Plaza de España Seville

Built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, the Plaza de España is a sweeping semicircle of brick and ceramic, with a canal crossed by tiled bridges and a tower at each end. Along its walls, tiled alcoves represent the provinces of Spain, and visitors like to find the one for a city they know.

Rowing boats can be hired on the canal, horse carriages wait at the gates, and the surrounding María Luisa Park is a shady place to walk. In the evening, flamenco dancers often perform under the arcades.

Seville's other essentials, the cathedral and its Giralda tower, the Real Alcázar palace and the Santa Cruz quarter, are a short walk away. Avoid midday in summer, when the plaza is in full sun.