Flamenco and tapas make passions rise in Seville – make sure you give this Spanish city a visit

IT is much easier to communicate using emojis in today’s fast-paced world.

A smiley face for happy, rolling eyes for sarcasm, a little peach for your bum.

So how to describe Seville, a city of 690,000 people baked in southern Spanish sun and soaked in sherry? The dancing woman emoji, of course.

Seville is largely credited as the birthplace of flamenco, and tourists have descended on the city after it was voted No1 in this year’s Best in Travel by Lonely Planet.

But how to make the most of a city slow-roasted in centuries of culture, in just one weekend? Eat your way through it. I jumped in on a Devour tour on Saturday, joining six others for the night.

Our first stop was Maestro Marcelino, a supermarket-style restaurant. Sara, our guide, got us through the language barrier and ordered sandwiches, smoked tuna, chorizo and Manchego cheese — then taught us about the finer points of tapas. But before we got too comfortable, we were whisked away to the next bar, Las Teresas.

One of the most important things to know about tapas, Sara says, is that it is something you “do”.You cannot sit still, and you often eat it standing or sitting on high stools before moving on. So again, we were off, this time to a flamenco show at Casa del Flamenco.

Flamenco is a combination of passionate dance, right, song and flamboyant guitar. You will know if it is a truly local performance, as it should be completely impromptu. The guitarist watches the dancer, the singer watches the guitarist and, somehow, all three unite perfectly.

The night finished at Vineria San Telmo, a more modern take, offering dishes including ox cheek and prawns. We headed back to our hotel around midnight, despite a true night out in Spain ending after 4am.

But in just a weekend, it is important to conserve your energy, particularly when temperatures can reach 54C in summer. We stayed in the impressive Palacio Pinello, which you reach through the winding streets of the city.

Another must-see is the Alcazar Palace, a castle built during the Moorish rule — and more recently used as a set for Game Of Thrones. With its detailed mosaics and archways, it is more like something out of Aladdin than Spain. We were again guided by Devour Tours, taken through the Unesco World Heritage site by fast-talking local, Lydia.

Rattling off facts that span from the year 1120 to now, Lydia’s two-hour tour went like a flash. Left to my own devices I spent even more time in the castle, examining the huge ornate palace and its gardens for the whole afternoon.

A word of advice — it can take more than two hours to get into the castle if you queue on your own, so it is definitely worth getting a tour to jump the line. The danger of Seville is that it is a victim of its own popularity. Most tour groups walk through the squares in their droves, making beelines for restaurants where menus are translated into English.

Devour Tours take you through the city’s history, while still showing you the treasures that make Seville such a favourite with locals.

It is more expensive than your free walking tours, they definitely give you value for money and leave your head whirling with history and an appreciation for the city.

So does Seville live up to my great expectations? Well, if you like sunshine, food and dance, definitely.

And I can guarantee you will be signing off your text messages with the dancing emoji for weeks.