You arrive in Seville with one plan and leave with another. The city has its own rhythm – that of the light that marks the passing of the hours and the squares that invite you to pause – and a weekend is just the right amount of time to get to know it: Saturday for the essentials, Sunday for what hardly anyone mentions. Here’s our two-day itinerary starting from the Puerta de Jerez, with the entire route covered on foot.

Saturday: the historic centre and the river

Saturday morning begins where the walled city began: the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, the old Jewish quarter. It’s best to arrive early, when the courtyards still smell of fresh water and the soft light filters through the orange trees. It’s the most typically Sevillian welcome imaginable, and also the quietest; an hour later, the neighbourhood belongs to everyone.

From there, a short walk takes you to the three major monuments: Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, with the Giralda towering above it; and the Real Alcázar, the oldest palace still in use in Europe, where the Mudejar art and the water gardens are well worth spending the bulk of your morning exploring. One essential practical tip: tickets must be booked in advance, whatever the time of year.

The afternoon slows its pace. The General Archive of the Indies, a World Heritage Site, houses eight kilometres of shelving in its Renaissance hall, containing the written history of the Americas: the letters of Columbus and Cervantes lie there, just a few metres from the terraces. Afterwards, the walk follows the Guadalquivir to a moment that no first-time visitor should miss: crossing the Triana Bridge as the sun sets, when the river reflects the last rays of light and the bars on the opposite bank come alight. Staying for dinner in Triana is the natural way to round off the evening.

Sunday: the Seville beyond the postcards

Sunday belongs to the other Seville – the one that begins where the circuit ends.

The morning begins in the Plaza de España, that grand embrace of brick and ceramics built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, and flows seamlessly into the María Luisa Park, the romantic garden where the people of Seville spend their Sundays amongst gazebos and fountains. It’s the best time of the week to see them: the square bathed in morning light and the park teeming with local life.

On the way back towards the city centre, the Museum of Fine Arts is the must-see attraction for the curious traveller: Spain’s second-largest art gallery, housing works by Murillo, Zurbarán and Valdés Leal in a former convent whose courtyards alone are worth the price of admission. And to round things off, the Macarena neighbourhood offers a glimpse of everyday Seville: the basilica dedicated to its Virgin, the best-preserved section of the Almohad city walls, and a neighbourhood atmosphere that doesn’t put on airs for anyone.

Sleep where it all begins

For centuries, the Puerta de Jerez was one of the gateways to the walled city: this was the route taken from the river into Seville. Today, Tayko Sevilla stands on that very threshold, with the Cathedral, the Alcázar and Santa Cruz just a short walk away, and the Guadalquivir offering the first view of the morning. Both days of this itinerary begin and end at this crossroads, just as they have done for centuries.

Two days go a long way in a city you can explore on foot. And whatever’s left to see will have to wait.

Tayko Seville. The start of your story in the city.