Guadalquivir RiverGetty Images
9. Take a boat ride along the storied Guadalquivir river
With dreamy views and a rich maritime history, the Guadalquivir River has shaped the identity of Seville for centuries. Famously, Spain’s only inland port is where Portuguese seafarer Ferdinand Magellan set sail from on what is considered the first circumnavigation of the globe. However, he died during the voyage, so Spaniard Juan Sebastián Elcano later returned the ship. It’s also here that ships loaded with gold, silver, and spices were required to pass through when returning from the Americas (visit the Archive of the Indies museum to learn more). Take a riverboat ride along its chalky green waters while admiring sites like the Torre del Oro (golden tower), the famous pastoral facades of Calle Betis and the 19th-century Puente de Triana. Alternatively, hire a kayak, rowing boat or paddle boarding and pootle along at your leisure.
Museo del Baile FlamencoAlamy
10. Experience some of Spain’s best flamenco
Andalucía is the birthplace of flamenco – and many trace its roots to the Triana neighbourhood in Seville, which was historically home to the city’s gitano (‘gypsy’) population. In honour of the fabled origins, add a few tracks to your playlist before hopping on a plane – famous Sevillean artists like Aurora Vargas and Juana la del Revuelo are good places to start. Head down to La Carbonería for a laid-back, free flamenco show of music and dance; housed in a rustic industrial building with long wooden tables, it has a bar selling run-of-the-mill tapas and a terrace skirted by plants. For a proper cabaret-style show and an up-close encounter with the footwork, clapping and shouts of olé, go to a tablao (which often also offer food and drink) like Los Gallos, El Arenal or Las Setas. Or for a more polished, theatre-style experience, visit the Teatro Flamenco de Triana to see some of the best local talent light up the stage.
Spanish tapas in SevilleGetty Images
11. Book a food of the Triana neighbourhood
It’s news to nobody that Seville is blessed with a wealth of classic tapas bars, numbering, they say, in the thousands. As a general rule, avoid the tourist traps surrounding the cathedral – those with plastic menus and overzealous waiters trying to drag you in. Even better, lean on local experts, like the folk at Devour Tours, a company offering four food tours led by knowledgeable local gourmands. Choose from a general tapas tour, with a side of history, to a more specific jaunt around the city, like one that explores the lesser-visited Triana neighbourhood: expect under-the-radar restaurants serving the best-grilled pork in town, or timeworn taverns peddling fresh Manzanilla sherry. It’s hard not to fall in love with this lively neighbourhood’s foodie culture, which ranges from nibbles and fresh produce at Mercado de Triana to stylish contemporary establishments offering inventive tasting menus