Experience Sevilla like a Local

One of the most beautiful cities in Spain is Seville or Sevilla to Spanish speakers. Situated in the southeast region of Spain, it’s the capital of the Andalucia province. Sevilla is known for its gorgeous Moorish-influenced architecture, mouth-watering tapas, traditional flamenco music and dance, and beautiful parks.

I’m incredibly lucky to have a good friend who was born and raised in Sevilla. She took me to all the main attractions as well as places where locals congregate, and gave me valuable tips on how to navigate Sevilla like a true local.

Beware of fake parking attendants.

If you’re renting a car in Sevilla, you should definitely be aware of “parking attendants” who hang out in public parking lots and even sidewalks along the road. When you park your car, a random guy will come up to you and offer to look after your car for a few euros. If you don’t give him the money, he’ll most likely damage your car or steal it! It’s obviously not legal for these guys to do this, but the police don’t do anything about it so they continue to brazenly approach people. If you don’t want to deal with them, you can certainly drive around until you find a spot without a guy hanging out next to it.

Hungry? Eat at tapas bars instead of restaurants.

Locals rarely eat at restaurants, especially those that are catering to tourists. Obviously they’re overpriced and the food won’t be as authentic. Look for tapas bars packed with locals. You’d be surprised at how big some of the portions are and how cheap the entire meal can be. Locals also don’t tend to order sangria when they go out. Apparently that’s a drink you make when you have a barbecue at home and you mix all your cheap liquor together with cheap wine! Instead of sangria, they order tinto con limon (red wine with fizzy lemonade)or tinto con naranja (red wine with orange soda). Red wine and soda sounds like a bizarre combo, but it is actually incredibly refreshing on a hot summer’s day!
For a true local experience, look for roadside open-air restaurants selling nothing but beer and caracoles (snails). The little snails are cooked in broth and served in a large bowl for everyone to share, and the broth is served separately in shot glasses. I’ve never eaten snails so it was a first for me! The shells are pretty small so you’re supposed to suck out the snail and use a toothpick to get any remaining flesh. I made the mistake of looking at one, little face and all, and it was quite hard to eat it after! It tasted a little like calamari and the broth is really delicious. It’s not something I would definitely have again but it was a great experience.

Pick up unique Spanish phrases.

I’m terrible at Spanish but some phrases do stick in my head more than others. My friend taught me how to say “qué cara” or “mucho cara” which means “what face” and “so much face.” It’s the equivalent to saying “he has some nerve.”

Another fun phrase my friend used a lot is “caca de vaca,” which literally translates “cow poop.” It’s a child-like and very fun way of describing something that’s bad.

When I was in Sevilla, I accidentally stumbled upon a movie shoot! A huge area of the square was cordoned off and I didn’t have a choice but to wait there since I was meeting my friend. Apparently, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz were there for a movie premiere and were recreating one of the famous chase scenes of their movie Knight & Day, which was filmed in Sevilla. I was squished by probably a hundred screaming Spanish teens saying “Tom Cruise! Guapo!” over and over again. Later I learned from my friend that guapo means handsome. That word is basically seared into my memory.

Instead of collecting souvenirs, I like collecting local sayings. Sometimes it just works better than English to describe someone or a situation.  

Enjoy a free flamenco performance.

Apparently, La Carboneria has become quite famous due to it being mentioned in practically every guide book. Thankfully that hasn’t turned it into a tourist trap. It still retains the down-home charm that is continuing to captivate locals, college students, backpackers and tourists alike. There’s a bar inside but the real action takes place in this shed-like area at the back of the building. There are long communal tables and a small stage where a man will sing and a young woman will dance with much gusto and passion. They don’t charge an entrance fee and drinks are reasonably priced so this bar gets lots of customers.  When I was there, the bar was packed with more locals than tourists. During the break in performance, almost all the locals got together and sang a traditional song together. Like a scene straight out of one of those Eat, Pray, Love type of movies, it was simply magical.