The Best of the Andalusian Capital, Seville, Spain

After eighteen years calling Seville my home, I’ve come to know the city and its nuances - from the best places to eat in Seville (I’ll always go with my old favorites), Seville’s hidden gems and the best of the best.

Here’s my curated collection of the Best of the Best in Seville travel guide, in an order as random as the streets of Santa Cruz:

Seville is what you conjure when you think of Spain - whitewashed buildings sidling up to colorful doors, flamenco chords slicing through the balmy evening, locals spilling out of tapas bars. You literally trip on culture in Seville - it’s a rich city that teeters between the old and new, and it borders on sensual.

Best can’t-miss attraction: Plaza de España. It’s free (for now), always open and is a special part of Seville’s history. Built nearly a century ago by famed sevillano architect Aníbal González and crowning the Parque María Luisa, the tiles, benches and moats were the focal point of the 1929 Ibero-American Fair. Go early in the morning or at the twilight to avoid crowds and the people hawking inexpensive fans.

Best for architecture lovers: I’m from Chicago, so I appreciate the nuances In a building or civil design perhaps more than most. And while literally every corner of Seville has something eye-catching, I will always recommend the rooftop tour of the Cathedral. Apart from being the third-largest cathedral in the world, it’s one of the city’s most iconic elements, and you can get up close and personal with the Giralda bell tower. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).