Discover Seville: A 1-Day Tour in Slow Spanish

Seville in slow Spanish: Spanish and English reading

This edited bilingual companion follows Lucía’s favourite route through Seville, her letter-photo challenge and her sweet reward. It condenses the vlog rather than reproducing every word. Her humour and personal preferences remain; a few historical and visitor-access details are corrected for learning, with notes below. Prices, crowds and building works describe her visit. Opening times and admission conditions can change. Open a timestamp to hear the original scene.

0:00 — Your guide and a side mission

Spanish: ¿Tienes ganas de viajar? ¡Pues estás de suerte! Hoy voy a ser vuestra guía turística. Os voy a enseñar Sevilla y os voy a llevar a mis sitios favoritos.

English: Do you feel like travelling? Then you’re in luck! Today I’m going to be your tour guide. I’m going to show you Seville and take you to my favourite places.

Spanish: Este es el recorrido que yo haría si fuera guía. Vamos a ver sitios preciosos, un lugar secreto y mi dulce favorito. Os lo explicaré en español para que aprendáis conmigo.

English: This is the route I would take if I were a guide. We’ll see beautiful places, a secret spot and my favourite sweet treat. I’ll explain it in Spanish so you can learn with me.

0:46 — Prado de San Sebastián

Spanish: Empezamos en el Prado de San Sebastián. Ahora hay un parque, bares, una estación de autobuses y juzgados. Antes era una gran explanada.

English: We start at Prado de San Sebastián. There is now a park, bars, a bus station and law courts. It used to be a large open area.

Spanish: Durante la epidemia de peste de 1649 se utilizó como cementerio improvisado. También fue el primer recinto de la Feria de Abril, que empezó aquí en 1847 y se trasladó en 1973.

English: During the plague epidemic of 1649, it was used as an improvised burial ground. It was also the first site of the April Fair, which began here in 1847 and moved in 1973.

2:55 — A favourite place on a cold day

Spanish: Ahora vamos a mi sitio favorito de Sevilla y del mundo. Para mí, es el sitio más bonito que hay. ¡Dios mío, qué frío hace hoy!

English: Now we’re going to my favourite place in Seville and in the world. For me, it’s the most beautiful place there is. My goodness, it’s so cold today!

Spanish: ¡He cogido el día perfecto para dar vueltas por Sevilla! Lucía lo dice con ironía: está pasando frío.

English: I’ve chosen the perfect day to wander around Seville! Lucía says this sarcastically: she’s feeling cold.

3:19 — Plaza de España

Spanish: Bienvenidos a la Plaza de España. Es muy temprano, la fuente no está encendida y no hay mucha gente. La plaza tiene forma semicircular, dos torres y una fuente en el centro.

English: Welcome to Plaza de España. It’s very early, the fountain isn’t running and there aren’t many people. The square is semicircular, with two towers and a central fountain.

Spanish: Sus bancos de azulejos están dedicados a provincias españolas y muestran mapas y escenas históricas. La plaza se construyó para la Exposición Iberoamericana de 1929; aquí se rodó parte del episodio dos de Star Wars.

English: Its tiled benches are dedicated to Spanish provinces and show maps and historical scenes. The square was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929; part of Star Wars Episode II was filmed here.

4:35 — Spelling SEVILLA with photos

Spanish: Se me ha ocurrido una misión secundaria: en cada sitio emblemático me haré una foto formando una letra de SEVILLA con mi cuerpo.

English: I’ve thought of a side mission: at each landmark, I’ll take a photo forming a letter of SEVILLA with my body.

Spanish: Al final tendré el nombre de Sevilla con fotos mías haciendo las formas. Aquí voy a hacer la S.

English: At the end, I’ll have the name Seville made from photos of me making the shapes. Here, I’m going to do the S.

5:13 — Parque de María Luisa

Spanish: La Plaza de España está en el Parque de María Luisa. Creo que es mi parque favorito de Sevilla. Es grande y tiene rincones preciosos.

English: Plaza de España is in María Luisa Park. I think it’s my favourite park in Seville. It’s large and has beautiful little corners.

Spanish: Si tenéis tiempo, os recomiendo que os deis un paseo. En una plaza hay muchísimas palomas y un puesto donde se vende comida para ellas.

English: If you have time, I recommend going for a walk. In one square there are lots of pigeons and a stall selling food for them.

6:13 — The pigeon adventure

Spanish: Me voy a quitar los guantes y el abrigo. Dar de comer a las palomas aquí es un deporte de riesgo: se me van a subir por todo el cuerpo y me voy a manchar.

English: I’m going to take off my gloves and coat. Feeding the pigeons here is an extreme sport: they’ll climb all over me and I’ll get dirty.

Spanish: Compro una bolsita de comida por un euro y medio. ¡La loca de las palomas me podéis llamar! Me arañan con las uñas. Bueno, ya se ha acabado; vamos a ver otra cosa.

English: I buy a small bag of food for one euro fifty. You can call me the crazy pigeon lady! They’re scratching me with their claws. Well, it’s over now; let’s go and see something else.

7:58 — The old tobacco factory

Spanish: Esta es la antigua Fábrica de Tabacos. Aquí se ambienta parte de la ópera Carmen. Carmen es una cigarrera: una mujer que fabrica cigarros.

English: This is the old Tobacco Factory. Part of the opera Carmen is set here. Carmen is a cigarrera: a woman who makes cigars.

Spanish: Ahora el edificio pertenece a la Universidad de Sevilla. En esta visita entramos a ver los patios y una exposición de esculturas.

English: The building now belongs to the University of Seville. On this visit, we go inside to see the courtyards and an exhibition of sculptures.

8:58 — Hotel Alfonso XIII

Spanish: Este es el Hotel Alfonso XIII, un hotel de cinco estrellas que parece otro monumento de Sevilla. A mí me gusta entrar porque es precioso.

English: This is Hotel Alfonso XIII, a five-star hotel that seems like another of Seville’s monuments. I like going inside because it’s beautiful.

Spanish: Lucía enseña la entrada y el vestíbulo durante su visita. Después nos dirigimos hacia el centro monumental.

English: Lucía shows the entrance and lobby during her visit. Afterwards, we head towards the area of major monuments.

9:51 — Archivo General de Indias

Spanish: Este edificio emblemático es el Archivo General de Indias. Conserva documentación histórica sobre la administración española en América y Filipinas.

English: This landmark building is the General Archive of the Indies. It preserves historical records concerning Spanish administration in the Americas and the Philippines.

Spanish: La visita cultural al edificio es gratuita y no requiere reserva. Consultar documentos en la sala de investigación es una actividad distinta, con sus propios requisitos de acreditación.

English: The cultural visit to the building is free and does not require a reservation. Consulting documents in the research room is a separate activity with its own accreditation requirements.

11:06 — The E and the Alcázar queue

Spanish: ¡Uy, que tengo que hacerme una foto! Se me olvidaba: tengo que hacer la E. Quiero encontrar un sitio donde no me vea la gente.

English: Oh, I need to take a photo! I’d forgotten: I need to do the E. I want to find somewhere people won’t see me.

Spanish: Esa es la entrada del Alcázar. Hay muchísima gente esperando. Ya tengo mi entrada, así que voy a la cola interminable a ver si puedo entrar pronto.

English: That’s the entrance to the Alcázar. There are lots of people waiting. I already have my ticket, so I’m joining the endless queue to see whether I can get inside soon.

11:54 — Real Alcázar

Spanish: Bienvenidos al Real Alcázar de Sevilla. Tiene orígenes islámicos y fue residencia de gobernantes musulmanes. Después de la conquista de 1248, lo utilizaron los reyes cristianos.

English: Welcome to the Royal Alcázar of Seville. It has Islamic origins and was a residence of Muslim rulers. After the conquest of 1248, Christian kings used it.

Spanish: A lo largo de los siglos lo fueron modificando y ampliando. Incluye el palacio mudéjar del rey Pedro I y otras construcciones de distintas épocas. Es un conjunto con mucha historia.

English: Over the centuries, they modified and expanded it. It includes King Pedro I’s Mudéjar palace and other buildings from different periods. It is a complex with a great deal of history.

12:58 — Gardens and a musical fountain

Spanish: Me encantan los jardines: son preciosos y enormes. Si venís al Alcázar, tenéis que verlos sí o sí. Aquí también se rodaron escenas de Juego de tronos.

English: I love the gardens: they’re beautiful and enormous. If you come to the Alcázar, you really must see them. Scenes from Game of Thrones were also filmed here.

Spanish: Mirad, esto es un órgano hidráulico: una fuente en la que el agua permite producir música. Lucía recomienda consultar a qué hora funciona para escucharlo. También tiene que hacer la foto de la V.

English: Look, this is a hydraulic organ: a fountain in which water enables music to be produced. Lucía recommends checking when it operates so you can hear it. She also needs to take the V photo.

14:34 — The cathedral and Giralda

Spanish: Esta es la Catedral de Sevilla. La antigua mezquita se convirtió en iglesia en 1248; la gran catedral gótica se construyó después, en el siglo quince.

English: This is Seville Cathedral. The former mosque was converted into a church in 1248; the great Gothic cathedral was built later, in the fifteenth century.

Spanish: La Giralda era el alminar de la mezquita. Conserva gran parte de esa torre y tiene un campanario añadido posteriormente. Ahora vamos a subir andando.

English: The Giralda was the mosque’s minaret. It retains much of that tower and has a bell tower added later. Now we’re going to walk up.

15:18 — Inside the cathedral

Spanish: No tiréis el ticket: la entrada conjunta también sirve para visitar la Iglesia del Salvador. Aquí vemos un cuadro de Santa Justa y Santa Rufina con la Giralda.

English: Don’t throw away your ticket: the joint ticket also lets you visit El Salvador Church. Here we see a painting of Saints Justa and Rufina with the Giralda.

Spanish: ¡Es gigante! Mirad el órgano y las vidrieras de las ventanas. Hay tumbas en el suelo, muchísimas obras de arte y el sepulcro de Cristóbal Colón. Después hago la I.

English: It’s enormous! Look at the organ and the stained-glass windows. There are tombs in the floor, lots of artworks and Christopher Columbus’s tomb. Afterwards, I do the I.

16:54 — A climb and a surprise

Spanish: Vamos a subir a la Giralda. Se asciende principalmente por rampas, con unos escalones al final; no son cincuenta plantas de un edificio.

English: Let’s go up the Giralda. The climb is mainly along ramps, with some steps at the end; these are not fifty storeys of a building.

Spanish: ¡Ya hemos llegado! Las campanas suenan muy fuerte. ¡Coño! ¡Qué susto! Desde las ventanas se ve la ciudad. Ahora, a bajar.

English: We’ve arrived! The bells are very loud. Fuck! What a fright! You can see the city through the windows. Now, back down.

18:06 — Secret Plaza de Santa Marta

Spanish: Ahora os voy a llevar a un sitio secreto. Por un pasillito llegamos a la pequeña Plaza de Santa Marta. Tiene una cruz y naranjos altos.

English: Now I’m going to take you to a secret spot. We reach the little Plaza de Santa Marta through a narrow passage. It has a cross and tall orange trees.

Spanish: Lucía recuerda un mercadillo de sellos y cuenta una tradición que relaciona esta plaza con una escena de Don Juan Tenorio. Es su plaza secreta.

English: Lucía recalls a stamp market and tells a local tradition linking this square to a scene from Don Juan Tenorio. It’s her secret square.

19:26 — Santa Cruz and its crosses

Spanish: Estamos en el barrio de Santa Cruz, en la antigua judería. Tiene calles estrechas y rincones preciosos, pero siempre que vengo aquí me pierdo.

English: We’re in Santa Cruz, in the former Jewish quarter. It has narrow streets and beautiful little corners, but I get lost whenever I come here.

Spanish: El nombre del barrio está vinculado a la antigua Iglesia de Santa Cruz. En el paseo vemos cruces en la calle Cruces y las tres cruces al final de la calle.

English: The neighbourhood’s name is linked to the former Church of Santa Cruz. On the walk, we see crosses on Calle Cruces and the three crosses at the end of the street.

20:34 — Iglesia del Salvador

Spanish: Ahora estamos en la Plaza del Salvador, junto a la Iglesia del Salvador. Lucía recomienda tomar unas tapas por aquí y ver esta iglesia barroca por dentro.

English: Now we’re in Plaza del Salvador, beside El Salvador Church. Lucía recommends having some tapas around here and seeing the inside of this Baroque church.

Spanish: Con la entrada conjunta se puede visitar también esta iglesia. Vemos arte religioso y bajamos a la cripta, donde hay restos de épocas anteriores, incluida la antigua mezquita.

English: You can also visit this church with the joint ticket. We see religious art and go down to the crypt, where there are remains from earlier periods, including the former mosque.

22:02 — Plaza Nueva and two Ls

Spanish: Este es el Ayuntamiento por detrás y por delante. Enfrente está la Plaza Nueva, que está en obras durante esta visita, y el monumento ecuestre a San Fernando.

English: This is the Town Hall from the back and the front. Opposite is Plaza Nueva, which is undergoing works during this visit, and the equestrian monument to Saint Ferdinand.

Spanish: Me toca hacer la L. Bueno, SEVILLA tiene dos eles: haré una aquí y otra en otro sitio. Después pasamos por otra plaza medio secreta, la Plaza del Cabildo.

English: It’s time for me to do the L. Well, SEVILLA has two Ls: I’ll do one here and another somewhere else. Afterwards, we pass through another partly hidden square, Plaza del Cabildo.

23:18 — Torre del Oro

Spanish: Esta es la Torre del Oro. No es de oro, pero se llama así. Formaba parte de las defensas de Sevilla junto al río y conserva construcciones de distintas épocas.

English: This is the Tower of Gold. It isn’t made of gold, but that’s its name. It formed part of Seville’s defences beside the river and retains construction from different periods.

Spanish: Gran parte de las murallas de Sevilla se derribó en el siglo diecinueve, no en 1989. Sevilla fue un centro importante del comercio con América; la Casa de la Contratación estuvo aquí de 1503 a 1717, antes de trasladarse a Cádiz.

English: Much of Seville’s defensive wall was demolished in the nineteenth century, not in 1989. Seville was an important centre of trade with the Americas; the House of Trade was here from 1503 to 1717, before moving to Cádiz.

24:58 — Guadalquivir and a ship replica

Spanish: Este es el Guadalquivir, el río que pasa por Sevilla. Aquí hay una réplica de la Nao Victoria, el barco que completó la primera vuelta al mundo en 1522.

English: This is the Guadalquivir, the river that runs through Seville. Here there is a replica of the Nao Victoria, the ship that completed the first circumnavigation in 1522.

Spanish: La expedición fue iniciada por Magallanes, que murió en Filipinas. Juan Sebastián Elcano dirigió el regreso de la Victoria. Si seguimos por el paseo, llegamos al Puente de Triana, oficialmente Puente de Isabel II.

English: The expedition was begun by Magellan, who died in the Philippines. Juan Sebastián Elcano led the Victoria’s return. If we follow the riverside walk, we reach Triana Bridge, officially Isabel II Bridge.

26:22 — Las Setas and the last photo

Spanish: Bienvenidos a las Setas de Sevilla. Se llaman así por su forma de setas. Es una gran estructura de madera, aunque también tiene acero y otros materiales.

English: Welcome to the Mushrooms of Seville. They’re called that because of their mushroom shape. It is a large timber structure, although it also has steel and other materials.

Spanish: Tengo que hacer la foto de la A para terminar nuestra misión. ¡Qué bonito ha quedado el mural! Estoy emocionada… Es un poco ironía: he hecho lo que he podido.

English: I need to take the A photo to finish our mission. The photo collage has turned out so beautifully! I’m moved… That’s a little sarcastic: I’ve done what I could.

27:30 — Antiquarium and the viewpoint

Spanish: En el sótano está el Antiquarium, un museo con restos arqueológicos, entre ellos restos romanos. También podemos subir al mirador de las Setas.

English: In the basement is the Antiquarium, a museum with archaeological remains, including Roman remains. We can also go up to the Setas viewpoint.

Spanish: Lucía entra gratis en esta visita. Las Setas ofrecen entrada gratuita a personas nacidas o empadronadas en Sevilla capital, según sus condiciones; cada monumento tiene sus propias tarifas.

English: Lucía gets in free on this visit. The Setas offer free entry to people born or officially registered as residents in the city of Seville, under their conditions; each monument has its own admission rules.

28:22 — A walk above Seville

Spanish: Desde aquí se ve la ciudad: la Giralda, la Catedral, los jardines del Alcázar, las torres de la Plaza de España y los árboles del Parque de María Luisa.

English: From here you can see the city: the Giralda, the cathedral, the Alcázar gardens, the towers of Plaza de España and the trees of María Luisa Park.

Spanish: Recomiendo venir un poco antes del atardecer para ver la puesta de sol y después las luces de la ciudad. ¡Hay tantísimas iglesias que te caes por la calle y tienes una enfrente!

English: I recommend coming a little before sunset to see the sun go down and then the city lights. There are so many churches that you could fall over in the street and find one right in front of you!

29:34 — Thirty thousand stairs and a sweet reward

Spanish: ¡Oh, no! Para bajar hay que ir por las escaleras. Cuando termine de bajar las treinta mil escaleras, vamos a una cafetería. ¡Corre, corre, corre!

English: Oh, no! We have to take the stairs down. Once I’ve finished going down the thirty thousand stairs, we’ll go to a café. Run, run, run!

Spanish: Por fin estoy sentada con mi ColaCao y mi dulce favorito: tocino de cielo. Se parece un poco al flan, pero es otro postre, hecho con yemas de huevo y almíbar. Es blandito y muy dulce. ¡Me encanta!

English: At last, I’m sitting down with my ColaCao and my favourite sweet treat: tocino de cielo. It looks a little like flan, but it’s a different dessert, made with egg yolks and sugar syrup. It’s soft and very sweet. I love it!

30:54 — Another walk

Spanish: Si os gustan los sitios más tranquilos y con menos gente, en otro vídeo os llevo a los antiguos edificios de la Expo de 1992 de Sevilla. ¡Vamos de paseo!

English: If you like quieter places with fewer people, in another video I take you to the former buildings of Seville’s Expo 1992. Let’s go for a walk!

Useful words and expressions

• estar de suerte / recorrido / guía turística: Be in luck / route or tour here / tour guide.
• haría si fuera guía: I would do or take this route if I were a guide: conditional haría with imperfect subjunctive fuera for an imagined situation. This is a useful example, not a rule about every use of si.
• dar vueltas / rincones / darse un paseo: Wander around here / little corners or tucked-away spots / go for a walk.
• explanada / cementerio / peste: Open area / cemetery or burial ground / plague in this history section. The 1649 outbreak is not the fourteenth-century Black Death.
• encendida / bancos / azulejos: Running or switched on (the fountain) / benches here / decorative tiles.
• misión secundaria / me haré una foto: Side mission / I’ll take a photo of myself or have one taken here.
• paloma / dar de comer / mancharse: Pigeon / feed / get dirty or stained.
• uñas de las palomas: The pigeons’ claws in this scene; uñas also means fingernails in a human context.
• cigarrera / ambientarse / patio: Woman who makes cigars or cigarettes / be set in a place (a story) / courtyard.
• vestíbulo / hacer cola / entrada: Lobby / queue or stand in line / ticket or entrance depending on the scene.
• archivo / archivar / consultar documentos: Archive / archive or file / consult records.
• Indias: The Indies, a historical geographical term; not simply a claim that the archive holds every colonial document or only papers about modern India.
• Alcázar / alminar / campanario: Fortified palace here / minaret / bell tower.
• mudéjar / gótico / barroco: Mudéjar / Gothic / Baroque: distinct architectural terms, not interchangeable labels for all the buildings.
• órgano hidráulico / fuente: Hydraulic organ / fountain; water powers the mechanism that produces the music.
• vidrieras / sepulcro / tumbas: Stained-glass windows / tomb or funerary monument / graves or tombs.
• pisos / plantas / rampas: Storeys or floors / storeys here / ramps. The Giralda climb uses ramps rather than dozens of apartment-building floors.
• ¡Coño! / ¡Qué susto!: Fuck! / What a fright! Coño is vulgar; Lucía uses it as a startled exclamation when a bell rings. The source censors it onscreen.
• pasillito / naranjos / sellos: Little passage / orange trees / postage stamps in the market recollection.
• judería / perderse / cruces: Historical Jewish quarter / get lost / crosses, plural of cruz.
• dos eles / elle: Two letters L / the traditional name of ll. In the current Spanish alphabet, ll is a digraph; SEVILLA is written with seven letters.
• Ayuntamiento / ecuestre / estar en obras: Town Hall or city council / equestrian, depicting a rider on a horse / be undergoing building works.
• setas / madera / mirador: Mushrooms / wood or timber / viewpoint or viewing platform.
• empadronado: Officially registered as a resident in the municipality; simply visiting Seville does not meet that condition.
• mural / ironía / treinta mil escaleras: Photo collage here / sarcasm in her reaction to it / thirty thousand stairs, an intentional exaggeration about the tiring descent.
• atardecer / yemas / almíbar / blandito: Sunset or dusk / egg yolks / sugar syrup / soft. Tocino de cielo is the dessert’s name, not bacon.
• merendar / dulce / me encanta: Have an afternoon snack / sweet treat here / I love it.

A few details clarified

• Prado chronology: The fair began in 1847; San Fernando Cemetery opened in 1853. The video’s sequence suggesting the fair began only after that cemetery opened should not be learned as a date sequence. The reading keeps the burial-ground and fair history with the verified dates. Source.
• Province benches: The tiled displays concern provinces, not every city. Municipal tourism pages disagree on 48 versus 49 represented provinces, so this reading avoids a numerical claim and does not say every present-day province has its own bench. Source.
• Archive access: A free cultural visit does not require a reservation. Research-room document consultation is separate and requires accreditation. The archive chiefly documents Spanish administration in the Americas and the Philippines; the source’s broad Civil War claim is not used as a description of its holdings. Source.
• Cathedral and Giralda: The mosque became a church in 1248; the Gothic cathedral followed much later. The Giralda climb is ramps and final steps. Cathedral publications disagree on 34 versus 35 ramps; neither supports the video’s 50 or 36 building floors, so no exact ramp count is asserted here. Source.
• Santa Cruz: Municipal tourism links the neighbourhood’s name to the plaza and former Church of Santa Cruz. The crosses shown in the walk do not establish the video’s proposed naming explanation. Source.
• Walls and river trade: The major wall demolitions occurred in the nineteenth century; the 1989 comparison with Berlin is incorrect. Seville’s House of Trade moved to Cádiz in 1717, so the video’s statement about all American ships throughout the Spanish Empire is too broad. Source.
• Setas construction and entry: The timber contractor documents steel as well as wood. Free admission at the Setas is specifically offered to people born or officially registered in Sevilla capital; it is not an unconditional promise of free entry to every monument. Source.
• A different dessert: The RAE describes tocino de cielo as egg yolks cooked and set with sugar syrup. Keep its Spanish name and the distinction from flan; neither the literal bacon translation nor an ordinary cake description conveys it accurately. Source.

For planning a visit, check the Setas admission conditions and the cathedral and Salvador joint-ticket options. Free access to one place does not imply free access everywhere.

Choose three stops and describe your own route in simple Spanish. Try Primero iría a…, después visitaría… and para merendar tomaría…. Replay one short scene and collect two expressions you could use on a walk.