The heart of central Seville is Maria Luisa park, home to colourful tiled benches hosting snoozing Sevillanos, and shaded paths which snake under tropical trees. Wander from the opulent Plaza España fringed by a cooling boating lake towards the southern end of the park. Here you’ll find the Archaeology Museum, with its exhibition of Roman sculptures, mosaics and statues.

A few streets from the Metropol Parasol – a modern wooden structure also known as ‘the mushroom’ – this enclave has become home to offbeat and trendy eateries. Be sure to stop by Galleria Delimbo, a concept store and art space offering urban art books and streetwear labels. Run by designers Seleka and Laura Calvarro, it’s a hub for the city’s young creative scene.

Located on the west side of the Guadalquivir River, just over the iconic bridge the Puente de Isabel II, Triana was once home to a large gypsy community, sailors and fishermen. Today the pastel-coloured riverfront road Calle Betis houses restaurants bars and clubs. The recently revamped Triana market is decked out with the colourful ceramic tiles for which the neighbourhood is famous.

Standing on a sun-drenched plaza on the edge of Santa Cruz, this 15th-century palace is every bit as beautiful as the Alcázar Palace – and ten times more peaceful. It was the permanent residence of the ducal Medinacelli family until three years ago, and today it welcomes visitors to its sweet-scented gardens and rooms. The architecture is a mixture of Mudéjar (Spanish-Islamic), Gothic and Italian styles, all kaleidoscopically tiled with Sevillian ceramics.

Housed in a salmon-coloured former convent, much of the work in Seville’s Fine Art Museum is of the dark, brooding religious type, paying homage to the city’s prominent 17th-century artistic role in Spain’s Siglo de Oro (Golden Age). Galleries are arranged chronologically around three central patios and display works by Spanish masters including Zurbarán, Juan de Mesa and Velázquez.