Seville

Seville's compact old town, a midday break and a day in Córdoba

Two full days cover Seville's essentials and a third leaves room for Córdoba, because the monuments sit inside an old town of about 4 square kilometres. Rhythm matters more than the count: big indoor sights in the morning, shelter through the hottest hours, and the river, Triana and the plazas in the evening, when the whole city comes back outside.

• First morning: the Real Alcázar at opening time on a timed ticket, then the cathedral and the walk up the Giralda's 34 ramps. Lose the late afternoon in the lanes of Santa Cruz.
• Second day: Plaza de España and María Luisa Park while it is still cool. Head to the Metropol Parasol, which locals call las setas (the mushrooms), for the rooftop view later on, then cross to Triana for dinner and flamenco.
• Third day:Córdoba, about 45 minutes away by AVE, or the Roman ruins of Itálica, a short bus ride from Plaza de Armas.

A long queue at the cathedral ticket office is easy to dodge: walk to the Iglesia del Salvador and buy the combined ticket there; the church's crypt, with remains of an earlier mosque, is worth the detour anyway. Book the Alcázar online in any season. The calendar is the real planning factor, though. Rooms in central hotels sell out months ahead of Semana Santa and the April Fair, at soaring prices. Sightseeing in Holy Week is also slower, because processions of thousands fill the old streets all week.

Coaches to Granada or Málaga take about 3 hours. Pick up a rental car only for trips out into the province.

Spring and autumn in Seville, and summers past 35°C

March to May and October to November are the months to visit Seville, because summer is fierce. Highs average 36°C through July and August, the thermometer passes 35°C on roughly 60 days a year, and the airport station once logged 46.6°C.

Summer sightseeing therefore stops by late morning; afternoons belong to a siesta behind closed shutters and dinner waits until dark.

It is also when the two great fiestas fall. Semana Santa, the week before Easter (sometimes in March), sends sombre processions through the streets every day. Soon after comes the Feria de Abril on its fairground by the river. It is built around rows of marquee tents called casetas. Most are private and open only to invited guests, so go with a local or stick to the public ones.

October and November make a second window. Both are wetter, with about 75 mm in October, often in short torrential bursts. December and January stay mild by day. Mornings start near 6°C, so pack a sweater. December brings the year's heaviest rain.

Tapa, media ración or ración and how Sevillanos eat standing at the bar

Eating here is a moving affair. Locals rarely settle into one place for the evening. They stand at the bar for a tapa or two, then move on. Most dishes come in three sizes (tapa, media ración and ración). Groups can share half-plates and taste widely. Bars serve simple plates before the kitchens open.

Two dishes define the city's bars. Salmorejo is a thick chilled cream of tomato and bread. Espinacas con garbanzos is spinach stewed with chickpeas. Order both at El Rinconcillo. Ham hangs over most counters. For a local crowd try Bodeguita Romero on Calle Harinas or the bars around the Alameda de Hércules; terraces with river views in Triana trade on the setting more than the food. Mercado de Triana on Plaza del Altozano has stalls, a café and a cooking school, while the market on Plaza de la Encarnación suits picnic shopping.

A few local habits help. Leave the oranges on the street trees alone: they are bitter and sprayed to keep birds off. Vegetarians should spell out no fish and no tuna, since vegetariano is often read as meat-free only. Follow the guitars around El Arenal, or book an evening at La Casa del Flamenco in Santa Cruz.