Mediterranean Travel: Spain, Andalucia

Heading south from Lisbon, on our way to Morocco for our tour of the Imperial Cities, we decided to delay the road trip for a couple of days and explore a little of Seville and the Andalucía countryside.




We drove through the North Alentejo region of Portugal entering Spain at the Badajoz border and then heading south towards Seville.

Our first stop for the rest of the afternoon and evening was the 16th century hotel on the hills of Cazalla de La Sierra in the heart of the Andalucian countryside.

80 Km North of Seville, the small charm hotel set high in the hills has been the property of Charlotte Scott and her family for over 25 years.

Raved about by magazines and artists that appreciate the privacy and unpretentious setting of the place. The historic home with typical rural architecture is the perfect setting to enjoy the Andalucían countryside.



After breakfast we were eager to head to the city. The last time I had been to Seville was during the 1992 World Expo, and if the city had its moment then it is doing very well in keeping it up.

Seville is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, full of history and charm, young and vibrant with lots to do. We headed to the historic centre to walk by the city’s main monuments in the Santa Cruz neighborhood: the Cathedral, the Giralda, the Archivo de Indias and the Alcázar, are must see monuments of Seville, but what we enjoyed the most was walking through the old maze of Seville streets and enjoying the city’s old charm and modern vibe.



The city is credited with the invention of Tapas and Seville has more than a thousand bars where the choice of different tapas is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham, eggs and vegetarian tapas the choice is endless. Sevillians actually make a meal of them, moving from bar to bar and trying one dish at a time. We did not have time for Tapas hopping so we settled by going to the recommended and very modern hotel EME.

Close to the cathedral in the Santa Cruz neighborhood the hotel that has won Interior Design and Architecture awards offers three different restaurants. We chose to try the Tapas Bar Milagritos where the interiors are an amazing combination of Modern and traditional and reflect the Andalucian soul with its bright blood red colors and hanging “Pata Negra” hams.




The hotel is also home to “Santo” restaurant that offers Mediterranean cuisine prepared under the eye and palate of Chef Martín Berasategui. There is also a Japanese restaurant at the hotel.

We thought that maybe on our way back from the Moroccan road trip we could stay at EME hotel for an evening and try Berasategui’s Mediterranean creations and unwind at the hotel’s famous Spa.

Trasierra Hotel
Cazalla de la Sierra
41370 Sevilla
Telephone: +34 600 550 600
E-mail: enquiries@trasierra.co.uk
Web: www.trassierra.co.uk

EME catedral hotel
Calle Alemanes, 27,
41004, Sevilla
Telephone / fax: +34 954 560 000 / +34 954 561 000
E-mail: info@emecatedralhotel.com
Web: www.emecatedralhotel.com