Spain Cruise: Seville
In this seventh post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Seville, Spain on her Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise on Azamara.
My next-to-last full day of the cruise was spent in the gorgeous city of Seville. The ship docked in Cádiz, but I did a full-day excursion in Seville. Today I visited the Spanish Square, Casa de Pilatos, and the Seville Cathedral. Once back on the ship, my evening was one of the highlights of the entire cruise – the “Best of the Best” dinner.
Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Cruise Day 5 in Cadiz/Seville, Spain. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- Pre-Cruise Day 1 – April 7: Barcelona, Spain
- Pre-Cruise Day 2 – April 8: Barcelona, Spain
- Cruise Day 1 – April 9: Valencia, Spain
- Cruise Day 2 – April 10: Alicante, Spain
- Cruise Day 3 – April 11: Melilla, Spain
- Cruise Day 4 – April 12: Malaga, Spain
- Cruise Day 5 – April 13: Cadiz/Seville, Spain
- Cruise Day 6 – April 14: Lisbon, Portugal
Arriving In Cádiz
We arrived in port just before the sun did, so I got to enjoy a pretty sunrise. The ship docked right in town, but I was going on a full-day excursion to Seville. But the city sure did look lovely from my view on the ship!
Plaza de España – Seville
After about a 90-minute drive from Cádiz, our tour bus arrived at the lovely city of Seville. Our first stop was Plaza de España, or the famous Spanish Square. This is the most famous square in Seville, and it is stunningly beautiful! The Plaza de España sits in a semi-circular pattern, with many gorgeous buildings and two tall towers. Around the bottom of the building are 52 alcoves with 52 benches in front of 52 frescoes, each of which depicts a Spanish province.
Plaza de España, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, is a wonderful mixture of Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival styles. There is a large fountain and a canal in the middle of the square. Several small bridges span the canal. There are many azulejos, or tiles typical of Andalusia, in and on the buildings.
Casa de Pilatos – Seville
The next stop in Seville was the colorful Casa de Pilatos. The construction of the sprawling Italian Renaissance-style palace began in 1483. It was the permanent residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli. As with Plaza de España, Casa de Pilatos is also filled with many gorgeous azulejo (glazed tile) designs throughout the palace. Another wonderful element on display here is the collection of statues and busts from ancient Rome and ancient Greece.
Click through the slideshow below for some pictures of Casa de Pilatos.
A gorgeous garden sits in a courtyard the middle of the palace. The beautiful and fragrant blooms highlight the stunning architecture all around.
I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Casa de Pilatos. There are breathtakingly beautiful details everywhere you look! The interior spaces are colorful and luxurious. The exterior gardens and courtyards are equally stunning.
Click through the slideshow below for a few more pictures of Casa de Pilatos.
Lunch in Seville
After exploring Casa de Pilatos, our tour guide led us through the winding streets of Seville towards the Seville Cathedral. I always love being able to explore a city on foot. It’s such a wonderful way to see and experience more of a city.
Before visiting the Cathedral, though, we stopped at a restaurant. Here we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing tapas lunch. We got several plates of local specialties to try, including fish, meat, cheese, and vegetables.
Catedral de Sevilla
Our final stop in Seville was the glorious Seville Cathedral. This Catholic cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest churches in the world. Construction finished in 1519.
Our local guide gave us a quick but insightful tour of the interior of the cathedral. It is truly stunning. The building was originally constructed as a grand mosque in the late 12th century. In the late 13th century, Ferdinand III conquered Seville and converted the mosque into the city’s cathedral. It was considered a “Christianized mosque” during the period between 1248-1401. By 1401, it was a full Gothic cathedral. Several famous people are buried here, including Christopher Columbus.
Click through the slideshow below for some pictures of the cathedral.
Above the main chapel 
Inside the cathedral 
The Silver Altar 
Inside the cathedral 
Inside the cathedral 
Inside the cathedral 
One of 80 chapels 
Tomb of Christopher Columbus 
Some of the relics on display 
Renaissance dome of the chapterhouse 
Floor in the chapterhouse 
La Giralda (bell tower) 
Main Door, or Door of Assumption 
External view
Last Views of Seville
After a day of exploring Seville, we walked from the cathedral to an area by the water to wait for our bus to arrive. They were kicking off a large festival in the city today, so the traffic was a bit heavy. The Feria de Abril, or the Seville April Fair, is a large week-long festival held in April every year. During the festival many women dress in traditional costumes, including vibrant flamenco dresses and accessories. While we waited for the bus, we enjoyed some displays to celebrate the festival.
Returning to the Ship
Another 90-minute bus ride took us back to the ship after a fun day of exploring Seville. Once back on the ship, I enjoyed the views of another pretty sail-away while relaxing on my veranda as we left Cádiz.
Best of the Best Dinner
Tonight’s dinner was simply fabulous. As a suite guest, I was invited to attend the “Best of the Best” dinner. There were 16 guests, along with four senior crew members, held in the beautiful Drawing Room. The menu was spectacular, the wines were divine, and the conversation was lively. I was lucky enough to be seated next to the Captain! I chose to keep my phone in my purse and did not take any pictures of the dinner itself…it was an event that I simply wanted to be present at and enjoy, which I did fully. After dinner, we each got a small bottle of Spanish wine as a gift.
The dinner menu is posted below. Everything was absolutely delicious and beautifully plated. Use your imagination and multiply it by two to get close to picturing how awesome it all was!
Conclusion
My day in Seville was simply stunning. From the gorgeous architecture to the beautiful weather, it was a picture-perfect day. Time in each spot was fairly limited since we had a lot to cover in a relatively short amount of time, but I feel like I had a wonderful overview of a wonderful city. Ending the day at the “Best of the Best” dinner was simply icing on the cake.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
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