Seville

If your bucket list has room for precisely one palace-and your tolerance for tourist cliches is running dangerously thin-make it the Alcazar of Seville in the maze-like district of Santa Cruz. Built by Moorish craftsmen for a Christian king-think medieval cultural appropriation meets jaw-dropping aesthetic-this palace is a spectacular mishmash of delicate stucco, hypnotic tilework, decorative arches, and lush gardens that echo with intrigue (and not just because a season of Game of Thrones was shot among these shady walkways). Plan your invasion early, ideally in the mellow golden glow right at opening time (9:30 AM), when the heat hasn't yet boiled away your patience or sanity, and before the selfie-stick-wielding hordes descend in earnest. Reserve tickets online a few days ahead to avoid soul-crushing queues, and budget around €15-priceless, really, for a morning spent stalking the ghostly footsteps of monarchs, concubines, and scheming courtiers. Pack a water bottle, sunglasses, and a fully-loaded dose of irreverent historical curiosity. Even if ornate palaces aren't typically your thing, wandering the Alcazar is worth it for the bragging rights alone: when else can you casually drop into conversation that you've visited a working royal residence older than most countries?

If you're hoping Easter in Seville means pastel-colored bunnies and chocolate-covered marshmallows, brace yourself-Semana Santa here is less "springtime frolic" and more cinematic medieval extravaganza meets passionate street theater. Picture thousands of somber devotees marching beneath elaborately carved religious floats through the maze-like alleys of the city's historic heart, all illuminated by flickering candles and the fervent glow of faith (or wine-who can tell?). These processions aren't recent fads; they've been perfected over centuries, each fraternal order (or hermandad) competing for the most impressive display of devotion, aesthetics, and penitence-think rivalry akin to football clubs, but more incense and fewer hooligans. Practical tip: stake out your spot hours in advance, ideally around dusk, to watch the city shift from golden hour to midnight drama, and budget at least €20 for tapas and drinks-trust me, you'll need the sustenance. Wear comfortable shoes, bring patience along with your curiosity, and leave your claustrophobia at home. Sure, it's crowded, solemn, and slightly surreal-but nowhere else will you encounter such a rich stew of devotion, culture, and downright theatrical intensity. Even if religious pageantry isn't your thing, Semana Santa in Seville is worth experiencing if only to say you've witnessed something that makes Mardi Gras look like a tame suburban potluck.

There are towns in Andalusia that charm you with poetry and gentle flamenco whispers-then there's Écija, which hits you squarely in the retinas with a dazzling excess of Baroque towers, intricately tiled rooftops, and enough historical scandals to make your favorite Netflix drama look like a documentary on paint drying. Known affectionately (and a tad boastfully) as the "Frying Pan of Andalusia," Écija roasts in the summertime-it may feel as if you've wandered directly beneath a nuclear-powered hairdryer set on full blast-so consider an early-morning arrival or a sunset amble to avoid spontaneous combustion. Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and wear something breezy, because this city is hot enough to make Lucifer himself blush. Budget-wise, €30-€50 will do nicely, rewarding you with plenty of cold drinks and tapas to keep your dehydrated delirium at bay as you wander beneath gilded chapels and ornate bell towers. Book a few days in advance to secure transportation, since the buses departing from Seville can fill up unexpectedly with tourists seeking salvation (or at least a little shade). And why brave the heatstroke, you ask? Because there's nothing quite like sipping an ice-cold cana under the shadow of a 400-year-old Baroque spire, contemplating life in a city whose chief claim to fame-aside from stunning architecture-is being famously capable of frying eggs on its sidewalks.