Sunny Spring City-Break Spotlight

Scintillating Seville

The heady scent of orange blossom is one of the first things to arrest the senses upon arrival in sunny Seville. The historically-drenched capital of hot Andalusia, in Southern Spain, is an oft-overlooked city-break destination and all the better for its not being thronged with selfie lemmings or gaggles of bawdy girls/guys on tour. With friendly locals, stunning architecture that spans the ages, excellent restaurants and easy access to the rest of Andalusia, not to mention the sun, Seville is a perfect spot for a Spring mini-break – guaranteed to silence even the most ingrained Wintertime grumbles.

Stay At

Opened in November, the discreetly luxurious Mercer Hotel Sevilla (mercersevilla.com) is a 12-room icon in the heart of the city. Within minutes, guests can reach emblematic and historic points of interest that should certainly be on your radar such as Torre del Oro, La Giralda, Real Alc?zar and Real F?brica de Tabacos.

Eat At

For the best tapas experience, flamenco yourself into Viner?a San Telmo for an incredible selection of wines accompanied by creative tapas like pasta with squid ink and scallops, goats cheese and aubergine, beef carpaccio and brie. All mouth-watering and all very memorable. A must-visit.

Sip At

The oldest bar (established in 1670) in Seville, El Rinconcillo (elrinconcillo.es) is a great spot to while away an hour or two with wine, wine and perhaps another glass of wine. The food is okay, but do try their juicy olive selection. A good spot to get a further sense of Seville’s rich history.

Visit

Seville’s Moorish influences are many but perhaps the best way to experience the stunning legacy of the Muslim Moorish is at the World Heritage site, Alc?zar. Step back in time and discover the most magical of the Iberian peninsula’s Moorish palaces, drink in the intricate detail of the interior and find calm and peace of mind in the beautiful palace gardens.