Leaving Malaga behind, I head towards Sevilla by bus, enjoying my 2.5 hour ride through the Andalucian countryside overlooking the rolling green hills and white splashed Spanish homes. I reach Sevilla by early afternoon ready to start my next adventure. I pick up my overstuffed backpack and start walking, not realizing the zipper on my bag has come undone and contents are spilling on the ground.

Great. Not the start I was looking for. Where’s duct tape when you need it?

I take a deep breath, look at my map and start walking towards the Oasis Backpackers Hostel, not realizing yet how much of an impression this city would make on me.

Sevilla may not be the largest city in Spain, but it is the country’s main cultural hub. When visiting Sevilla, you’re at the very heart of Andalucian culture, the centre for flamenco (forget the overpriced 50 euro shows in Barcelona), bull fighting, and the cross-cultural hybrid of Christian and Islamic Moorish pasts, carved in detail in the vast architectural public spaces.

Sevilla is my favourite city in Spain and every globetrotter I’ve met who has visited says the same. So why does Sevilla pull at our heart strings? What gives this place its je ne sai quoi, that special something? It’s still a very touristy city, not off the beaten path by all means, but it’s a city that is on the top of the list for most travellers heading to Spain. Why?

Simply said, it’s a feeling.

For me, Sevilla is so much more than seeing its historical buildings and sites. It’s that gut feeling I have when I’m there, a traveller in the midst of old world charm, a feeling of being at the right place at the right time. This city makes me feel at ease and it sure made me feel at home.

Sevilla is where I made new friends from Holland whom I still keep in touch with today. Sevilla is the place where I felt confident as a solo female traveller. Sevilla is where I celebrated Semana Santa Easter festivities with over half a million people and a place where I explored and got lost multiple times in the narrow, winding lanes. Sevilla was my central hub when travelling to other Andalucian cities such as Granada and Cordoba. A place I always came back to and called home during my three weeks of travel in Spain.

Travelling is about understanding the soul of the city you’re visiting, meeting and observing people and having a heightened awareness, a consciousness of being in the moment rather than rushing your experience. Sevilla is such a place that will make even the intinerary following tourist slow down and take notice.

As I stroll the narrow cobbled streets of Barrio Santa Cruz I come across families and friends enjoying mid-afternoon tapas and drinks. I wander around the small squares lined with orange trees, getting lost in the maze of narrow alleys, admiring the beautifully vined patios of the white and colored Spanish apartments. Sevilla is picturesque, full of history and stories, old palaces and churches and hidden passageways. Exploring the various Barrios by foot made me feel like a part of the neighbourhood, a part of the city.

Tip*: Check out the Bar de Tapas Catalina for tasty Spanish tapas.

Later one evening, I head to a flamenco show with my new friends at a small, intimate 19th century casa. For 12-20 euros, you can feel the soul of Sevilla through this fiery, raw, passionate gypsy dance. Sevilla is THE place for flamenco.

Tip*: Try Auditorio Alvarez Quintero for a small, intimate show, about 17 euros.

“Flamenco is still alive. Flamenco is nowhere near being dead. Flamenco is still very, very much alive…and mostly with the people from the streets who carry the pure art inside of them.” – Rafael Maya “El Cable”/A Flamenco Artist from the barrio of La Macarena in Sevilla.

From meeting new friends and exploring the city and back lanes, to learning about the culture and history of the city and feeling confident and comfortable as a solo independent traveller, Sevilla embraced me as a passerby and made me feel at home. As a parting gift, Sevilla has shared many unforgettable moments, making it one of the top highlights of my trip.

I left knowing I would be back again some day. 

Have you been to Sevilla before? What was your experience like? Leave your comments below!