Barcelona was always my number one favourite city but after visiting Seville, which is the largest and Capital City in Andalusia I changed my mind. What a gorgeous city Seville is. Seville has some absolutely stunning old towns, which are full of a maze of narrow and colourful streets and tall, amazing buildings wherever you look.
Seville is perfect for sightseeing. It is kid friendly, has a lot of parks, duck ponds, fountains, playgrounds for kids and real tapas that you need to try.
We went to Seville for 10 days and the best part was, we did not need a car to get around for a change.
This is what we visited with our kids in Seville.
1.Maria Luisa Park - Seville
Maria Luisa Park is uniquely beautiful and a must when you are sight seeing. The park is very peaceful, romantic and dotted with lots of charming spots to discover. Maria Luisa Park is filled with gardens collected from around the world. It’s a huge park and you could easily spend your entire day there, especially if you are planing to visit the museums within the park as well. We enjoyed seeing the museums buildings as we walked around, they are breathtaking. If you find the time you can visit the Archeological Museum of Seville, or the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, Seville.
As soon as we arrived at the park, we ate a great lunch, took lots of pictures and enjoyed the time together as a family. The park is a perfect place for children to discover nature, and to run around without being afraid of traffic. The only vehicles you will find in the park are the double bikes, which you can rent near Plaza de Espana. Renting a bike would cost you 10 Euros for 30 minutes, for two adults and 2 toddlers.
Maria Luisa Park is definitely a beautiful place to cool down from the heat and to enjoy a lazy day stroll with your kids. You will find a lot of open space and fountains. Playgrounds are scattered everywhere. There’s lots of shade. Kids can enjoy playing in the old trees. and collecting oranges from the orange trees that are everywhere.
The most fun we had, was with the doves that are waiting to be fed by your kids. You can buy bird food near the dove area. It is definitely worth it and you will have lots of nice memories and funny pictures and videos.
If you and your kids love carriages, you can take a ride for 40 Euros. We decided not to for many reasons. Instead we waved and said ‘Hola’ every time they passed or we went up to the horse and asked if we could pet them and take pictures. Next time we might take an apple with us, since we love to feed animals.
Maria Luisa Park quickly became our favourite place for kids in Seville.
2. Plaza de Espana
Omg, how I love Plaza de Espana. I am really in love. It is stunning and magical at sunset with blue tiles lining the columns, ceiling and steps. It is definitely on my list of top places I have seen.
The Plaza de Espana is located in the Parque de Maria Luisa. It is a huge building that was constructed in 1928 for the Ibero American Exposition. This building is not very old in comparison to many others in Seville but it still is one of my favourites. The majestic crescent has wowed thousands of visitors with its beautiful curving facades, ‘Venetian – style’ canals and breath-taking ceramic details. And each of the tiled alcoves represents a different province of Spain. It has even featured in Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars.
Arriving in Plaza de Espana, you can watch some shows. You can sit, eat, relax, enjoy the building and watch the people. You can have a lovely photo shoot with your family. And if you are lucky like us, you will discover a rainbow on the fountain in the middle of the plaza. You will also find flamenco dancers that the whole family can enjoy.
For 6 Euros you can rent a boat to go on the lake at the plaza. This is a must do with your kids. At first my husband did not want to but now we are all glad that we did. It was worth it. If you have young kids like us, you can sing ‘Row, Row, Row your boat’ and you can all try rowing the boat. If this is your first time, it is really fun to figure it out and your kids can enjoy trying as well. Even the young kids. Take lots of pictures and videos of this really fun activity with your kids and just enjoy the moment.
You and your kids can walk almost everywhere, but you will not be able to go inside the buildings as they are used for government offices. We can assure you that our kids loved their time on the Plaza de Espana.
3. Metropol Parasol - Las Setas
Visiting the largest wooden structure in the world is amazing. The view of the city from the top are breathtaking, especially at night. For going on the top, you will need to go to Las Setas. The nice thing is, it is stroller and wheelchair friendly. The top level has short steps that are spaced a bit far apart, so it is very easy to navigate with a stroller, we saw many of other families doing that. There is also elevator access to the top.
Entry for kids under 5 years old is free. Everyone else has to pay 3 Euros which is really worth it. Admission includes a free postcard that you can choose and one free drink at the cafe. The free options are mostly juice and soda, but you have to be lucky to find place to sit.
Las Setas closes around 11 pm, so it would be a perfect place to visit if you are jet lagged, up late and wanting something to do. In Spain you will see a lot of kids up late at night.
Around the Metropol Parasol you will find lots of shops and restaurants that are worth trying out.
4. Real Alcazar de Seville
A trip to Seville would not be complete without a visit to the Royal Alcazar. The Palace is next to the Cathedral. We almost missed it, but managed to go on the last day. And believe it or not, I even got a ticket for one Euro to enter the oldest palace still in use in Europe the day before I went. The Real Alcazar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The palace is definitely worth visiting with your kids. It would be great to tell your kids the story behind the palace before going so they can enjoy it even more.
We recommend buying tickets in advance and avoiding lines. They get incredibly long and even with tickets you should still be prepared to wait in line for a bit. The place is huge and we unfortunately did not manage to get everywhere. The one Euro offer was only from 18.30 and our kids were already very tired. But if I go to Seville again, then I will visit the Real Alcazar de Seville again.
Our advice is that since the palace is huge and there are only 3 restrooms in total, that you go with your kids at the entrance beforehand.
The good news is that kids under 16 years old are free and most of the places are stroller friendly.
You can take a lot of nice pictures with your family and have fun just walking and discovering the palace. Every room is so different and beautiful. If you can read Arabic then you will have fun reading all the decoration texts as well. Part of the grounds include beautiful gardens where kids can wander and even see peacocks if they are lucky.
5. Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Seville was a highlight for our family. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is also the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. The construction on the cathedral began in 1401 and was completed 150 years later. The Cathedral combines Moorish and Christian architecture. From the Cathedral you will get a bird’s eye view of the city and can point out landmarks such as the bull ring, and the river. You can see all the nice colourful houses and just enjoy the lovely view with your family. It is recommended to book your tickets in advance to avoid a long wait.
6. Experience the passion of Semana Santa during Easter time
If you visit Seville during Easter time, you will definitely experience the passion of Semana Santa, which starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. It is all about processions. Seville has over 100 churches and every church has a brotherhood. There is no way around it. Thousands of people come to celebrate Easter time with their families. Semana Santa in Seville is one of their most iconic celebrations and the week leading up to Easter is a fascinating time to be in the city. In Seville, Easter time is not about a bunny that brings kids eggs. It is all about Semana Santa, The Holy Week that is a special time for Catholic people. Each day you will see a passionate processions walking their way through the streets of the Andalusian capital. It is a breathtaking moment and for the first time kids will understand what Easter is really about. Our kids said that the people were dressed as ghosts and wondered what the ‘ghosties’ were doing. But actually they are Nazarenos. Many of them are carrying bags of sweets to give to kids as they go by, so the kids know they are friendly. That works for our kids. Our kids are still talking about them and have now a lovely idea of what Easter is all about. It is not only about the Easter eggs but also about Jesus.
7. Visit a Flamenco Show with your kids
Your visit to Seville would not be complete without seeing a flamenco dance. Wherever you go, there are Flamenco dancers. But to really enjoy it and see as much as you can, you need to book a show. We did that and our three year old girl was so fascinated from the hour and a half long show. After the show you want it to be a flamenco dancer 🙂 She was trying to dance like them and we even bought her a flamenco dress. It was amazing, even for people that don’t like to dance. It is really fascinating how powerfully they are dancing. Flamenco is definitely a part of Seville culture.
8. Visit Seville Aquarium
Our kids love to go to the Aquarium and they can never get enough. We always take our time and try to make it as playful and educational as possible. In Malta, we have a membership and in the winter they are at the aquarium once a week. That being said, we could not resist visiting the Seville Aquarium. It was much bigger than the one in Malta and had a lot of fish and sharks, beautiful jelly fish and the biggest snakes in the world. For us, it was definitely worth a visit.
9. Enjoy the Guadalquivir River
If you love being on the water and outdoor activities you could rent a boat heading down the Guadalquivir River with your kids. If you don’t feel like paddling you could take a boat cruise down the river instead. It is great for relaxing, enjoying time with your family, seeing the lovely buildings and having a nice chat on the boat with your kids.
10. Visit Theme Park Isla Magica
If you would like to visit a theme park, then Isla Magica is something for you and your kids. There are lots of attractions for the whole family. Unfortunately we did not visit the park, but it’s definitely on our list for next time. But don’t miss it like us! 😉 For more information visit Isla Magica’s page.
11. Real Tapas in Seville
If you have ever been in Barcelona, then you probably think that you have tried good tapas, but let me tell you, the tapas in Barcelona are made for tourists and the original tapas are actually coming from cities in the South of Spain, such as Seville. Southern Spain is known for having delicious tapas. Make sure you enjoy the food in Seville. I am sure you will love it like us.
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