A guide by sarahjm
This restored Arabian bathhouse down a tiny alley in the Santa Cruz district is the perfect escape from the baking afternoon heat. It's mixed, and you can bring your own bathers. After cold mint tea in the relaxation room you are invited to dip into each of the three pools (warm, hot and then cold), steam yourself in the hammam, relax in the whirpool and then float gently in the salt pool.
A soothing, indulgent atmosphere is created by the glistening white of the marble, and the illuminated blue water that plays patterns across the dark red plaster walls, faded wooden ceilings and archways. Your journey through the baths is guided by shimmering scented candles and Arabic lamps. Visits last for 90 minutes but you must book ahead, as they limit numbers due to its popularity. It is open until midnight, if you fancy a late dip.
Aire de Sevilla, Calle Aire 15
www.airedesevilla.com/
Baeza is a tiny treasure jewel a mere 30 mins from Jaén buried in the hills of the Cazorla national park. It is crammed full of Renaissance masterpieces and is definitely my second most favourite of Andalucía's sleepy little towns (after Alcalá la Real). The most beautiful sights to see are: Plaza Mayor/Plaza de Leones, Palacio de Jabalquinto and the Cathedral. The best thing is that all of Baeza's great monuments are free to get into (although a tip to the guardian is recommended) and the spectacular views cost nothing!. It is basically a great town to get lost in and absorb it's splendour.
Baeza is situated 28km to the east of Jaén and is served by 14 daily buses from Jaén. There is also the combined train station of Linares-Baeza (14km from Baeza) which is served by frequent trains from Seville, Córdoba and Granada, there is a connecting bus to Baeza for most trains, (except on Sun) or it's 14 euros in a taxi.
Behold Merchant's pub in Sevilla. A two-storey bar that is both relaxed, charming, and definitely the best place to while away your Sunday watching La Liga and the premiership. There is a lively ex-pat community that frequents the bar with other regulars including locals who love to chat and sing and dance with the best of us. There is a nurturing spirit within the walls of Merchant's, it's wooden décor and snugs make you feel all cosy and at home, and with friendly bar staff who genuinely enjoy their work, you could find yourself nipping in for a quick “pinta” and not leaving until the early hours having had a brilliant evening, having hardly dinted your Euro holdings, and having made some great friends.
C/ Canalejas 12; tel: 954 214 500;
www.merchantpub.com
A fantastic tapas bar on (surprise-surprise) Alfalfa. Great Italian-style tapas, great wine, great service, laid-back and good music. Amazingly good value for money.
Also appears to have a slightly unusual resident transvestite.
Don't go for pudding at Tuereg over the road - it's dreadful!
Calle Alfalfa, 6
Cádiz is reowned throughout Andalucía for it's long sandy beach and historic sites - most notably the Cathedral, Roman amphitheatre and the Cárcel Real (Royal Prison). All of these sites can easily be seen in 1-2 hours so you can spend the rest of the day at the beach, making Cádiz a worthwhile daytrip for families with children.
Cádiz is 125km (77 miles) south of Seville. Trains leave almost every hour from Santa Justa train station. Journey is 1 hour;
www.andalucia.com/travel/trains/home.htm
There are also regular buses from the main bus station in Plaza de Armas; www.andalucia.com/travel/bus/home.htm
A great place to get a cheap bite to eat. With a great selection of montaditos and a fair selection of cold tapas as well, it's a lively venue that always reminds me of an old municipal swimming pool. The main seating area is a series of tiled banks beyond the bar. It's very noisy but that's half the fun. If you're feeling greedy head down the road a few doors to the bar with the Chocolate y Churros sign hanging outside. The churros there are as good as you'll get in Seville and the background din of gossiping local senoras is the perfect accompaniment to the stodgy churros and thick, rich chocolate.
c/ San Eloy 9;
www.sevilla5.com/eat-drink/saneloy.html
9 San Eloy
Riverside restaurant on three (maybe four) levels on the Triana side of the river, at the end of the Puente Isabel II bridge. At bridge level it is a stand up tapas bar, oddly reminiscent of an English pub. Below this, a dining room and at street level a pavement terrace. A rooftop terrace offers superb views over the river towards the Maestranza bullring and the cathedral beyond.
Primarily fish and seafood, their pescaito frito (mixed fried fish) is as good as most restaurants on the coast and a half ración easily feeds two. A word of warning; seats on the roof terrace are freely available on summer afternoons but the locals tend to eat inside. You'll soon understand why - the sun in Seville can be merciless at lunchtime!
On the bridge facing Plaza Altozano at the northern end of Calle Betis
Sit outside on the cobbled street or inside on tiled benches while cured hams hang overhead. Fine Manzanilla sherry is served by a quirky moustachioed waiter.
Calle Santa Teresa
Fun Italian in an old Arabic baths near to La Giralda. Dinner for two plus half bottle of wine: €30.
Calle Meson del Moro
One of three bars owned by the same proprietor on the road. Roasted artichokes with chopped garlic and oil, garlic mushrooms and deep fried cheeses all on the menu.
24 Calle Mateos Gago
Celebrated bar with waiters from the Manzanilla sherry producing town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. Bustling with well-dressed Sevillianos. It serves good fish dishes and manzanilla at just over a euro a glass.
11 Calle Albareda
An incredibly popular tapas bar on the edge of the Santa Cruz district, Las Coloniales is one of the best and cheapest places to eat in Seville. When you arrive you have to write your name and the number in your party on a small blackboard and your name is called when a table is free. It's located on the edge of the leafy (for Seville) Plaza Cristo de Burgos, which is handy as you have somewhere shady to sit whilst you wait. The food is uniformly good and the tapas sizes are exceptional for the price. Two people can have a decent meal with a couple of drinks for little over ten euros. One of the best things on the menu are the quail eggs and chorizo on fried bread, which is like a sausage and egg sarnie in the sun. You can't go wrong with the staples either. The Solomillo al Whisky is as good as you can get in Seville. On Sunday afternoons the plaza is full of Spanish families eating ice cream from the Heladeria across the road. Seville is full of Heladerias and though this one is probably the most expensive it's also the best.
Plaza Cristo de Burgos, 19 - east of the main El Corte Ingles, just past Plaze de Encarnacion.
Take it - it's €2.40 direct to the centre of the city. Ask for Santa Justa station. Buses run half-hourly, and hourly at less busy times.
The service is run by Amarillo Tours, tel: 34 902 21 03 17;
Check timetable info at www.linc.tv/seville-connections.php
For the best view of Seville you just can't beat the one from the La Giralda - the highest tower in the city. It's a steep climb up the ramp but it's worth it.
Plaza Virgen de los Reyes; tel: 954 214 971;
Open: Mon-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 2pm-6pm
This wonderful Moorish palace next to the cathedral is very human in scale and the Islamic art is stunningly beautiful. Even on the very hottest summer days, the flowery gardens are an oasis of calm.
By contrast, the cathedral next door is a gloomy, depressing place. The Giralda is part of the Grand Mosque that the Christians incorporated into their church post reconquest.
Plaza del Triunfo, Santa Cruz, Seville;
tel: 954 502 323
Walk across the Puente Isabel II to the Triana district which is full of old-style bars in narrow alleys. Triana contains the Iglesia Santa Ana, Seville’s oldest church (1260) and the Calle Betis, a wonderful street lined with tapas bars on the banks of the Guadalavirir river.
Want to chill out after a hard day's sightseeing? I visited the beautifully restored Arabian Baths, about ten minutes walk from the Giralda. For €28 you can spend two hours lounging in the baths and plunge pools, jacuzzi and steam room. The price also includes a 15 minute massage. Extremely relaxing!
C/ Aire 15, Seville;
tel: 955 010 025/26/24;
www.airedesevilla.com
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