I would never normally begin a post by attempting to turn readers away, however today I direct a request to my friend Lindsay and tell her to skedaddle and avert her eyes from the contents of this post.
You see for Lindsay’s hen party we’re off to Seville for three days. A long weekend soaking up the sights, sipping sangria and enjoying the final days of her singledom.
A few of the threads on the TripAdvisor forum suggest Seville isn’t a place for hen do. I believe this is precisely the reason the bride-to-be selected it for her bachelorette party location. The hen will be joined by her sister and five close friends (including yours truly) and we are all keen to give her a stylish, civilised(!) yet hugely fun send-off in to married life. Lindsay’s sister and bridesmaid Victoria is chief organiser and would welcome your thoughts on places to go and things to do in the Spanish city.
We had originally attempted to go away over Semana Santa de Sevilla, Seville’s Holy Week however we found accommodation was triple the price. The atmosphere is meant to be incredible with crowds lining the streets to watch processions of floats and religious sculptures pass through. We also tried to find an apartment for the period over the Feria de Abril (April Fair), which follows two weeks later but again found they were pricey. Instead we’ll be visiting in mid April. Our accommodation is central so will be a great base to explore the city famed for flamenco, oranges and tapas.
One of our party, Melissa has visited Seville before and has already suggested some marvellous places to add to the itinerary.
Alameda de Hércules
A vast open space filled with terraces, bars, and late night drinking spots. We’ve heard this is the place for low priced tapas and drinks.
ConTenedor, Calle San Luis 50,
Allegedly serving the best meal in Seville, ConTendor is a funky tapas restaurant which is popular with locals rather than tourists. Melissa is keen to go back and order the duck as apparently it was exquisite.
Reales Alcázares de Sevilla
Renowned for being one of the most beautiful palaces in Spain, this moorish fort is on my must-visit list. I’m hoping the rest of the hen party agree.
Plaza de España and Parque de María Luisa
The Plaza de España is a plaza located in the Parque de María Luisa. The park itself is filled with fountains, pools and statues and is apparently great for hiring bikes if we’re feeling hangover free. The huge plaza inside (the size of five football pitches!) is home to two spectacular renaissance revival towers and a bordering lake.
Victoria and the rest of the brood would love to hear your suggestions for places to visit, bars to drink in and restaurants to eat in. Thanks in advance for the recommendations. Oh and Lindsay if you are reading this you really are a devil.
Good choice Lauren!
Seville is a place full of fun, nice food & drinks and beautiful heritage.
Definitely better to avoid Easter and Feria de Abril, too many people, specially in Easter when is full of processions. La Giralda and Torre del Oro (both monuments) are symbols of the city but for me the best is Plaza de España.
Have a fun girls!x
Thanks Alicia. Victoria and I were gutted we couldn’t find any accommodation that wasn’t eye-wateringly expensive (or wasn’t bunk beds) but seems like it’ll be more laid back in mid April. x
Seville is one of my all time favourite cities. The whole city smelt of orange blossom when we were there which is just beautiful! We went to a Flamenco dancing night at La Caboneria which was packed and good fun. It’s a bar that is housed in what was an old coal warehouse and you can get a drink whilst waiting and watching the flamenco. The Spanish guitar players were so good and the dancers were quite fierce ladies!
Oh wow, orange blossom has an incredible smell.
Thanks for the flamenco recommendation x
That photo…lush!
This reminds me, I keep meaning to send you a reader request – what is the best way to send it? x
Hi Kitty, if you fill in the contact form it comes through directly to Miranda and I x
Ooooh lucky you! I spent six months last year teaching English in Seville and it completely stole my heart.
Personally, I think the bars in the Alameda are a little bit run down – perfect for cheap tapas though! The ones in the area around Calle Sierpes and the cathedral are better. For me, the two best tapas bars in Seville are Ovejas Negras (http://www.ovejasnegrastapas.com/) for a modern atmosphere, and then the Bar Alfalfa (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187443-d1887221-Reviews-Bar_Alfalfa-Seville_Province_of_Seville_Andalucia.html) if you want to go more traditional.
If you head to the Plaza del Salvador in the evening, it’s completely full of people having a drink at all the little bars in the square, and sitting on the steps of the church is so nice.
For restaurants, the Ostia Antica Italian in the EME Catedral hotel (http://www.emecatedralhotel.com/en/restaurants/ostia-antica/) is sooo good. The EME is really expensive, but the restaurant is really well-priced. The pizza bread and the penne with farm sauce are really delicious.
They also have a great roof terrace with awesome views of the cathedral, but the Hotel Dona Maria (http://www.hdmaria.com) also has one which is cheaper and has just as great views. They do great cocktails and even have blankets if it’s a bit chilly.
For a great view head to the top of the Metropol Parasol “las setas”. Especially at dusk! They have a bar at the top 😉
Don’t miss the Real Alcazar, but be sure not to go on a Sunday morning because it’s absolutely mobbed! The cathedral is closed then, so all the tour groups head over to the Alcazar before the cathedral opens later.
Have a great time!
Hi Gemma, thank you so much for all these suggestions. Seville sounds incredible. We can’t wait to try the rooftop cocktails 😉 x
I love Seville, my best friend lives there and I will also be visiting mid April. I would heartily recommend a meal at Duo Tapas, on the Calle Calatrava. Amazing food with a bit of a twist on traditional tapas.
Thanks Jenny, this sounds fab.
I second the roof top bar at EME http://www.emecatedralhotel.com/
Worth going for a cocktail and the view. We were there on a Monday night but I bet the place is a great spot at the weekend. Chilled out Balearic tunes as well 🙂
I was there in October last year and loved it – simply wandering through all the little alleyways and stumbling across tapas bars was the best thing for me. Enjoy!
Thanks for the mention about our rooftop. It will be a pleasure if you want to come to enjoy the wonderful panoramic views over Seville and the Cathedral and its famous Giralda tower! You can chek it in our web os Social Networks…
The EME Staff
Thanks Lynn, EME looks very chic! Thanks very much for the recommendation.
Hi Lauren,
My name is Humberto Misa nice to reed you 😉 What did you enjoy at last? I just discovered this post and as you seem a tasteful woman I would like to know what were the options you chose for your trip. I´m the CEO & Founder of BACARÉ LOVE THE PARTY a company that provides best experiences and places in the destiny for hen/party groups.
Next time will be a pleasure to help you, even only in advices,the best gift for our city are the memories that you take with you home in the magic of their special places.
Greetings,
Humberto Misa
CEO & Founder
BACARÉ: LOVE THE PARTY