Our Big Summer Adventure Part IV: Seville Stole My Heart. Love at First Sight in Andalusia

Hey there friends!

Welcome to the next chapter of our Big Summer Adventure!

I have been longing to write this post, and the reason is simple:

I fell deeply in love with this destination.

Out of all the places we visited during our summer trip, this was my personal favorite.

We had been happily soaking up the relaxed atmosphere and natural beauty of Lagos after our adventurous beginning in Lisbon. Saying goodbye to Portugal with mixed feelings, we prepared for our next destination.

Spain.

More specifically...

Seville.

We returned our rental car in Lagos and, one sunny morning, headed to the bus station. After enjoying one final glorious Portuguese breakfast of scrambled eggs, tuna toasts, and of course, pastéis de nata, we boarded a comfortable coach at 10:30 a.m.

By 4:15 p.m., we arrived at Plaza de Armas in Seville.

Not bad for changing countries, right?

In fact, if you're traveling between southern Portugal and Andalusia, the bus is one of the easiest and most economical ways to do it. Along the way, we passed Faro, Albufeira, Vilamoura, and several other Algarve towns, enjoying one last glimpse of Portugal before crossing into Spain.

A Warm Welcome

And by warm, I mean 41°C warm.

After the pleasant sea breezes and 28°C temperatures of Lagos, stepping off the bus in Seville felt like opening an oven door.

Even for our Greek and Moroccan genes.

Imagine:

Three children.

Several suitcases.

A temperature of 41°C.

And an unfamiliar city.

We quickly discovered another difference between Portugal and Spain. In Seville, taxis strictly follow passenger limits, so our family needed two separate taxis to reach our apartment.

Fortunately, the ride was short.

Our accommodation was the beautiful Feelathome Rivero Apartments, located on Calle Rivero, right in the heart of Seville's historic center.

As soon as we stepped inside the wonderfully cool apartment, we experienced our first "wow" moment.

Once again, our careful research had paid off.

The apartment was immaculate, beautifully decorated, modern, spacious, and perfectly located. It featured two large bedrooms, two bathrooms with walk-in showers, a fully equipped kitchen, plenty of storage space, and a lovely living room.

We could easily walk to the Cathedral, the Giralda, the Real Alcázar, Santa Cruz, and Las Setas, making it the perfect base for exploring Seville without needing transportation.

And surprisingly, it was considerably less expensive than the apartments we had rented in Portugal.

We spent several minutes doing nothing more productive than walking from room to room, admiring everything and laughing like excited children.

All five of us.

Love at First Sight

Eventually, however, reality reminded us that we were hungry.

Very hungry.

So we headed out into the Andalusian heat and began walking along Calle Rivero.

And that's when it happened.

I fell in love.

Not gradually.

Not eventually.

Immediately.

Irrevocably.

Seville captured my heart from the very first walk.

The atmosphere.

The architecture.

The colors.

The elegant balconies.

The hidden courtyards.

The lively streets.

Everything seemed infused with charm.

The Andalusian spirit was everywhere.

In the buildings.

In the cafés.

In the clothing of the locals.

In the way people occupied public spaces.

Every corner felt picturesque.

Every street felt alive.

To this day, I struggle to find the right words.

All I know is that Seville remains one of the most charming cities I have ever visited.

Lunch at Casa Cuna

Fortunately, finding food was easy.

As we stepped out of our apartment, we found ourselves among cafés, pastry shops, and excellent restaurants. We quickly chose one that immediately caught our attention: Casa Cuna.

The atmosphere was elegant and unmistakably Spanish.

And yes.

We became highly predictable in Spain.

We ordered not one, but two paellas, along with local appetizers and a fresh salad.

The paellas were slightly saltier than we were used to, but they were absolutely delicious.

With our stomachs and spirits restored, we began exploring.

Discovering Seville

Our first stops included Plaza de San Francisco and nearby Plaza Nueva.

In Plaza Nueva stands the statue of King Ferdinand III, the Christian monarch who reconquered Seville in the 13th century.

Nearby, Plaza de San Francisco once hosted public ceremonies of the Spanish Inquisition, making it one of the most historically important spaces in the city.

We wandered through Plaza del Salvador and admired the beautiful Baroque Church of El Salvador.

We passed along Avenida de la Constitución, one of the city's main boulevards, and continued toward Las Setas, officially known as Metropol Parasol, the enormous wooden structure that resembles a giant sculptural canopy rising above the city.

After exploring the surrounding market and taking plenty of photos, we stopped for coffee and ice cream.

By then, evening was approaching.

And exhaustion was beginning to set in.

Round Two

We returned to the apartment, where everyone immediately collapsed onto the wonderfully comfortable beds.

Everyone except me.

I simply couldn't stop.

Seville had completely enchanted me.

After a quick shower, I recruited my two older children and headed back out.

This time we walked in the opposite direction along Calle Rivero.

In the distance, I could see the top of the Giralda rising above the rooftops.

I followed it almost instinctively.

Six minutes later, we were standing in front of one of the most extraordinary monuments I have ever seen.

The Giralda

I honestly don't know how to describe what I felt.

The Giralda and Seville Cathedral are magnificent.

Photographs simply cannot capture their scale.

The cathedral, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world, dominates the city.

Beside it stands the Giralda, originally built as a minaret during the Almohad period and later converted into the cathedral's bell tower.

The fusion of Moorish and Christian architecture creates something truly unforgettable.

Even now, when I look at my photographs, they seem inadequate compared to the real thing.

It was after 9:00 p.m.

The sun was still fairly high.

Another surprise.

I wasn't accustomed to a city where nightfall arrives after 10:00 p.m. in summer.

We slowly walked around the cathedral, admiring every façade and every detail.

Inside rests the tomb traditionally attributed to Christopher Columbus.

Surrounding the cathedral are beautiful gardens, historic buildings, and lively squares that seem designed for wandering.

Pure Magic

At nearby Plaza del Triunfo, street musicians were performing beneath the evening sky.

It felt magical.

Reluctantly, we eventually left the cathedral behind and continued toward the Real Alcázar.

Even from the outside, its walls and gardens seemed straight out of a fairy tale.

The entire area radiated the atmosphere of another era.

The children and I wandered through narrow streets, hidden corners, and beautiful passageways.

Every doorway felt like the entrance to a secret world.

Every arch seemed to invite exploration.

By now, darkness had fallen.

And somehow, Seville had become even more beautiful.

Santa Cruz and Churros

Before heading back, we explored the historic Santa Cruz neighborhood.

This former Jewish quarter is a maze of winding streets, tiny plazas, flower-filled balconies, and charming shops.

We admired the colorful flamenco dresses displayed in shop windows and finally did what every exhausted traveler should do:

We bought churros.

For everyone.

A perfect ending.

Tomorrow Starts at 6

By the time we returned to the apartment, it was past 11:00 p.m.

I was exhausted.

Completely exhausted.

And yet...

I had already set my alarm for 6:00 a.m.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Seville had captivated me so completely that I didn't want to waste a single second of our three days there.

And here is a professional traveler tip:

The best time to explore a popular city is early in the morning, before the crowds arrive and before the summer heat becomes overwhelming.

I fell asleep that night already dreaming about the next day.

Little did I know that it would become one of the most fulfilling days of our entire vacation.

Stay tuned! 💙

Love,Katerina

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