An expert guide to the perfect weekend in Seville this summer
Follow the locals to hole-in-the-wall bars, sip cañas (small glasses) of beer, and then get lost wandering the tiny streets of Barrio Santa Cruz, dotted with orange-tree-filled plazas, before resting in a quiet, shady corner on a tiled bench. For a more authentic experience, head to boho Macarena or tile-and-gypsy quarter Triana. Then, after dusk, head up the rooftops to admire the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and its Moorish-Christian tower from a terrace bar.
For further Seville inspiration, see our in-depth guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, bars, things to see and do, and things to see and do for free. If planning a longer trip, discover our ultimate itinerary in Andalusia here.
In this guide:
What's new in Seville this summer
Experience
Sacred art exhibition at Castillo de San Jorge
Admire artisan pieces from Seville's Semana Santa processions at the medieval Castillo de San Jorge, until late August – from lifelike wooden images and elaborate silver floats to carved candles and exquisitely embroidered velvet canopies. I also loved the Divina Pastora's (Holy Shepherdess) gold lace bonnet and the wax petal installation.
Stay
Casa del Limonero
A winning combination of magnificent 15th-century palace, tranquil garden and swimming pool, plus a stunning contemporary art collection. Casa del Limonero is Santa Cruz's intriguing new boutique hotel opening. Sit on a Jacobsen Egg chair, see captivating Malick Sidibé portraits and then float in a sea-green mosaic-tiled pool.
Eat
Augurio
A women-led team brings the finest catch and the warmest service to centrally located Augurio. As always, the delectably tender, juicy atún de almadraba (sustainably caught bluefin tuna) is best appreciated raw as tartare, paired with a rich Amontillado sherry.
How to spend your weekend
Day one: morning
Be swept back in time to King Pedro the Wise's Mudejar (Christian-Moorish) royal court at the 14th-century Alcazar Palace, with its exquisite ceramic tiles and heavenly gold ceilings. Explore the gardens, home to peacocks, pavilions and pools. Look familiar? You may have seen it as the Water Gardens of Dorne in Game of Thrones.
In summer, outdoor night-time concerts are held here, probably Seville's most magical venue, with the grutesco stone wall as a backdrop as moonlight streams through the palm trees. Note that tickets are collected from the office in the Patio de Banderas, not at the main entrance; entry is free on Monday afternoons. Find more of the city's best attractions here.
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
I married stranger on stranded cruise ship – now we LIVE on board… holiday from hell turned into a 15-year honeymoon
IT looked like the holiday from hell - but it quickly became the honeymoon of a lifetime. When Gian and Angie Perroni were left stranded in Belfast after their luxury cruise was delayed for four months, all they could dream of was setting sail. 17 17 17 17 But neither of them ever imagined they'd find their soulmate while waiting for the round-the-world cruise to start its epic adventure. After Gian, 63, popped the question to Angie, 54, in September - just weeks after their first date - the next natural step was to hold their big day on board the mega Villa Vie Odyssey. The couple told The Sun how their 300-guest ship-wide ceremony officiated by the captain was "way too much fun". After four months of repairs, the huge cruise finally set sail last October. And Gian and Angie held their "magical" wedding - where the captain plunged into the pool with the bride and groom. They shared heartwarming images of the ceremony which took place on board the ship between Costa Rica and Nicaragua in May. Gian, from Vancouver, Canada, said: "We not only were honoured with the captain officiating the wedding, but he actually took the plunge into the pool with us as well which was a which was a lot of fun." Angie, from Colorado in the States, chimed in: "Very unexpected." Gian added: "We had professional dancers, and everybody had bubble guns and bubble wands, and the captain had the the ship's horn go off when we had our first kiss. "It was all very romantic and just way too much fun." Moment couple are jeered & mocked by cruise ship passengers as boat sets sail without them after showing up 30 mins late The pair, who also got matching Celtic trinity knot tattoos, held a smaller private ceremony on April 30 before pushing the boat out for a ship-wide party two days later. Angie said: "We had a lot of the ship help us out with the wedding, which I thought was very special." She revealed that most of the people helping to organise the wedding - such as photographers and decorating teams - were actually residents living on board the ship. Angie added: "Everyone on board was very much looking forward to it. And because, again, this is our community and not just a cruise, there was a very different support." Picture-perfect couple Gian and Angie are permanent residents on the Villa Vie Odyssey - a mega 600ft vessel which is set to visit almost every holiday hotspot Earth has to offer. 17 17 17 17 It boasts a jaw-dropping itinerary - including 425 destinations across 147 countries - around 75 per cent of all nations on Earth. Cruise-goers on board the Odyssey are set to visit all their dream holiday destinations across the planet as part of the journey. The huge vessel was previously marred by controversy when crew discovered problems with its rudders and gearbox - causing its launch to be postponed for four months. The residential cruise sells cabins on a permanent basis - with personal rooms starting at $129,000 for 15 years. Despite the eye-watering price tag, the only other residential cruise ship on the planet currently at sea, The World, offers its cheapest cabin for $2.5million. Gian and Angie are permanent owners on the Odyssey - and have their cabins guaranteed for a decade-and-a-half. Having set off just one year ago, they have already visited 36 countries. Unlike traditional cruises, the ship docks at different ports for around five days each, so residents can properly explore rather than just dash between locations. 17 17 17 17 Globe-trotters Angie and Gian are currently not on board the ship and have returned home due to a family matter. But they say their inboxes have been flooded by friends from their on board community who can't wait for them to get back. Describing day-to-day life on board the infamous vessel - it seems like the party never ends. "We party hard... The only little space we have left in our cabin is a little liquor storage," Angie said. "You definitely have your party years on board, for sure." Gian, who works in online marketing, said: "We've created some very, very good friendships. "There's been one other wedding on board already, another wedding off the ship, and then a few that have gone the opposite direction as well..." They also revealed the range of fellow crew members on board the ship. Angie said: "Once you start chatting with people and getting their history, it's pretty fascinating the different walks of life that are that are on board." Her husband said: "We've become friends with an ex-state Governor, we had an astronaut on board - one of the few people that's been on the moon." Villa Vie Residences' CEO Mikael Petterson previously revealed: 'We have a very diverse community including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a White House chief of staff, an astronaut and many scientists and doctors on board that share their knowledge and experiences.' What happened to the Villa Vie Odyssey? by Harvey Geh THE Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise ship offering a three-and-a-half-year world tour, was scheduled to set sail from Belfast in May 2024. But a series of technical issues with the ship's rudders and gearbox led to a four-month delay, keeping the vessel docked at the Harland & Wolff shipyard - where the Titanic was built. During this time, passengers who had sold their homes and packed up all their belongings were stranded in Belfast. The cruise company, Villa Vie Residences, provided accommodation for them in local hotels and serviced apartments - before eventually ending these funds and offering on board credit instead. Gian Perroni and Angela Harsanyi made international headlines when they met and fell in love before getting engaged during the unexpected delay. After numerous postponements, the ship finally set sail on the last day of September 2024 - but had to anchor in Belfast Lough overnight to complete last-minute paperwork and administrative checks before it could officially begin its voyage. Villa Vie admitted the project faced significant challenges - with the unexpected repairs and logistical issues costing them millions of pounds. The extended delays led to tensions among some residents, with one passenger kicked off the cruise for allegedly being 'negative' on a WhatsApp group. Despite its tumultuous and highly publicised four-month delay, the Odyssey finally embarked on its journey in October 2024. In terms of the demographics, Gian estimates 80 per cent of all residents on board the ship are American, quipping: "I even married one." Despite this, he thinks life on board the Odyssey "feels very international", as there are "a lot of different languages being spoken". "As we go to places like, for example, Japan, we've had people that have lived there, that have helped set up itineraries," he said. And even though they are said to be living their dream lives on board the mega-cruise - day-to-day life at sea isn't always plain sailing. "We collectively miss the ease of visiting family when we want or need to, especially the further away we are from home," Gian admitted. "But that is balanced by our ability to invite family to visit and cruise with us." They also listed one other surprising thing they never thought they'd miss before embarking on the years-long adventure. 17 17 17 Gian said: "It's not easy to hit fast food restaurants whenever we want, but we're likely healthier because of that." But the pros far outweigh the cons, the couple emphasised. Angie said: "It's just a whole another way to to live and see the world. I find it absolutely fascinating." Gian added: "We've been happily surprised at, for lack of better word, the stickiness - almost everybody that was with us in Belfast is still on the ship." Although Gian is a seasoned traveller, Angie said she had "never been out of the country" before she decided to step outside her comfort zone and board the Odyssey. And she's looking forward to ticking a few spots off her bucket list - with holiday hotspot Fiji being a "big one" for her. The cruisegoer said of the journey: "It's a lifestyle like I couldn't envision when I started... it's wonderful. And I would definitely recommend it to anybody especially young." The couple are set return to the "loveboat" in the coming weeks, most likely when the ship docks in South Korea. 17 17
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mrs Ronaldo-to-be's VERY humble beginnings: Georgina Rodríguez's dad died penniless after jail in Spain over £100K cocaine bust
Her father was a gun-toting drug runner immigrant whose crimes saw him deported to another continent, his mother was a lowly nightclub hostess who then struggled as a single mother - and she was raised in the most modest circumstances. But Georgina Rodríguez is about to complete one of the most extraordinary rags-to-riches stories the world has ever known when she finally becomes Mrs Ronaldo and cements her position as the grandest and wealthiest WAG of them all. This extraordinary tale of transformation, the Daily Mail can reveal, began in her humble home in the mountains of northern Spain where Georgina Rodriguez spent her childhood 'dreaming of becoming famous' - before a chance encounter with the world's biggest football star made that dream a reality and transformed her into a billionaire. The unassuming townhouse, nestled in the picturesque city of Jaca, in the Pyrenees, is a far cry from the extensive property portfolio she now enjoys alongside fiance Cristiano Ronaldo. The 31-year-old's engagement to the Portuguese football icon, 40, was revealed in an Instagram post this week, in which she flashed her gigantic £4million engagement ring. The 35-carat diamond is worth more than 10 times her childhood home, estimated to be worth around €300,000 today. It is just one of countless luxuries she enjoys documenting on her Instagram page, where she shares pictures with her 69 million followers of herself strolling around Dubai while clutching a Birkin handbag, flying on private jets and relaxing in jacuzzis on yachts with Ronaldo. But beneath the surface of her rags-to-riches story are uncomfortable truths that she has kept out of the limelight including details of her father being jailed in Spain over a plot to import £100,000 worth of cocaine. There have also been claims from her family that she has forgotten some of them - and some anger back home in Jaca over how she has portrayed her hometown. For this reason, there was mixed reaction over her engagement announcement in the town this week. 'I'm happy for them, she was a charming little girl,' local waitress Ramona Manzanera, 50, said this week. 'I knew her family, but I have not seen her mother for many years. They used to own a burger restaurant in Jaca's bar district, but it closed down after a year or so, and Georgina worked at a bar around the corner.' Ramona said some locals dislike Georgina and criticise her, which she puts down to jealousy. She added: 'I have nothing bad to say about her, this is a small city where everyone knows everyone, but there are lots of people with negative opinions because they are jealous that she got out and is successful and rich.' Georgina's engagement to £153million a year Al-Nassr striker Ronaldo comes nine years after their chance encounter in a Gucci store in Madrid, where the-then part-time model was working. According to the couple, it was 'love at first sight' and in November the following year their daughter Alana was born. They have since faced a series of trials and tribulations, including rape allegations against Ronaldo and accusations of cheating. Tragedy then befell the couple in April 2022, when they announced that their newborn baby boy, one half of a set of twins, had died during childbirth at a Manchester hospital. They have also been subjected to unfounded and cruel rumours that Georgina is a 'cover' to hide the fact that Ronaldo is gay - which still persist to this day. The 35-carat diamond is just one of countless luxuries Ms Rodriguez enjoys documenting on her Instagram page, where she shares pictures with her 69 million followers of herself strolling around Dubai while clutching a Birkin handbag, flying on private jets and relaxing on yachts One local who went to the same school as Georgina told the Mail: 'There are lots of people here who still don't believe how they met - it's rumoured they actually met in a club. 'Now that they are engaged, maybe they hope it will put a stop to the gay rumours, but I think they are getting married for legal reasons, now that they have children together, it helps with paperwork and taxes.' He said Georgina was a 'typical girl at school who liked attention and wanted to be famous.' However, he challenged claims that people criticise her due to envy, blaming instead her 'exaggeration' of an impoverished childhood in Jaca. 'The idea of her going from poverty to riches is a bit exaggerated. Her parents weren't always there for her but she lived in an okay house and went to ballet and swimming classes, she was well looked after,' he said. 'This isn't a dump, it's an area where wealthy Spanish people come on holiday, her childhood home is now worth around €300,000.' He also said she avoids talking about father, Jorge Rodriguez Gorjon, who was deported from Spain following a foiled drug-trafficking plot, and later died, penniless in his native native Buenos Aires in January 2019 aged 70. When he was release from prison Jorge was deported to Argentina miles away from Georgina and the rest of the family. 'He seemed a typical macho guy who would go to a bar and get in a fight,' he said, 'but he wasn't feared and didn't seem dangerous in person.' Gorjon, who worked as a football coach for the local Jacetona club, served 10 years in a Spanish jail for two drug trafficking offences. These included masterminding a failed attempt to smuggle more than £100,000 of cocaine from Spain to France the day before Georgina's fifth birthday. Georgina's half sister Patricia claimed that she once saw their father carrying a gun at home while preparing drug parcels. It's just one of several pieces missing from the carefully-crafted story of Georgina's rise to stardom, which is documented in her Netflix 'reality' TV series 'I Am Georgina', which first began streaming in January 2022. Most fans know Georgina was born in Argentina and grew up in Jaca, where she returns to with her older sister Ivana in a chauffeur-driven car. But far fewer are aware of her father's criminal past, which is completely ignored. And next to nothing is known about her Spanish mother Ana Maria Hernandez, a mystery figure who has never been photographed since Cristiano's bride-to-be became a household name, or played any significant part in the public story she puts out about her life. Spanish media have claimed Murcia-born Ana Maria did unspecified 'night-time' work before her two daughters were born and moved to Italy without them after their father was jailed. A friend of Georgina's father has gone on record as saying Jorge met his future wife at the secluded nightspot he used to own on the outskirts of Jaca where she is said to have earned a living working as a hostess. She is thought to live in a small village in Girona near Spain's border with France where locals described her in January 2022 as a 'dyed-blonde' in her 60s who had recently supervised renovation work at a rundown bungalow. Georgina was initially thought to have purchased the property as a new home for her mother before it was put up for sale. The model and influencer has thanked her mum publicly. She once described Ana Maria and her big sister as 'a little family of three' who are 'unconditional and inseparable', despite her apparent determination to protect her mum from public scrutiny. Georgina's extended family, including her maternal uncle Jesus Hernandez and her step-sister Patricia Hernandez, have filled in some of the holes they accuse her of airbrushing out of her life. Patricia, who has claimed Ana Maria put her in a boarding school after her own mother died when she was 11, because she 'couldn't look after her', went on national Spanish TV after the January 2022 premiere of the first series of 'I Am Georgina' to claim Georgina had erased her from her life. Patricia also recalled seeing their dad carrying a pistol as he prepared parcels containing drugs at home, which she said he tried to make out were food parcels for the poor. Georgina's maternal grandmother Juana Escarabajal was 80 when she died in November 2019, after spending the last years of her life in a tiny prefab in Lorca near Murcia. Juana perished in a devastating 2011 earthquake there which killed nine people. She previously spoke of her anguish at never meeting Georgina's eldest daughter Alana Martina with Cristiano. She once admitted in an emotional interview: 'I only saw my granddaughter in a photo when she was very small that Georgina sent.' Georgina's uncle Jesus Hernandez once complained: 'I think she may feel ashamed of us and considers she's better than us because we don't enjoy the sort of life she does or live with her luxury. 'I've never asked Georgina for anything, even though I know who she's with. She has only ever rung me once or twice since I found out she was dating Cristiano Ronaldo.' In a TV interview ahead of her Netflix show, Jesus said Georgina's dad asked him to provide for the family after he was jailed for drug trafficking. 'I did everything,' he said. 'Georgina was living with me from the age of 15 until the day they sent her father back to Argentina. 'Noone in the family told us Jorge had died or what his final resting place was.' Jesus' partner Lidia added: 'Georgina stopped calling Jesus and her grandmother the day she gave birth to her daughter. 'They called her to see how she was, her grandmother got on the phone and said to her, 'You're with a millionaire footballer, let's see if you send us €1,000. 'Do you know how Georgina replied? She said told her, 'Just so you know I'm not going to call you again.' 'My mother-in-law's comments were a joke, she was 79 at the time and had dementia.' Cristiano has asked for Georgina's hand in marriage after years of false rumours they had already wed sparked by his constant description of her as his 'Mi mujer' - 'My wife' in Spanish. In November 2019 it was incorrectly reported they had tied the knot in Marrakech in Morocco fuelled the speculation about their relationship status. Georgina has stood by him despite cheating allegations and outrageous claims Ronaldo was gay compounded by the nightmare of a high-profile US rape court case in which Ronaldo described 2018 as 'possibly the worst year of my life.' Portuguese model Natacha Sofia Freitas Rodrigues claimed he cheated on Georgina in March 2017 with her - months after he met Georgina. Natcha said she received messages from Ronaldo saying: 'I love your bum, I want to see it in the flesh' before he handed her a baseball cap as a parting gift after their tryst at his Lisbon apartment. She later said: 'I can sympathise with Georgina and what she might have gone through. I'm sure she believes Cristiano cheated on her with me and I think she's worked out how to forgive him.' Georgina also stood by her man when Kathryn Mayorga attemptted to reopen her rape case against him in 2018. She claimed he forced her to have sex in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. He insisted it was consensual and paid her a £275,000 financial settlement. Police never bought charges against him and US courts rejected her later bids to claim millions more from him. Georgina has claimed it was 'love at first sight' when Cristiano walked into her shop in June 2016. As she confirmed she had agreed to be the football star's wife on Monday, she gushed: 'Yes, I do. In this life and in all my lives.' But it was the ring on her finger, compared by some critics to a boulder because of its size, that got as much attention as the couple's long-awaited Instagram announcement.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Inside the charming city named 'Europe's highest capital' - with no trains or airports
Most of Europe's capital cities are full of tourists wanting to come and see the beautiful scenery and architecture. But only one can say it's the highest in the continent. High up in the Pyrenees mountains, 1,023m (3,356ft) above sea level, is Andorra la Vella, in Andorra. The capital city - also one of the smallest in Europe - spans just five square miles, making London more than 120 times bigger than it. And it's very hard to get to - due to the fact that no airport or train station can be found throughout the entire country of Andorra. But that hasn't stopped 8 to 10 million people visiting the tiny place every year. The best way of getting to Andorra is by flying to Barcelona, Girona or Lleida, in Spain, or Toulouse, France, and driving from any of them. And while there, you can take advantage of Avinguda Meritxell, the Shopping Mile, filled with huge department stores and duty-free shopping, as Andorra has one of the lowest VATs in Europe. One person on Tripadvisor described: 'It is a giant duty free shopping haven. 'Selling cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, perfumes and, more cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, perfumes, and even more clothes, shoes and the likes. 'Very good for local economy, very boring.' Another draw for tourists to Andorra is the Caldea spa, the largest thermal spa in southern Europe - designed in 1987, using the hot springs that naturally flow in the region. Here, you'll find indoor saunas, hammams and various types of baths, as well as an outdoor lagoon, surrounded by awe-inspiring mountain views. The basic package for three hours access starts from €30.50. One person on Tripadvisor said: 'Fantastic spa with hydro massage pools and overlapping pools with futuristic design.' Another visitor, who booked the basic entry, added: 'Very clean, very nicely designed and enjoyable. Absolutely worth it, 3 hours is more than enough.' For the historians, Andorra's Old Town has a pre-Roman church, called Sant Esteve, dating back to the 9th century. And Andorra La Vella is also an excellent place to stay if you want to head into the Pyrenees mountains, according to Visit Andorra. When it comes to the weather, don't expect too much sun in Andorra. In the mountains, the highs are as little as 8C in January and February, with the country having an average annual snowfall of 228cm. Meanwhile, temperatures peak at 24C in July and August.
