Why Visit Seville, Spain? A City of Layers, Flavor, and Flamenco
Why a visit to Seville should be in your near future
If you are asking why visit Seville, then I am pretty sure you have never been. But I’m hoping to change that for you. Over four years ago, Eric and I made the leap from southern France to southern Spain. We weren’t chasing work — just following a deep pull toward sunshine, a slower pace, and a rhythm of life that felt instantly familiar. Drawn by Andalusia’s cultural richness and warmth (and I don’t just mean the weather, though with the exception of summer, it’s pretty great), we slid almost seamlessly into life in Seville.
Of course, for us, food and drink are never far from the story. People asked us if we were opening another Cook’n With Class here, and the answer was: not exactly. What we did do was launch Let’s Eat The World, a natural evolution of the culinary holidays we created in Paris and Uzès, now bringing that same sense of connection and discovery to Seville.
What does a French chef & a Nigerian-born Franco-American know about Spanish cuisine? Quite a bit, as it turns out. 40+ years in hospitality is nothing to sneeze at. When we first introduced our Week in Seville tour, Eric stepped in as chef, guiding guests through the region’s flavors with his signature blend of technique and curiosity. You can read more about that first tour in this Barefoot Blogger recap. Today, he’s passed the baton to Chef Samuel, who brings his perspective to the Let’s Eat Seville – Week in Seville tour, while Eric continues to shape the experience behind the scenes as our culinary advisor. As for the hosting — well, that’s still me. People short on time but eager to discover have even joined us for our shorter tour, the 6-day Culinary Tour in Seville.
We are excited to add this new tour to our repertoire, and I’m going to give you just a little taste of what to love about Seville.
The weather here is magnificent most of the year. I won’t lie to you, the summer can be brutal, but the rest of the year is pretty much paradise. You wouldn’t think that today, as you look outside at the gray (actually almost pink due to desert sands coming up towards us from Africa 😳), but we need the rain, so it is also good that that happens sometimes.
Getting to and around the city
A small international airport makes getting to Seville easy from many destinations. The city is easy to navigate with a good bus system (Tussam), a tram, and endless bike paths. This is one of the most bikeable cities I have lived in thus far, largely due to its geographic flatness. Makes you feel less guilty after all the cervezas and fried food. Many bike shops and tourist outposts rent bikes as well, and the city has its bike-share program (Sevici).
As the Andalusian capital, Seville is also a great starting point for trips throughout the region, offering many day trip opportunities by car, train, or bus.
Visit Seville for The Weather
Why do you visit Seville? For the weather, of course! I did say before that maybe summer is not for you if you don’t like high temperatures, but on the other hand, Seville allows for many outdoor dining options throughout the year, thanks to the pretty wonderful weather. Seville has the best climate in Spain – yeah, okay, summer is hot, but spring and fall are great times to visit, and winter is mild enough. Are you still asking why visit Seville? Ok, I’ll continue
Visit Seville for The Festivals
The Semana Santa and The Feria de Abril probably top the list of festivities every year in Seville in the minds of locals and visitors alike but add to that mix the bineal of Flamenco in September, the Christmas season with the Feria de Bélen which is quite similar to the Foire aux Santons in Marseille where you can find a myriad of nativity figurines throughout the stands around the cathedral. If you stick around past Epiphany, you can witness the eye-popping parade of “Los Reyes,” The Wisemen, which closes off the holiday season. Let’s not forget about bullfighting – though it does not interest me personally, I know that this is something that draws in quite a few spectators.
Want to explore and experience Feria like a local? Check out my tips in my Seville Feria de Abril guide.
Visit Seville for The Cathedral & Real Alcazar
You can’t come to Seville and not see these monuments. The best is to do so with a guide, even if just an audio guide. Amazing tour guides like Sevilla à la Carte offer guided tours that you help organize with your specific interests in mind. Though I have never visited them, I hear that the royal chambers are interesting to see in the Real Alcazar.
Visit Seville for Flamenco
From street performers to tablaos, you will find flamenco is in the air in Seville, and a show is a must in one form or another. You can even take flamenco classes. We have our Seville tour participants partake in a crash course on flamenco before heading off to a show. A perfect way to fully understand what you are seeing and hearing.
Visit Seville for The Food
Tapas, tapas, and more tapas. But also fine dining, please. Seville has plenty to offer hungry locals and travelers alike. For tips on eating in Seville, check out where to eat in Seville and also the 25 best tapas you have to try when you are here.
Hopefully, this small taste of what the city has to offer has convinced you that a trip is in order. You can explore the surrounding Andalucian cities using bus or rail from the Plaza de Armas (for the buses), and the Santa Justa (train) stations. The Omio app is a good tool for booking either option.
We look forward to seeing you in Seville for our culinary tours in Seville, or you can contact us about our customized private food & wine experience.
