Seville (Sevilla)
Seville's long and varied history dates back to the Phoenicians, Romans, and Moors, but its golden age is the 16th century, when the city was the gateway to the New World. Situated on the Guadalquivir River, Seville was the port from which ships departed on voyages of exploration and returned from the Americas loaded with gold and silver.
The Christmas season, from December to January 6, is a wonderful time to visit Seville with kids.
Streets glow with sparkling lights, nativity scenes are on display, families enjoy seasonal ice skating rink and amusement park, shops are filled with Christmas sweets. The holiday season ends with a spectacular Three Kings parade, twelve days after Christmas.
In spring is time for Seville's famous fair -
Feria de Abril
.
At the huge fairground, families and friends gather in colorful --casetas to eat, sing and dance, kids happily rush onto amusement park rides. Itâ--s a family-friendly event for kids of all ages, everyone stays up late at Feria.
Fun food
The Sevillanos have a sweet tooth, and the cafes are always filled with people munching on the local confections. Two places to try the chocolates and pastries are La Campana or Horno Bonventure.
On a hot day, the local ice cream tastes delicious! We found the shop Helados Rayas had the biggest selection, with chocolate in many different flavors, vanilla, creme de Sevilla, caramel, lemon and fruit flavors. Helados Rayas is in two locations: closest to the city center is the one at Calle San Pablo, at the corner of Calle Zaragoza. The shop at Calle Almirante Apodaca 1 is right across from a small park with playground (great place to sit down under the trees and eat your ice cream).
Shopping
Fans are a tradition in Seville, and quite cooling on a hot day. There are plenty of inexpensive fans available at shops and sold by vendors on the street. For beautiful handmade fans , visit Artesania los Abanicos on Callejon del Agua no. 7, in Barrio Santa Cruz.
During Feria in April, it's fun to shop for ruffly polka dot dresses, also silk flowers and ornaments to put in your hair.
Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels, all styles and price ranges, convenient to fun things to do with kids in Seville:
Family apartment rentals in Seville, all styles and price range, close to cafes, bakeries, markets: