Travel for Bliss

Seville is a pretty city full of photogenic buildings and ancient history. Make sure you take your camera with you to grab some memories of your time wandering the streets, eating at beautiful bars, and enjoying the grandeur of the architecture. In this guide, I list the most Instagrammable spots that I discovered in Seville and the best times to go.

Early morning. Plaza España is very popular for good reason, so the earlier you go the better for your photos. Also note, that Seville is usually very hot and sunny, so earlier in the day will be cooler and have much better light and shadow.

Anywhere. This place is gorgeous. The bridges are a must and so is the tiling.

Plaza España is beautiful. Built in the 1920s for a world exhibition it resembles the grand architecture more common back in the 1700-1800s. Intricate tile work is everywhere, painted in blues, greens, oranges, and yellows. Most of the tiles celebrate the many districts of Spain for their history and contribution to Spain. A canal follows the large majestic building, and if you’re feeling active you can hire a boat and row around it. The bridges that span the canal are perfect for photo opportunities. If you want a birds-eye view you can climb the stairs to a balcony on either end.

When it opens at 9:30 am or at 6:00 pm an hour before it closes. Any other time you have to deal with a huge line to get in and many people in your photos. We went at 6:00 pm and walked straight in. The only problem was we didn’t have much time to explore the gardens.

Looking like a princess in the gardens or gazing in wonder at the arabian inspired inner courtyard.

The Real Alcazar is the palace of Seville and was apparently influenced by the Alhambra in Granada. It is a complex of buildings designed in a Spanish and Arabian style. Think columns and intricately carved walls and ceilings. The inner courtyards are beautiful oases, and extensive gardens are places perfect for photos and reflection.

At any time really. It’s not well known, and draws mainly photographers. On the weekends there is an antique coin market.

Capturing the beautiful semetric curve of the building.

Plaza del Cabildo is a beautiful, quiet plaza in the central district of Seville. It’s a small plaza enclosed by a curved white building, which creates great angles for photos. If you try and go here with Google maps it will probably take you to the locked driveway. There is an entrance near the Arco del Postigo, so you can go this way and then circle the building until you see an entrance (there’s two). Once inside its a tranquil place with a small garden and fountain and lovely architecture.

Early morning if you want this place to yourself. It gets busy! Late afternoon light is beautiful and golden here if you don’t mind dodging people.

Looking down Calle Mateos Gago towards the grand cathedral or playing on the base of the statue.

The Seville Cathedral is a magnificent old church in the centre of Seville. Many of the streets around it are photogenic with flamenco buskers, orange trees, and tiled restaurants. A lovely photo opportunity is looking down Calle Mateos Gago towards the cathedral. It’s lined with said orange trees, and you can centre the tower of the church (hopefully you don’t have scaffolding as I did). There’s a statue in front of the cathedral for endless poses and some beautiful buildings next to it.

Sunset or sunrise are prefect for photos here. The light is softer and coloured.

Looking small with the towering tower, or soft with sunset at the river.

The Torre de Oro has been on the riverbank of Seville since 1220 and is an iconic landmark of the city. It was for defence as well as trade and is now part of history. You can take photos of it from outside or get a closer look by paying three euros to go in. The views from the top are apparently very nice, and there is a little naval museum. If you take a photo from the tiny kiosk selling drinks you can capture an interesting spiral walkway with the tower in the background. After your photo session, you can relax at the little kiosk and watch Seville with a drink. A bonus was the virtual reality tour turning up and providing comic relief.

Anytime. You can go in the morning for the streets to yourself, or during the day to capture the spirit of this lively district.

Let out your inner Flamenco dancer in the old streets, or look like a local sipping Vino de Verano.

The Triana Neighbourhood is where the gypsies, Muslims, and Jewish residents of Seville were all forced to live back in ancient times. Because of this, it is a beautiful area full of great restaurants and local charm. It’s where flamenco was born, as a form of rebellion, and where the Spanish Inquisition had their headquarters. There’s history, and culture, and beautiful buildings around every corner. You should definitely have lunch or dinner here as all the places we ate at were excellent. Check out my guide, Where To Eat in Seville, for recommendations.

Morning or evening when the light is lovely and when there are less people to get in your photos.

Standing under an orange tree or making a dramatic exit through an ancient gateway.

Patio de Banderas is right next to the Real Alcazar and the Seville Cathedral. It’s a serene courtyard ringed by yellow buildings and orange trees. People come here to paint or let their dogs run around in the middle. There can be buskers who perform flamenco here and little markets. It’s also the exit from the Real Alcazar, so when that’s closed is the quietest time. Looking through the doorway towards the Seville Cathedral is another lovely photo opportunity.

Mornings if you don’t want anyone in your photos (the Spanish are not early morning people, so should be easy).

Twirling in the old streets.

Seville has one of the largest ancient centres in the world. It’s a maze of winding streets and plazas going in every direction. There are cute bars on tight corners and Moorish courtyards through arched doorways. It’s a place where you can happily get lost and wander for hours. It’s also good to have a GPS as the first few times we walked around I had no idea where we were after five minutes. The tiny streets are perfect for photo opportunities as well as getting to know the heart of Seville.