As some of you may have heard – I think I’ve said it a few times, Eric and I moved to Seville, Spain over a year ago. Maybe you are asking why visit Seville? I could name many reasons and I’ve done just that below. Our traveling souls were called to sunny Andalusia giving us another opportunity to learn and grow – and for our son to pick up another language – he doesn’t know it yet but I’m setting him up to become a hyper polyglot (only 8 more languages to go).
Wherever we go, food & drink are never far from our thoughts. People asked us if we were opening a Cook’n With Class Seville and, well, the answer is not exactly. One should never say never but another physical cooking school is not something that is currently on our minds but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to bring you to Seville to enjoy the food, wine, and culture.
Instead, we’re bringing our experience in creating appetizing, entertaining, and educational culinary holidays in Paris and Uzès to Seville.
What does a French chef & a Nigerian-born Franco-American know about Spanish cuisine, you may wonder? Let me say this much for myself and Eric, we both have backgrounds in hospitality and cuisine, I with over 20 years and Eric with over 40 so there! Actually, turns out that chef Eric knows quite a bit and we got to share that knowledge and most importantly that passion with our first group of happy participants during a shortened version of our Week in Seville – the 4-day Culinary Tour in Seville.
We are really 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 near paradise. You wouldn’t think that today as you look outside at the gray (actually almost pink due to dessert sands coming up towards us from Africa 😳), but we need the rain so it is also good that that happens sometimes.
Getting around the city
Seville is easy enough to navigate with a good bus system (Tussam), a tram, and endless bike paths. In fact, this is one of the most bikeable cities I have lived in thus far. 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 own bike-share program (Sevici).
The Weather
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 the winter is mild enough. Are you still asking why visit Seville? Ok, I’ll continue
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 I personally would like to, I know that this is of interest to some and draws in quite a few spectators.
Want to explore and experience Feria like a local, check out my tips.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 for a customized private food & wine experience.
