The Plaza de Espana in Seville was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition the following year. For some reason I thought this was going to be much larger and linked to other buildings when in fact it is a solitary crescent in a park.

It was built to showcase Spanish architecture and craftsmanship:

It is definitely worth a visit to see the amazing tiles and workmanship but unlike the Alcazar I would not be rushing back. There’s something oddly “theme park” about it which I can’t quite put my finger on…

…maybe it’s because there’s nothing to see inside the building itself and it just wasn’t what I was expecting. (I’ve since read, it’s better to visit in the morning when it’s not so busy.)

On the plus side though the tiles are really incredible and the colours are amazing:

The detail is astonishing and is as impressive today as it must have been back then.

We spent about 30 to 45 minutes looking around which felt like enough, although if you want to go on a rowing boat you’ll need more time but it’s worth noting that the ‘canal’ doesn’t go anywhere!

My final post on Seville will cover the old town and the wonderful Mirador de Metropol Parasol.

Have you been to Seville and if so, what’s your favourite thing about it?

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