. Hopefully, I get to come back to Spain and visit Seville again.