After the Via Augusta: Exploring Seville

 “‘Sevilla doesn’t have ambience, it is ambience.’
James Michener

End of the Via Augusta

After weeks on the Via Augusta, our first full day in Seville was a rare gift of rest before we began the next stage of our Camino pilgrimage along the Via de la Plata. We allowed ourselves the indulgence of sleeping in until 7 AM, savouring the stillness that comes after a long stretch of walking. The night had been cool and quiet, a small mercy in a city that can buzz well into the early hours, and we were grateful for it.

By morning, however, the hostel transformed into a busy hive of activity, and it soon became evident that amid the chaos of people eating, getting ready and departing that attempting to have a shower or proper morning meal here was unlikely. 

So we stepped outside and let the streets guide us. Seville’s morning cool greeted us.  

Pilgrims in the City

Arriving in Seville after weeks of walking through quiet countryside was both exhilarating and overwhelming. The stillness of olive groves, the peacefulness of birding marshes, and the steady rhythm of the trail gave way to a city alive with sound and movement, streets pulsing with conversation, cafés overflowing onto sidewalks, music drifting from plazas, and traffic pressing in from every side. At first, it felt chaotic, almost too much after the contemplative pace of pilgrimage. 

Yet as we lingered, we began to see the beauty in that contrast: the Camino carrying us not only through landscapes of solitude but also into vibrant cities where history, culture, and daily life burst forth in colour and noise. Seville, with its grandeur and its energy, reminded us that the journey is as much about embracing the intensity of human connection as it is about seeking silence on the trail.  

Admittedly, the adjustment of moving from silence to the city has never been easy for us.  It is a different rhythm altogether where the stride of hiking is replaced with the never-ending cadence of urban life. 

Exploring Seville 

Having enjoyed a filling breakfast and a strong cup of coffee at a small local café, we set off into the heart of Seville in search of a stamp for our pilgrim credentials.

The moment we stepped outside, the sheer volume of southern Spain rushed over us again. Even after nearly two weeks in this region, we’re still startled by how loud it is here. Conversations seem to happen at full volume, with several people speaking at once, each voice carrying in every direction. For Canadians more accustomed to the quiet silences of Algonquin’s backwoods or the still forests of the Rockies, this is one of the hardest adjustments to make.

Yet what at first felt like chaos and shouting has slowly revealed itself to be something else - a kind of joyful, communal soundtrack to life in Andalucía.

Energized from breakfast, we turned our attention toward Seville’s historic treasures, hoping to visit the Real Alcázar de Sevilla and the Cathedral while also collecting a stamp for our credentials. Making our way back toward the main square beside the Cathedral, we sought out the downtown Information Centre we had noticed yesterday when we first walked into the city.

Information Centre 

Stepping into the information centre, we found three women lounging at their desks, absorbed in their phones. After a long pause, one finally looked up and disinterestedly asked what we wanted.

We inquired about tickets to the Royal Alcázar or the Cathedral, a seemingly reasonable request. Yet to our surprise, she laughed and rolled her eyes, as though we’d asked the most ridiculous thing imaginable. In rapid-fire Spanish, she informed us that our request was impossible and that we were foolish for not booking weeks in advance.

Of course, one of the realities of long-distance hiking and pilgrimage is that it’s nearly impossible to know the exact day you’ll arrive in a city. Reservations don’t always fit with the rhythm of life on the trail. When we explained this, she shrugged and told us she could get us tickets… maybe four or five days from now.

When we mentioned we were pilgrims bound for Santiago, her eyes rolled yet again. This time, she launched into a lecture, insisting we should abandon our walk altogether: “You are missing too much of this beautiful city! You should stay here instead! Too many walk to Santiago now! You should just stay here.” Before we could respond, she was back on her phone, her plastic nails clicking away mechanically as she ignored us, as well as the other tourists who had just walked through the door.

It was a stark reminder of one of the challenges of a journey on foot: the spontaneity and freedom of walking often mean missing out on sites that require advance booking. In exchange, however, the trail offers its own treasures - the unexpected, the unplanned, and the unreserved.

If I had to choose between the bustle of cities or nature along the trail, I know which I would pick.

Blessings at Seville Cathedral 

Undeterred by the frank answer at the Information Centre, we turned to our backup plan.

Seville is the capital of Andalusia and one of the most important centres for pilgrims. Routes from both Cádiz and Málaga converge here, while the Via de la Plata begins its long journey north to Santiago de Compostela from the very doors of the cathedral. Surely, we reasoned, those at the cathedral would be well acquainted with pilgrims and their requests.

Our strategy was simple - walk up to the doors, which at this early hour were blissfully free of crowds, look sufficiently lost, and wave our credentials at the first security guard we could find, miming the universal gesture of getting it stamped.  It would not be the first time that we have done so…and likely would not be the last either.  

As it turned out, our plan worked better than expected.  Seeing us, the guard waved us inside and even invited us to wander in part of the cathedral itself!  What a blessing! We were able to walk through nearly half of the immense space while a mass was being said in the other half. When we asked about the 8:30 AM pilgrim's mass we’d heard rumours of, no one seemed to know about it, but they assured us that masses were held continually throughout the day and encouraged us to come back tomorrow morning before setting off on our pilgrimage.

Grateful for both the access and the kindness, we offered our thanks to the guard once more before stepping back out into the city.

Nature in the City 

Unable to get tickets for the major attractions and feeling quickly overwhelmed by the crowds, the guided tours, and the long lines forming in the city centre, we decided instead to take a different approach. Rather than chase what everyone else seemed to be chasing, we chose to simply explore, seek out what we could do for free, and look for moments of nature tucked into the city.

Following the river, we walked along its edge toward a green space we had noticed on our maps. The shift was immediate - cooler air, quieter paths, and space to breathe.

Today reaffirmed for us that Seville is undoubtedly a beautiful and historic city, but it is also far too busy and far too saturated with tourism for our taste. We found ourselves preferring the quiet, shaded gardens to the bustle of commercial streets, and the stillness of green spaces over the scramble to enter popular attractions or pay for overpriced tourist experiences.

Parque de Maria Luisa

After the bustle of Seville’s streets, stepping into Parque de María Luisa feels like slipping into a tranquil retreat in the heart of the city.  Originally part of the private gardens of the San Telmo Palace, the park was generously gifted to the city in 1893 by Infanta María Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier. 

In 1911, French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier redesigned the gardens into their current form, incorporating elements inspired by Andalusian Moorish gardens.   It is a gift and creation that, more than a century later, still feels like a quiet blessing.

Covering roughly 34 hectares, the park is a labyrinth of shaded walkways, ornamental fountains, fragrant flowerbeds, and towering palms and pines.   

Within the park, several monuments and pavilions add to the charm, creating nooks and spaces to explore, wander and relax in. 

It’s the kind of place where a long pause, or a slow walk, feels almost obligatory.  It is certainly a space where one can escape the hustle and bustle of the city.   Understandably, because of this, the park is a popular spot for both locals and visitors to enjoy leisurely walks, picnics, and cycling.

Unsurprisingly, it was here that we spent the majority of our morning wandering around the Parque de Maria Luisa.   

Plaza de España

Sitting on the park’s edge, the Plaza de España: a semicircular, iconic architectural wonder.  

Stepping into the Plaza de España in Seville felt like walking into another world along our pilgrimage route. After days of quiet trails and dusty Caminos, suddenly we were surrounded by grandeur.  Strolling around the Plaza de España in Seville feels like circling the stage of a grand theatrical set, where every curve and tile seems designed to dazzle. The vast semicircular building with sweeping colonnades, tiled alcoves depicting every corner of Spain, intricate azulejos (painted tiles) depicting scenes from each province and a broad canal crossed by ornate bridges. 

The plaza pulsed with life – families wandering together, tourists exploring, and the clip-clopping of horse-drawn carriages echoing around the vast square.  Amid this, musicians filled the air, children played, and rowboats drifted lazily in the canal below.  

Though beautiful, in the mid-afternoon, the Plaza de España was both very warm in the exposed courtyard and overwhelmingly full.  As such, as soon decided that we would return later at night when it was both calmer and cooler out. 

Plaza de Toros

Having rested in our room during the extreme temperatures of the mid and late afternoon, we opted to go out for dinner.  However, not wanting to venture far, we had our evening meal at a restaurant outside of our hostel, once again enjoying plates of warm pita bread and hummus with red wine.  

Then, at 8 PM, we set off to find the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla.  

While bullfighting is definitely not my thing, we had managed to get free tickets online and decided to take the opportunity to explore the city's bull ring. Considered one of the most iconic arenas in Spain, its gleaming white and ochre façade rises along the Guadalquivir, an unmistakable symbol of the city’s long traditions.  

It is one of the most recognized landmarks of Seville, and one of the oldest bullrings in Spain. Its construction began in the mid-18th century and stretched over more than a century.

Stepping inside, we found ourselves in a space that is both beautiful and unsettling. The elliptical arena, the arcaded galleries, and the chapel and museum attached all speak to centuries of ceremony and ritual. 

The ring itself seats more than 12,000 spectators, and it is undeniably impressive as a piece of history and architecture, even if the events it was built for don’t align with my own values.

Inside, we looked at statues of famous matadors, posters of seasonal events and learned about the history of bull fighting.   

In that sense, visiting the Maestranza was less about the spectacle and more about gaining a deeper understanding of Andalusian heritage. Like so much in Spain, it reminded us that culture is layered and filled with things we may not personally embrace, but which are still worth witnessing as part of a larger story.

Evening in Seville 

With the onset of night, we walked back through town where, by 9:30 PM, the shops were closed and the streets were quiet!

From the historic centre, we followed the river shoreline back through the city. Earlier in the day, we had tried to visit Plaza de España, but between the afternoon heat and the sheer number of tourists, it had been hard to sightsee.

Returning at night was entirely different. The air had cooled, the crowds had vanished, and the plaza’s sweeping arcades and tiled bridges glowed softly against the dark sky. 

As such spent some time here, taking photographs and simply enjoying the quiet. In its stillness, it felt like we finally had the chance to see and feel the space as it was meant to be experienced - a perfect counterbalance to the intensity of the city earlier in the day.

Via de la Plata

Our journey continues beyond the Via Augusta as we leave Seville behind tomorrow and begin walking north along the historic Via de la Plata. This ancient Roman road stretches across the heart of Spain, offering pilgrims and slow travellers alike a chance to connect deeply with the landscape, history, and rhythm of the Camino. From sunlit olive groves to quiet mesetas to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.  

Whether you're drawn by a love of hiking, a passion for birding, or the desire to walk with purpose, we invite you to follow along as we document each stage of this unfolding pilgrimage. Through stories of trail life, moments of beauty, and the inevitable challenges of long-distance walking, we hope to share the spirit of this Camino in all its richness. 

To walk the Via de la Plata is to trust the path ahead - even when it’s unknown. We’re setting out once again. Buen Camino! Join us here.

See you on the Way!