Day 8 ·
Porto to Seville, flamenco and sunset at Las Setas
Seville · Spain · 3 min read
An early flight from Porto to Seville, a morning in Triana, a nap forced on us by the check-in time, flamenco without microphones and the sunset from Las Setas before dinner at the oldest bar in the city.
- 1
Seville Airport
Ryanair flight from Porto at 7:05. With the Plus fare we had Fast Track and a 20 kg bag, so in Porto we went straight to security.
- 2
Triana Market
Breakfast at a market counter after leaving our bags in a locker. Underneath is the Castillo de San Jorge, the old seat of the Inquisition: free entry, and on Sundays it opens from 10:00 to 15:00.
Our guide Worth it for a standing breakfast and a short loop. It's half touristy and half neighborhood: touristy at the bridge entrance, the real thing toward the back. Read the full guide - 3
Calle Betis
The walk along the Guadalquivir with the Torre del Oro across the river. Before that we passed Cerámica Santa Ana, but only from outside: it closes on Sundays.
- 4
Las Golondrinas
Tapas in Triana. On Sundays it only opens at midday, from 12:00 to 17:00, so we made it today's lunch instead of a dinner.
Our guide Worth it, for the pork tenderloin tips and the tile-covered room. Get there early, order in Spanish and don't expect the prices from old blogs. Read the full guide - 5
Torre del Oro
The Almohad tower from 1220 that guarded the river, seen from outside. We skipped the maritime museum inside.
- 6
Maestranza Bullring
From outside, on the river side. Before that we stopped for five minutes at the Mercado Lonja del Barranco, the 19th-century iron market, for something cold.
- 7
Bodega Santa Cruz "Las Columnas"
A tapa standing at the bar before the flamenco: a serranito and a glass of manzanilla. Cash is better.
Our guide Worth it for a quick standing tapa, two minutes from the Cathedral at neighborhood prices. It's loud and brusque, and the chalk tab is yours to keep an eye on. Read the full guide - 8
Casa del Flamenco
An hour of flamenco in a 15th-century patio, with no amplification and about 60 chairs. Doors open around 18:40; we got there early to sit up front.
Our guide Worth it if you want flamenco up close and unamplified. It's one tight hour, no dinner, on wooden chairs; if you want a long show with food, this isn't it. Read the full guide - 9
Metropol Parasol (Las Setas)
Timed entry at 20:15, 700 meters from the flamenco. We left as soon as the show ended. We stayed for the sunset, a little after 21:15, and for the Aurora light show.
Our guide Worth it at sunset, with time to stay for the Aurora lights. At midday it's an expensive half-hour viewpoint. Read the full guide - 10
El Rinconcillo
Dinner at the oldest bar in Seville, open since 1670 and five minutes from Las Setas. They chalk your tab on the counter.
Our guide Worth it, for the room and the stews. Its fame runs a little ahead of the kitchen: order meat and stews, not fish, and eat at the bar. Read the full guide
Travel day. We got up at 4:30 in Porto, took the 7:05 Ryanair flight and by 9:20 we were in Seville. We stayed three nights in Triana, the neighborhood across the river, and gave the city a full first day starting the moment we landed.
Why we planned it this way
The morning went to Triana because it was next to the apartment and the locker. It was Sunday: Triana Market opens from 9:00 to 15:00, Cerámica Santa Ana is closed and Las Golondrinas only serves lunch. So the order was market, river and tapas at midday.
The original plan was different. We asked to get into the apartment early and the answer was no: check-in was at 15:00, no exceptions. We reworked the day. We left our bags in a locker at 10:00, waited it out with something cold in an air-conditioned bar, and at 15:00 we went in and slept for 90 minutes, right through the hottest hours and after a 4:30 wake-up. The cost was Plaza de España and María Luisa Park, which fell off the day. Instead we walked along Calle Betis and past the Torre del Oro on our way to Santa Cruz.
The evening was the tightest stretch: flamenco from 19:00 to 20:00 and our entry to Las Setas at 20:15, with 700 meters between the two. We set it up this way because the sunset from up top is the best in Seville and the sunset slot sells out first. Afterward, El Rinconcillo was five minutes away.
What to know before you go
Set your watch when you land: Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal. The taxi from the airport to the center charges a flat 22 €. And if your flight lands early, don’t count on early check-in at apartments: get it confirmed in writing before the trip.
What we booked and tasted
Setas de Sevilla: timed entry ticket
- Walkways and viewpoint
- Online audio guide in several languages
- Night access to see Aurora
- Re-entry within 48 hours, subject to availability
Sunset is the most requested slot of the week. With a fixed time we didn't depend on the line, and the ticket let us stay until the lights come on.
See the ticketGetYourGuideCasa del Flamenco, one-hour show
- Singing, dancing and guitar with no amplification
- Patio for about 60 people
We preferred a small acoustic patio to a big tablao with dinner. The performers are just a few meters away.
Triana Boutique (Hommyhome)
Triana is a real neighborhood, with tapas bars and a market, and it's one bridge from the center. From here we did everything on foot, including the pickup for the Córdoba tour.
Triana Market
Order Toast with tomato and olive oil, and café con leche
The classic Andalusian breakfast, 300 meters from the apartment. On Sundays the market closes at 15:00.
Las Golondrinas
Order Puntas de solomillo ("dame una"), tortillitas de camarones and a caña
Tortillitas de camarones are the Triana dish, and here you order the puntas just by saying "dame una" (give me one).
Bodega Santa Cruz "Las Columnas"
Order Serranito and a glass of manzanilla
Quick and standing up, three minutes from Casa del Flamenco. The serranito is Seville's sandwich: pork loin, ham and fried pepper.
El Rinconcillo
Order Ham croquetas, Iberian pork cheeks, spinach with chickpeas and a glass of oloroso
More than 350 years behind the bar. We confirmed it opens on Sundays until 1:00 and doesn't take reservations.
Miragaia Porto Airport
Uber booked the night before, for about 18–22 €. The Porto metro doesn't start until 6:00, and our boarding gate closed at 6:35.
Porto Seville
Direct Ryanair. We left at 7:05 and landed at 9:20 because Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal.
Seville Airport Triana
Taxi stand right outside arrivals. Flat fare of 22 € to the center.
What we learned
Tips
- If you arrive before check-in, book a locker online before the trip. We used Lock and Enjoy, a partner of our lodging, with a drop-off point five minutes from the apartment.
- At Las Setas, head for the west side of the walkway: from there the sun sets behind the Cathedral and the Giralda.
- Between 14:00 and 17:00 is the hottest stretch and many shops close. It's a good time to be indoors.
Do
- Get to Casa del Flamenco about 15 minutes early and sit in the first two rows, in the center. No photos during the show.
- Order at the bar at El Rinconcillo, not in the dining room in back: the chalk tab is part of the visit.
- Bring cash for Bodega Santa Cruz and the small market stalls.
Don’t
- Don't count on more slack between the flamenco and Las Setas than there is: if the show runs more than 15 minutes over, you lose the 20:15 slot.
- Don't get on the horse carriages by the Cathedral: about 45 € for 45 minutes.
- Don't buy Las Setas tickets from resellers in the square.