If you are planning a trip to Sevilla, I have rounded up my top tips, depending on whether you are in town for a short trip and whether you are in town for some of the things I know.
Hello friends! I hope you’ve had a great week so far! This is the last post in my travel series (we cruised time in Spain, Italy and France + in Barcelona and spent 4 weeks in Sevilla). You know until I plan my next indifferent trip lol.
Today I wanted to share some of the things I learned about Sevilla. Things to know, my favorite restaurants and spots, and tips I had to learn the hard way. I divided it into two segments. The first is if you are planning a shorter trip (around a week) and a longer trip (over 3-4 weeks).
Tips for a trip to Sevilla, Spain
Short trip:
language:
If you are traveling to Spain, I think it’s worth learning the important phrases you use. This book is extremely helpful and I would also recommend working with a tutor if possible. Josep is my current tutor and he is amazing! We found that a considerable number of people in Spain know English, but many are not. At the very least, it’s worth knowing how to get a place you want to go to a taxi, how to order food and drinks, asking for an invoice, where the bathroom is, and how to have a polite conversation.
Also note that Sevilla uses condensed versions of phrases. This is casual and fun.
-POR Likes (please) = porfa (I personally did not use this.
– hasta luego (see later) = luego
– Buenos Dias (Good morning) = Buenas (but Buenas can always say instead of Hora for halo)
-gracías (Thank you) =gracía
Also, expect to listen carefully to “Vale” and use it. You can agree, OK, do you understand? (Vail?) Are you ready? (Vail?), I’m ready (sí, vale), let’s go (Vale!) and more.
Please wear comfortable shoes!
There are lots of walking. This is one of my favorites. I love exploring new places on foot 🙂 The streets are cobblestone and sometimes uneven so stay away from the heels. Cute sneakers and sandals are always a good choice. For dinner, you can exchange it with dressy sandals or espa drills. When we are in Europe, I live in Vejas!
air conditioning
AC is more rare, even in restaurants and shops. Get a cute fan and you will fit in quickly! We are from Arizona and I love hot yoga so the fever didn’t really bother me, but the kids were melting. We ended up going to Alehop and won a fan of Mr. Face and Neck.
reservation:
Please book meal reservations and tickets in advance.
Some of my favourite spots:
Royal Arcaza
Del Bale Flamenco Museum
Lasseta
Plaza Espanya
Triana Market
Cathedral
Flamenco by Las Setas, Casa de La Memoria or La Cabonería (bar with improvised flamenco performances)
restaurant
Dietary Tips:
– If you need water, make sure to specify whether Agua Con Gas (Sparkling) or Natural (Still) is required.
– Coffee shops often ask if it is a paraaki (to eat there) or a paraalbar (to go). It’s not a big deal in small places, but some restaurants don’t offer takeaway meals or charge a fee for takeaway items. Boxes after meals are not that common so you should ask a little (.50-1 euro) for takeaway items and expect.
– No conversion is expected here yet, but we are grateful. My friend in Barcelona said that if he felt the service was excellent/more than that, he would tilt the euro for 1-2 euros.
– Order a Tint DeVerano instead of a Sangria. It’s sweet, very good and refreshing. We also highly recommend getting a bottle of Albariño wine.
– Paella is more commonly a lunch food, not a dinner food. 😉
Top Restaurants in Seville:
– Mokambo for branch
– Alfalfa 8 for cocktails and dinner
– Petra for cocktails and dinner
– Errin consillo for lunch or dinner
– Maria Treifica for a romantic dinner
– Cañabota (the incredible Michelin Star Experience we enjoyed)
– Smoothing gluten-free bakeries
– Armazen – Cute little breakfast cafe
Longer trips:
We were in Sevilla for four weeks so we were able to experience living there for a while.
Grocery shopping tips:
Most days I went grocery shopping. Because it was summer and allowed the kids to not only snack on a ton, but also see something fresh and good. When we’re out of town (especially for long trips), we can be very expensive and we don’t feel the best at 100% restaurant meals, so we try to eat up to 1x (probably snacks and ice cream) per day.
Also, vegetables are a bit lacking in this restaurant. It’s not standard to go to a restaurant and see lots of vegetables and salads on the menu. I tried to snack and cook at airbnb whenever I could to get some extra nutrients and fiber.
Shopping production:
You will need to wear gloves to touch the produce and put the produce in a produce bag. Once in the bag, take it to a nearby food scale and weigh it. Find the produce you are measuring on the screen, press the button, and a sticker barcode pops out and attaches it to your production bag.
Bring your own bag.
They have bags available, but you have to pay them, and it’s easy to put some tote bags in your luggage and use them as a beach, pool, or grocery bag.
Some of our staple foods:
fruit
Vegetables and hummus or guacamole for soaking
Gluten-free Pico and Nutella
Refrigerated Spanish tortilla (very good)
yogurt
egg
Tips and bars
Peanut butter on berry or banana toast
We also brought daily nutrition support and thrubani from home.
laundry:
We usually plan to do laundry whenever possible when we travel. I bring a laundry pod from home. (I use the Rosey brand from Thrive Market.)
The value to mention here is worth mentioning that dryers are less common in Spain. Dry your clothes outside. To be honest, I actually love this. The sun drys the clothes very quickly and they feel very fresh and beautiful! The only disappointment is that the towel is a bit crispy. Our Airbnb has a washing machine and drying rack that can be carried to the rooftop to dry your clothes.
The rooftop was locked for a while so we dried it in the living room in the drying rack.
Airbnb:
If you’ve been staying for a long time, I definitely recommend finding an AC (it’s worth it in the summer) and a patio, or somewhere outside to cool off. This was my only regret on our Airbnb. It’s so cute, but it was so small as I thought we were going out. We ended up spending a lot of time there. I would have loved to relax outdoors on a small patio or anywhere, while the girls were sleeping or relaxing in AC.
Garbage + Recycle:
That’s not the state! Most spots have nearby trash locations that remove trash and sort recycle. I’ve always been impressed with recycling here in glass, meadows, paper/cartons, food scraps and other bins.
Bathroom:
It is worth noting here that most toilets in Sevilla cannot be flushed through toilet paper. Usually there is a large garbage can next to a toilet, such as toilet paper. The pipes are very old and can be easily clogged. Public toilets may not have toilet paper, so it is convenient to have a pack of tissue and hand sanitizer in your wallet.
random:
– Eat jam. I don’t eat pork in America, but you can bet your booty I have jamon almost every day we are in Spain.
– Get a flat with Flabelus!! (Look your head, they run small. I’m usually 38 years old and I have sizes up to 39)
– Check out Mira Mira for a very cute gem at Super Inepxnsive
– Get chocolate bonbons and tarrons from the chocolate shop.
– Buy some of the best olive oils (You can actually order them on Amazon, but still!)
– Carilada (Pig cheeks served with red wine reduction sauce…for the dying person)
– Walk to Triana to view all of our handmade ceramics!
Okay, I think that’s most of my hints…for now!!
If you’re going to Sevilla, have the best time. It’s a magical place with truly gorgeous culture, very friendly people, great food and breathtaking views. You looooove it.
OK, Friend: What are on your travel list now? Are there any Sevy Jalecons to add?
xo
Gina
