21 Spectacular Actions in Southern Spain

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21 Spectacular Actions in Southern Spain


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Seville will dance into your coronary heart with its stunning backdrops, cultural actions, and keenness for all times. It is the capital of the Andalusia area, famend because the birthplace of each flamenco and tapas. The fourth largest metropolis in Spain presents a lot for folks to understand and methods for kids to play. Uncover 21 spectacular issues to do in Seville with children.

Horse drawn carriage rides in Plaza de España with kids
Horse-drawn carriage journey in Plaza de España (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

1. Plaza de España

I am fortunate to have visited plenty of fairly sights throughout my travels however Seville’s Plaza de España stands out among the many most stunning. I actually received chills upon first sight of this 53,000-square-foot, half-moon sq..

Town of Seville constructed the Plaza de España in 1929 to host the World Honest. At present, many of the constructions are used for presidency functions. Each side of the rounded plaza are flanked by towers. The cheery Spanish structure contains a mix of Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival, and Moorish Revival kinds.

Beautiful architecture at Plaza de España
Stunning structure at Plaza de España (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

The half-circle brick constructing is inlaid with glazed ceramics intricately painted primarily in shades of Lapis blue and golden yellow. They depict photos and symbols representing the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula.

Representing the traditional kingdoms of Spain, 4 embellished footbridges cross an arc-shaped canal. Lease a small boat for a memorable spin on the water. Horse drawn carriages are additionally accessible to rent for a fascinating trot by way of the sq..

Row boats at Plaza de España
Row boats at Plaza de España (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

2. Parque María Luisa

Adjoining to Plaza de España, you will discover the almost equally beguiling Parque María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park). Crammed with loads of shade, fountains, and ponds, this park offers a welcome retreat from Seville’s sizzling summer time days.

Beforehand the backyard of the Palacio de San Telmo, the park was redesigned for the 1929 World Honest. The palace was constructed within the early 1600s as a faculty and later bought as the house of a duke. The constructing nonetheless stands however now serves because the seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Authorities.

Parque de María Luisa
María Luisa Park (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

3. Flamenco

Sevilla is the birthplace of flamenco, and it is rather a lot part of the tradition right here. It actually exemplifies the fervour of town.

What to Know About Flamenco

A lot of flamenco is improvised. It’s superb to look at how the guitarist, singer, and dancer work collectively to create one congruent story.

Flamenco has its roots in bullfighting. Discover how the dancers use their arms or wave followers and skirts to exemplify the matador’s cape. For these of you not enthusiastic about Spain’s love of the game, flamenco offers a peaceable option to witness the fervour.

Seeing flamenco carried out up shut by proficient artists was one of the crucial transferring experiences for me in Spain. Do not be afraid to share your enthusiasm with the performers by shouting, “Olé!”

Famous Spanish flamenco dancer, Maria Jesus Pages Madrigal
Well-known Spanish flamenco dancer, Maria Jesus Pages Madrigal (Picture credit score: kasto, Depositphotos.com)

Purchase Flamenco Present Tickets

If you are going to see flamenco in Spain, then do it in Seville. Check out the many flamenco choices accessible from our trusted companion, GetYourGuide. Sometimes, well-behaved kids aged 5+ or 6+ might attend with their mother and father.

 

Join a flamenco efficiency prematurely. Select from intimate tablaos or extra elaborate stage productions. Some embrace drinks and/or dinner. The Triana neighborhood, throughout the river from lots of the metropolis’s hottest points of interest, is named the center of flamenco and boasts many exhibits.

Photographs and movies are normally not allowed. This permits viewers to get swept away by the efficiency.

Reading "Only in Spain" on the beach in Spain
Studying “Solely in Spain” on the seashore in Málaga on Spain’s Costa del Sol (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

Flamenco Memoir

Earlier than heading to Spain, I learn Solely in Spain: A Foot-Stomping, Firecracker of a Memoir about Meals, Flamenco, and Falling in Love. Written by an Australian expat who moved to Spain to observe the artwork of flamenco, this e-book gave me perception into Spanish tradition and the nation’s love of flamenco specifically. Particularly when you like books that happen within the locations you go to, I like to recommend giving it a learn.

Flamenco at Plaza de España

Maintain your eyes open without cost flamenco exhibits at Plaza de España. Native artists carry out right here to drum up enterprise for paid night flamenco exhibits. It is an inexpensive option to get a style of the artwork kind. Plus, kids of all ages are welcome to look at the musicians and dancers.

Flamenco at Plaza de España
Flamenco at Plaza de España (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

4. Royal Alcazar of Seville

La Actual Alcázar de Sevilla is a must-see for any household journey to this charming Spanish metropolis. Though it is a Christian monument, the Royal Alcazar was constructed within the fashion of Islamic structure. Anticipate ornate repeating designs plus numerous inside courtyards and fountains all through.

Royal Alcázar de Sevilla
Royal Alcázar de Sevilla (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

Totally different from different Moorish (Spanish Muslim) buildings, nevertheless, you could find some photos of animals and crops within the designs. Often, in Muslim designs, these components are absent since it’s believed that solely God can create such residing beings.

This royal palace was constructed on the positioning of a former Moorish fort by a Christian king, Pedro I. The Royal Alcazar’s unique builder is often known as Peter the Merciless or Peter the Simply.

Search for secret passageways constructed into the construction to assist this paranoid king spy on his half-brothers and others. King Pedro was so fearful his brothers would assassinate him to steal the throne, he killed certainly one of them throughout the palace partitions. It seems, he was proper to be apprehensive as a result of his reign ended 19 years after it started when he was murdered by one other brother, Henry II.

Royal Alcazar secret passageway
A secret passageway is hidden behind these three small arches (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

5. Alcázar Gardens

Maybe much more spectacular than the Actual Alcazár are the 15 acres of gorgeous gardens that encompass it. Maintain monitor of the place you wander, although, it is simple to get misplaced on this labyrinth of vegetation.

The Alcazár Gardens astonish the senses with shrubs, fountains, palm timber, and colourful flowers. Actually, the luxurious gardens include greater than 170 species of crops from around the globe.

Additionally, be looking out for peacocks with their good plumage plus peahens and their chicks. (See my video under.)

The bustling onsite café offers a pleasant spot to relaxation and serves fairly good espresso and pastries. Pleasant resident geese might go to your desk to beg for treats.

Alcázar Gardens in Sevilla
Alcázar Gardens (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

6. Catedral de Sevilla

Seville Cathedral is famend because the third or fourth largest church on this planet, relying on who you ask. It is also the undisputed largest Gothic cathedral wherever. The church options at least 80 chapels and boasts Christendom’s largest altarpiece. It is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Website as nicely.

La Catedral de Sevilla
La Catedral de Sevilla (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

Along with its grand measurement, the Cathedral of Seville is house to the stays of Christopher Columbus. Effectively, it is house to some of the well-known Spanish explorer’s stays. An elaborate tomb honoring Columbus is housed right here however after DNA testing, it was decided that solely about 20 % of his physique is contained inside it. The remainder is probably going in Santo Domingo and Cuba. Nonetheless, you’ll want to take a photograph of the ornately embellished burial chamber.

The Tomb of Christopher Columbus in Seville Cathedral
The Tomb of Christopher Columbus in Seville Cathedral (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

7. La Giralda

La Catedral de Sevilla’s fairly bell tower, La Giralda, was initially inbuilt 1195 because the minaret of the Aljama Mosque. Girar means to show in Spanish and the tower is known as after the climate vane at its prime, in response to Andalucia.com.

Reasonably than steps, the tower consists of 35 ramps that when carried sultans on horseback to the highest to soak up the surroundings. Climb to the highest for magnificent views of town.

La Giralda bell tower in Sevilla
La Giralda tower, surrounded by orange timber (Picture credit score: avarand, Depositphotos.com)

I like to recommend doing as we did and reserving a guided 3-hour tour of the Royal Alcázar, the Alcázar Gardens, La Catedral de Sevilla, and La Giralda with our trusted companion, GetYourGuide.

 

You may be taught extra about Seville’s historical past and tradition from a neighborhood skilled than when going it alone. Plus, you get free time to discover the gardens and climb the tower by yourself. In any other case, you’ll want to purchase tickets on-line nicely prematurely.

View of Seville from La Giralda
View of Seville from La Giralda (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

8. Churros con Chocolate

To reward children for good conduct whereas touring Seville’s websites, deal with the household to churros con chocolate. These golden puffs of pastry are served with a wealthy, however not overly candy, chocolate sauce for dunking or ingesting. The fried dough is mild as a cloud within the heart, with a barely crisp shell. Principally, they’re heaven for kids (and fogeys!).

Technically churros are thought of a breakfast meals in Spain. You may, nevertheless, bask in churros con chocolate from 7:30 am to 9 pm at Bar El Comercio within the coronary heart of town. This café was based in 1904 and is famend as one of many greatest locations in Seville for churros. These candy treats are made to order and served sizzling. YUM!

Churros con Chocolate
Churros con Chocolate (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

9. Guadalquivir River Boat Cruise

Rio Guadalquivir is 408 miles lengthy and is the one main navigable river in Spain, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Cádiz. The river launched Magellan’s well-known expedition within the sixteenth century.

 

E book a 1-hour Guadalquivir River Boat Cruise for a novel and enjoyable approach to soak up town’s surroundings. Cruise below the well-known Puente de Triana and float previous monuments just like the Torre del Oro watchtower and Plaza de España towers.

Guadalquivir River Boat Cruise in Seville with kids
Guadalquivir River Boat Cruise with my son and husband (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

10. Triana Bridge

La Puente de Isabel II, or Triana Bridge, spans the Guadalquivir River. This elegant overpass connects the Triana neighborhood with central Seville.

The steel arch bridge was inbuilt 1852 throughout Queen Isabel II’s reign. Some mistakenly consider that the Puente de Triana was created by Gustav Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. The reality is, although, that it was designed by two different French architects, Gustavo Steinacher and Fernando Bernadet.

Guadalquivir River slices Seville in two segments. As a consequence of this separation, Triana on the west financial institution has maintained a definite character from the remainder of town. Plan to cross this bridge on foot to achieve the colourful Triana neighborhood a minimum of as soon as throughout your keep in Seville with children.

Puente de Isabel II, or Triana Bridge in Seville, Spain
Puente de Isabel II, or Triana Bridge (Picture credit score: Getino13, Depositphotos.com)

11. Triana Market

Triana’s distinctive working-class neighborhood is house to many flamenco exhibits and tapas eating places. It is also identified for its vibrant market.

On simply the opposite facet of the well-known bridge, discover the bustling Mercado de Triana. Wander previous shows of colourful produce, sausages, cheeses, recent fish, and extra.

Pull up a seat at certainly one of Triana Market’s tapas bars or cafés for a fast chunk to eat. Anticipate easy fare like sandwiches, pastries, and tortillas de patatas (conventional Spanish omelets made with potato and egg).

 

Foodie households ought to join a GetYourGuide Triana Market tour with tastings. The two.5-hour tour explains the historical past behind Andalusian and Spanish delicacies. Style the flavors of Seville with samples of Iberico ham, native cheeses, olives, seasonal fruits, conventional sweets, and extra.

Mercado de Triana
Mercado de Triana (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

12. Ceramics of Seville

Seville is thought for its azulejos, or glazed colourful tiles. Whereas in Triana, you’ll want to peruse a number of the metropolis’s most interesting ceramics.

True followers can head to the Centro Cerámica Triana (Triana Ceramic Museum). This attraction displays hand-painted tiles, pottery, and kilns in a preserved ceramics manufacturing facility. This museum, nevertheless, will possible maintain little curiosity for kids.

As an alternative, stroll (fastidiously) by way of the ceramics retailers surrounding the museum in Triana. The artistry is superb, and costs are a fraction of what they’d be for related high quality works within the U.S. I significantly preferred Cerámica Santa Ana.

You may have gadgets shipped house or do as I did and wrap your ceramic souvenirs nicely for protected packing in your suitcase.

Ceramica Triana
Cerámica Triana (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

13. Night Paseo

In Spanish, paseo means to leisurely stroll. Spain’s night paseo is when locals and guests stroll alongside metropolis boulevards to soak up the surroundings, socialize, and revel in drinks and tapas late into the evening.

As with most issues in Spain, paseo is a household affair. So, anticipate to see even youthful kids out late strolling with their mother and father. That is very true on weekends in summer time months.

Many flock to the water for a pleasing stroll. Stroll alongside the banks of the Guadalquivir for a fairly palm-lined view alongside Paseo de Las Delicias, which implies, “Stroll of Delights.” Subsequent, cross the Puente Isabel II to achieve Triana. Though pretty anytime, Triana Bridge is especially fairly when lit at evening. Then, stroll alongside Calle Betis, Triana’s energetic waterfront avenue lined with retailers and quaint eateries.

Puente de Isabel II at night
Puente de Isabel II at evening (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

14. Isla Mágica Theme Park

You do not go to Spain to go to an amusement park. However your children certain hope you will embrace Isla Mágica Theme Park in your Seville itinerary!

Along with greater than two dozen rides, your whole household can take pleasure in carnival video games, onsite eating places, and dwell exhibits with music and particular results. Plus, the onsite Agua Mágica water park offers alternatives to chill off on steamy Seville summer time days with quite a few water slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river.

Agua Mágica
Agua Mágica (Picture credit score: Isla Mágica)

Isla Mágica presents six themed lands from the Age of Discoveries within the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Thrill-seeking older children and teenagers will recognize the park’s solely full-sized curler coaster, Jaguar, which reaches speeds as much as 52 miles per hour. Different highlights embrace the Anaconda log flume journey and an interactive Capitán Balas pirate-themed darkish journey.

In the event you’re visiting Seville with younger kids, then you definately’ll love La Fuente de la Juventud (The Fountain of Youth). This land was designed with little ones in thoughts. Search for the Dancing Caiman water curler coaster, the Chrysalis caterpillar-themed carousel, a Ferris wheel for the entire household, and extra.

This city theme park is situated on the Isla de la Cartuja on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. It is open most days from April by way of October, with various hours. Purchase your skip-the-line Isla Mágica tickets prematurely.

Jaguar roller coaster at Isla Mágica
Jaguar curler coaster at Isla Mágica (Picture credit score: Isla Mágica)

15. Tapas

Whereas within the capital of Andalusia, the place tapas had been invented, you should eat tapas! These savory Spanish snacks make an important night meal possibility when touring with kids, who are likely to eat smaller parts anyway.

In some locations in Spain, like Granada, tapas are at all times served freed from cost with the acquisition of a beverage. In Seville, tapas bars will convey you a little bit nosh like olives along with your cocktails and mocktails however for one thing extra substantial, ask for a menu. Order an array of goodies for the desk that may attraction to everybody to maintain bellies full and fights to a minimal.

Tapas are sometimes served after the Spanish workday, round 8 or 9 pm. Consuming at this “early” time is less complicated for us vacationers than holding off for a full dinner a few hours afterward. Though mealtimes in Spain are later than in most international locations and will be complicated, you may virtually at all times discover one thing to eat in Seville regardless of the time of day.

Patatas Bravas and zucchini croquettes in Spain
Patatas Bravas and zucchini croquettes in Spain (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

Child-Pleasant Tapas

Received choosy eaters? Me too! Under are some conventional tapas strategies that may tempt your offspring.

  • Pescado Frito or Calamari Frito (fried fish or fried squid)
  • Croquetas (croquettes/fried fritters — order filled with cheese or greens for vegetarians)
  • Olivos (olives)
  • Queso Manchego (Manchego cheese, a crowd-pleaser)
  • Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano (Spanish cured ham)
  • Albondigas (meatballs)
  • Patatas Bravas (spicy fried potatoes — these are normally fairly gentle, however you may ask for the sauce on the facet)

To pattern tapas with a neighborhood culinary skilled, join a family-friendly strolling tapas tour.

Iberian ham and manchego cheese in Seville
My son devouring Iberian ham and Manchego cheese in Seville (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

16. Aquarium of Seville

The Aquarium of Seville (La Aquario de Sevilla) holds greater than 500,000 gallons of water and seven,000 animals. Contact swimming pools and a shark-filled tunnel impress all ages. Plus, it is house to greater than 400 species that swim in 30+ tanks.

Along with ocean creatures from the Atlantic Ocean and different waterways, there’s an emphasis on the wealthy and diverse animal and plant lifetime of the Guadalquivir River.

The Seville Aquarium teaches native lore and geography, too. Find out about Magellan’s voyage to the Spice Islands within the New World, which set sail from Seville in 1519.

Get your skip-the-line Aquarium of Seville tickets earlier than you go.

Acuario de Sevilla
Acuario de Sevilla (Picture credit score: jomahepu@gmail.com, Depositphotos.com)

17. La Casa de la Ciencia

La Casa de la Ciencia (Home of Science) is housed within the Peruvian Pavilion from the 1929 Expo. Most of the interactive shows at this science museum are in each Spanish and English, making studying simple and enjoyable for teenagers.

Households shall be impressed by the everlasting Cetaceans of Andalusia exhibit with its show of whales and dolphins that populate the Andalusian coast. Search for skeletons and life-sized fashions of a pilot whale, striped dolphin, killer whale, humpback whale, and different cetaceans.

Seville's House of Science
Seville’s Casa de la Ciencia (Picture credit score: La Casa de la Ciencia)

18. Kayak or Stand Up Paddleboard Leases

Kayaking and paddleboarding are widespread outside actions in Seville, with all ages and skills noticed gliding throughout the Guadalquivir River.

Significantly interesting if touring with outdoorsy children or teenagers, your loved ones can see Seville from the water aboard your personal private watercraft. E book a personal tour, group tour, or hire your personal kayaks. Households can even take part in stand-up paddleboard excursions or hire boards to discover on their very own. Some age limits might apply for group excursions. (Sometimes, 6+ or 8+.)

Riverboat and kayaks on the Guadalquivir River
Riverboat and kayaks on the Guadalquivir River (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

19. Metropol Parasol

Everybody from younger children to older teenagers shall be impressed by the engineering feat of Metropol Parasol. This mind-bending construction is often known as the Mushrooms of the Incarnation (Las Setas de la Incarnation) for its distinct toadstool-like look.

Designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer and put in within the metropolis of Seville in 2005, some say that is the most important wood construction on this planet. Its six giant, curved parasols measure roughly 490 by 230 toes, with a top of as much as 85 toes.

Come right here for photograph ops and views of Seville from the upper-level lookout factors. Then browse the Mercado de la Encarnación market, an indoor market promoting recent produce and different meals within the shade of the mushrooms. There’s even a tapas restaurant situated contained in the parasols on your eating pleasure.

Metropol Parasol
Metropol Parasol (Picture credit score: efesenko, Depositphotos.com)

20. Antiquitarium de Sevilla

Situated within the basement of Metropol Parasol you will discover the Antiquitarium de Sevilla. This archeological museum might please budding Indiana Jones sorts.

View Roman, Visigoth, and Islamic ruins from the first century BC to the twelfth century AD. These had been unearthed by likelihood through the development of the middle.

The small museum spans simply over 50,000 sq. toes and will not take lengthy to discover. Moreover, the doorway payment is minimal, or you may enter without cost with a Actual Alcázar ticket.

Antiquitarium de Sevilla
Antiquitarium de Sevilla (Picture credit score: Takashi Kurita, Wikimedia Commons)

21. Day Journeys from Seville

Gibraltar

Get a style of Jolly Previous England throughout your journey to the South of Spain with a day journey to Gibraltar. British forces captured Gibraltar within the early 1700s and the peninsula has been managed by Nice Britain ever since.

Gibraltar was designed as a army city, nevertheless it does maintain its personal attraction. The Rock is inhabited by 30,000 British, Spanish, and Moroccan residents who communicate the Queen’s English.

The Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar (Picture credit score: rognar, Depositphotos.com)

The imposing Rock of Gibraltar juts into the sky, dominating the remainder of the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Take a cable automobile to the highest for unbeatable views.

Lease a automobile for the day to achieve Gibraltar in about two hours from Seville. Make sure to convey your passport!

Or, e-book a Gibraltar tour with GetYourGuide to see wild Barbary macaques on the highest of The Rock, discover the limestone St. Michael’s Cave, and revel in free time for purchasing and lunch within the metropolis heart. Resort pick-up and drop-off are included.

Barbary macaques at the top of Gibraltar
Barbary macaques on the prime of Gibraltar (Picture credit score: cajuncohen, Depositphotos.com)

Córdoba

The Mezquita is a shocking Moorish mosque-turned-cathedral within the metropolis of Córdoba. Putting red-and-white striped arches plundered from Roman ruins prime 856 columns throughout the constructing’s inside.

You probably have the time, then plan to spend a few nights in Córdoba exploring extra Roman ruins and town’s flower-filled courtyards. This college metropolis makes a pleasant halfway level between Málaga and Seville (about 1 hour by practice from both). Our companion, GetYourGuide, additionally presents guided Córdoba day journeys from Seville.

The Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain
(Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

Ronda

Spain’s White Villages, or Pueblos Blancos, embrace 19 picturesque, whitewashed cities in Andalusia. The biggest and hottest is Ronda.

Ronda can be the one White Village with practice entry. You may actually hire a automobile for the day, however parking is notoriously tough in Ronda and the highway there’s a bit precarious alongside winding cliffs. The simplest option to attain Ronda from Seville is through a guided tour with a driver. Expertise Ronda and different White Villages throughout this all-day GetYourGuide tour.

The first attraction in Ronda is the famend Puente Nuevo (New Bridge). Regardless of its title, this stunning bridge started development in 1759 and took 34 years to construct.

Teens in front of Puente Nuevo in Ronda
My teenagers in entrance of Puente Nuevo in Ronda (Picture credit score: Colleen Lanin)

Discover Extra

Situated only a couple hours from Seville, find out about Picasso’s beachfront birthplace with this record of marvelous issues to do in Málaga.

Morocco is a fast journey from Seville throughout the Strait of Gibraltar. This is what to do in Morocco with children, from Marrakech to the sand dunes within the Sahara Desert.

Uncover the professionals and cons of a go to to Catalan’s capital metropolis with these suggestions for visiting Barcelona with children.

See why Provence with children actually is a dream come true.

Best Things to Do in Spain with Kids and Teens

Save this Record of Child-Pleasant Seville Actions

Dreaming of a household trip in Spain? Save this record of the most effective issues to do when visiting Seville with children. Simply pin the picture above to Pinterest. We hope you will observe Journey Mamas on Pinterest when you’re at it!

Which of those points of interest would you take pleasure in in Spain with children (or with out)? Tell us within the feedback under!

A Word from The Journey Mama: I paid full worth for every part talked about on this story. I’ll at all times let you understand if I obtain any comps or reductions associated to content material. All opinions are mine.

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