After an early morning train ride from Madrid, we had arrived in one of the most beautiful cities of spain.

From the train station, we took a taxi down through the narrow streets of Seville, to our hotel. After settling in, we were off to explore the city on foot, in search for Seville’s famous cathedral.

Iglesia Colegial del Salvador

Pl. del Salvador, 3, 41004 Sevilla, Spain

While we didn’t find the Catedral de Seville at first, we enjoyed our walk through the beautiful cobblestoned streets & we did happen upon a another church. A former mosque in the 1600s, the Iglesia Colegial del Salvador now stands as a Roman Catholic church.

Churches have always been kind of a weird thing for me in my travels, being as I’m pretty non-religious. Regardless though, like all the temples my mom dragged me to in my youth, I can appreciate the architecture. What churches have never been able to do for me though, is move me, as much as it seems to move others. I guess that’s to be expected for me, but churches with extreme gothic influences have somehow instead, made me feel uneasy. Perhaps an imposter syndrome.

Catedral de Seville

Av. de la Constitución, s/n, 41004 Sevilla, Spain

Eventually though, we found the Catedral de Seville, otherwise known as “Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See” (top right). As we made our way through the crowded courtyard & into the base of the church, it was hard to believed that its construction had began all the way in 1401 & wasn’t completed until almost125 years later. From the outside it looked beautiful & almost pristine.

Inside though, I elected to refrain from taking any photos & just take in the experience.

Remember what I told you about churches, gothic vibes & me? Well, I began to wonder if my uneasiness was simply from my own ignorance. So for the next hour, I let my friends educate me on some Catholic history as we walked through the many exhibits & displays inside. Eventually though, we made it to La Giralda, the bell tower we were all looking for.

Be aware: there are warning signs at the base of La Giralda, that the ascent is not for the faint of heart, as in to take caution if you have any heart conditions.

Constructed in 1198, La Giralda is a narrow 23x44 feet tower, with no stairs. It’s simply quartered sections of stone ramps, that wrap along each inner wall, all the way up the 343 feet (104.5 meter) tall tower. Unlike most of old Europe, it’s nice to know that this monument was wheelchair friendly, but I would highly recommend wearing proper (grippy) shoes. After years of visitors making their way up these ramps, the stone ramps have become quite smooth & can be slippery.

Luckily though, every corner of the tower is a flat surface to rest upon. Also you will come upon recessed windows along the ramps, also a great spot to rest (and be out of peoples way). That is where rested & were able to observe the view on the way up (above). We even used to view to find a nice place to eat later (we would later eat North of the top left photo).

And behold, the most beautiful view of Seville!

Antigüedades Bar de Tapas

Calle Argote de Molina, 40, 41004 Sevilla, Spain

After La Giralda, we headed back down to the beautiful cobblestone streets, in search for a nice meal. We stumbled on nice people watching spot, just outside of La Catedral de Seville, where I was able to try my first Paella! I must say, food wise, Spain has been my favorite place to travel to so far. Asian cultures love to share food & love variety. I can definitely get used to the tapas life.

Be warned though, most of Seville does somewhat close for a portion of midday, for people/business owners to go home & rest. Make sure time meals around that rest hour(s).

For the rest of our night in Seville, we spent it shopping & resting before our late night flamenco show - what Sevilla is known for. For a small price, you can book a viewing of an authentic flamenco dance show, in either a large group, or smaller private groups, for a more intimate experience. We opted for the cheaper, larger group, which to us still felt small and intimate. I apologize though, we we didn’t take pictures. We just enjoyed it. :)

And that wraps up our one day in Seville. You read that right, ONE day. With a 10 day trip, us girls had to hustle & squeeze in as much as we could & I’m sure proud of what we were able to see in a day!

Next stop: Ibiza!