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Seville, Jerez and Cadiz
  • Ceri Chaplin
  • Ceri Chaplin

Seville, Jerez and Cadiz

Autumn trip to South West Spain Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 17, 2026
    Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
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    Home to Seville

    October 17 in England ☁️ 14 °C

    It was an early start from Stroud with the 7:30 train to London, but pretty smooth with no issues and we arrived with plenty of time to check in.

    Catch our flight to Madrid and no issues with the new European entry requirements. We spent a few hours in the lounge playing Yahtzee whilst we waited for our second flight to Seville.

    The flight was delayed by almost an hour and so we didn't get to our hotel until almost 11:00 after a long day's travelling, so we had a final drink in the bar before we retired to bed.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    Columbus monument
    Columbus monumentInside the cathedralPlaza de EspañaTorre del Oro

    Seville

    October 18 in Spain 🌧 21 °C

    After a late night, we had a lazy start this morning and a late breakfast at the Level lounge.

    We headed out for a walk up to the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, despite booking in advance, our tickets had been cancelled so we weren't able to visit. But we wandered around and then found the cathedral.

    We explored right around the cathedral and went in to what is apparently the largest cathedral in the world by area. We didn't manage to see the tomb of Christopher Columbus, which is apparently in the cathedral.

    We stopped for a drink and then wandered around the Santa Cruz area before walking on towards the Parque Maria Luisa. This is where the Plaza de España is located. It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.

    From here we walked on and had a drink by the river before walking back to the Santa Cruz area for a brief tapas stop on the street. We then went to see the Torre del Oro, a 13th century tower on the banks of the river. After another quick refreshment stop, we grabbed an Uber back to the hotel to relax for an hour.

    We spent a couple of hours then in the lounge for evening drinks and canapés before another Uber back to the centre to see the Setas. This is a wooden structure, apparently the largest wooden structure in the world, built around 2012 in one of the squares in Seville. All lit up and with some lovely views over the city.

    By now it was getting late so we headed back to the hotel for a final drink in the bar and to bed.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    Savile bull ringThe Bull's GateTriana market

    Seville

    October 19 in Spain ⛅ 24 °C

    We were up early for breakfast to then walk to the Royal Palace so that we could get some on-the-day tickets. We arrived just before nine with the ticket office opening at nine thirty, and already the queue was right around the square and the sold-out ticket sign was about halfway along the queue.

    Defeated, we walked along to the Setas de Sevilla to see it in the day. We noticed when we arrived that there was a large tented camp at one end of the square. Not entirely sure what they were for.

    After this, we walked about 30 minutes back to the hotel for a break.

    At around 10:30 we went back out to walk to the Seville Bullring. It's the oldest bullring in Spain, apparently. Fortunately, while we were there, there was no bullfighting taking place, so we were able to explore the stadium and see 'backstage'.

    By now it was time for some tapas, and so we walked around behind the bullring and found a little cafe on the street where we had some food and a drink.

    From here, we walked across the river into Triana and wandered around the backstreets and the market before having our first drink of the day overlooking the river.

    Next stop was the Torre del Oro, a 40-story building which has a bar at the top and some views over the city. Our plan then was to visit a different palace, the Casa de Pilatos , and so we walked the 30 minutes to the square where it is based. However, when we arrived, the ticket office said they'd sold out of tickets for the day so we couldn't visit.

    We got an Uber back to the hotel, ready for drinks and nibbles in the lounge, and then a taxi across the river again to Triana Abade restaurant for a meal. If we're honest, they were a bit pretentious, but at the restaurant, they prepared Spanish ham in front of you and arranged it onto a plate.

    After food, we decided it was time to head back and we had a final drink in the bar before bed.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    Jerez railway station
    Jerez railway stationCathedral

    Seville to Jerez de la Frontera

    October 20 in Spain ☁️ 21 °C

    I had a very lazy start this morning with a late breakfast before eventually checking out of the hotel just before midday. We caught a train to the main railway station in Seville and then I had a train booked for the hour and ten minute journey to Jerez de la Frontera.

    Despite being a bit late, the journey was straightforward. On arrival, we decided to walk the twenty-odd minutes to our hotel, stopping on the way for some tapas and a beer.

    We arrived at the hotel just after three, were greeted with a glass of wine, and we checked into the Hotel Bodega Tio Pepe. It seems like a lovely little hotel and our balcony overlooks a small courtyard with a tree.

    After we settled in, we headed out and had a look at the cathedral, which is right next door, and around the main fort, although that's not open today so that will be on our plans for tomorrow. It seems that there is still a Spanish custom of siesta here so the roads in the centre were reasonably quiet but lots of street cafes serving tapas and beer and sherry.

    We came back to the hotel and spent an hour or so on the rooftop bar playing Yahtzee before having a shower and heading out for some food.

    We walked back to the main centre and had a quick stop, realised that it was a little chilly, so came back to the hotel again for a jumper, and then back out to the main square.

    After another quick stop we headed to a little bar/restaurant where we had far too many plates of tapas. Even though it was only just after 9 p.m., we decided to head back to the hotel for a rest and an early night.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    Tio Pepe weather vane
    The Parade SquareThe Oil PressThe well-preserved Arab bathsTio Pepe weather vaneTapas and SherryThe cathedralView from the top

    Jerez de la Frontera

    October 21 in Spain ☀️ 21 °C

    We had an early start and wrapped breakfast just after eight so that we were able to visit the Alcázar just as it opened.

    The Alcázar is just a few minutes walk away, and we were one of the first in so we had the place more or less to ourselves. It was pretty cool in the morning and the sun was only just rising, and it took a while for it to really warm up. The Alcázar itself is an impressive fort that has been well maintained and rebuilt over the years, dating back to the 13th century initially and was originally part of the walled city of Jerez.

    We spent a couple of hours looking around and then popped back to the hotel before returning to the Alcázar to go up to the camera obscura. The camera gave us some great images of Jerez, but we were glad that we'd been to the fort earlier as by now it was pretty busy with other tourists.

    We had another break before heading to Tio Pepe for our sherry bodega tour. Tio Pepe is still family owned and the tour took in some of the older wine cellars. We were told how they make brandy, sherry and how they store and distribute. We also saw their weather vane, which apparently is the largest in the world.

    At the end of the tour, we had some tapas and tasted four different sherries, from light right through to dark.

    By now it was mid-afternoon and we decided that we would go to the cathedral, which is also very close to the hotel. We spent some time looking around the cathedral, although I have to confess that much of the terminology was a bit of a mystery to me.

    We also planned to go up the tower to get some good views, but by the time we came out of the cathedral it wasn't yet open, and so we had a couple of drinks in the rooftop bar at the hotel before popping back out to climb the stairs to the tower.

    We spent the evening back in the main square, having a drink, some food, and playing Yahtzee before heading back to the room for about 10pm.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    Some clocks!11View from our apartment1Yahtzee anyone?1Sunset

    Jerez de la Frontera to Seville

    October 22 in Spain ☀️ 22 °C

    We had a lazy start and after breakfast walked to the Museum of Clocks (Museo de la Tiempo), which is about 20 minutes away, set in a lovely gardens.

    The museum has about 250 clocks, all rather garish and old, but interesting nonetheless, and at the hour they all start chiming.

    We had a couple of hours to kill, so we spent the time relaxing before eventually heading to the railway station for about 1:30 for our short journey to Cadiz.

    On arrival, we walked through the city to the apartment and after a frustrating half an hour wait we eventually were let in. The Airbnb has a beautiful view over the sea and will do the job, although it's a bit shabby chic.

    We headed out into the city to get something to eat and eventually stopped at a little cafe on the street. Back to the apartment and then by now it was after six, so we walked just two minutes along to a little bar that was on the street and had some beers while we played Yahtzee and the sunset.

    From here we walked to find a restaurant that Rick Stein had visited on his trip to Cadiz. The restaurant was near the old market, Freiduria Las Flores. We had a few tapas to share, including the little shrimp fritters and a drink. The service was abrupt but the food was delicious and all for less than 20 euros.

    From here we headed back to the apartment for a night cap and an early night.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    Old cannons used to protect corners of buildingsThe square in front of the cathedralOur first stopThe traditional tuna fishing techniqueMarketOur second food stopThe third stopSunset

    Cadiz

    October 23 in Spain ☁️ 21 °C

    Our first full day in Cadiz!

    After a lazy-ish start, I started the day with a run from the apartment, round to the peninsula and back. Once cooled down and showered, we headed out and found a little place for breakfast just around the corner. Nothing elaborate, just toast/croissant and ham and orange juice and coffee.

    We spent the next half an hour wandering the streets before meeting up with our food tour that we had booked today. Our guide, Carla, spent 40 minutes or so talking us around bits of the old town before we ended up in the Mercado for our first food stop. At this place we had:
    - shrimp fritters
    - cuttlefish
    - dogfish bites
    - bocadillos

    All washed down with a beer.

    Next up, we walked through the fish market. It's apparently one of the oldest covered markets in Spain. After some more wandering, we came to a sweet shop where we all had a packet of almond or nutty-type biscuits given to us, and then on to our second proper food stop.

    We shared some Andalusian beef stew and some other tapas whilst Carla explained that the place still functions as a shop but is now much more of a tapas place.

    another little taberna where we had yet more tapas and some vermut before finally moving on at around 3.30 to a gelato place where I had pistachio salted pistachio ice cream which was delicious.

    We left the group and stopped in a nearby square for a beer at a bar called The Backstage and had a proper IPA for a change.

    From here we went back to the apartment to relax before walking over to the port for our sunset catamaran trip. When we got onboard the welcome drink was tinto de verano, which is red wine served with lemonade, which is tastier than it sounds.

    The boat trip was about an hour and a half and we headed out into the sea and saw a beautiful sunset before returning back to the port.

    We walked back into the old center and then found a little bar where we have some food and drinks and then headed back to the apartment for bed.    Read more

  • Ceri ChaplinSeville, Jerez and CadizTraveler
    CastilloRoman amphitheatreShrimp fritters

    Cadiz, day 2

    October 24 in Spain ☀️ 22 °C

    Today was all about just wandering, taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of Cadiz.

    I started the day with another run, and then once we were ready, we headed out and walked around the peninsula, stopping first for some breakfast in front of the cathedral. The walk took us past the Castillo de San Sebastián, and back into the town.

    We wandered through the streets, and by now it was past midday, so the sun was past the yardarm and it was time for a beer and some yahtzee.

    We walked then through the streets to the Roman Amphitheatre Museum and had a quick look at the restoration that they had been doing. Quite an impressive museum considering it was free.

    We headed back to the market area and sat down for some tapas. I had some potatoes dressed with tuna, Ed had some meatballs, and we shared some shrimp fritters.

    We had another drink stop and then back to the apartment for some chill time before we walked back up to the Castillo de San Sebastián and onto the peninsula to watch the sunset.

    It was a beautiful sight, and after the sun went down, we wandered back through the streets and found a little local bar before coming back to the apartment for a nightcap and a final game of Yahtzee.    Read more

    Trip end
    October 25, 2026