Seville in March: orange blossom, 22°C afternoons and the run-up to Holy Week

Seville in March is warm but not yet hot, with afternoons averaging about 22°C, around ten degrees warmer than London, as the first orange blossom opens across the city. It is one of the best times to go, and Spice Escapes goes then. Surprising Seville takes a small hosted group of people travelling on their own in early March, with Jackie Whyte as host and a hop-on hop-off bus ticket included.

Below are the March averages, where to find the blossom, what the city is doing before Holy Week, and how the hosted days run.

March weather in Seville: about 22°C by day and 9.5°C at night

These are thirty-year averages from AEMET, Spain's state weather agency, published by the World Meteorological Organization. They are a guide, not a forecast.

• March: highs of about 22°C, lows of about 9.5°C, and 36mm of rain on about six days.
• April: a touch warmer at about 23.5°C, and wetter, with 54mm on about eight days.
• July: about 36°C.
• London in March: about 11.5°C by day, on the Met Office's averages for the same years.

In practice that means tapas on a terrace by day and a light jacket after dark.

See the dates and book online on the Surprising Seville page: 4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027.

Orange blossom season starts in March, from the cathedral to Triana

Visit Sevilla, the city's tourist board, says Seville has more orange trees than any other city in the world, and that it begins to bloom in March, with March and April its most fragrant months. It points to the Patio de Banderas beside the cathedral, Triana and the streets up to the Macarena. The Spanish call the blossom azahar, from the Arabic zahr, a flower.

An early March week sits at the start of that season, so treat the scent as a likely bonus, not a promise. The fruit is bitter, and Visit Sevilla says oranges from the Alcázar still go to Britain for marmalade.

Early March is Lent, the city's run-up to Holy Week

Holy Week moves with Easter. Visit Sevilla lists the next one in the last week of March, so an early March visit comes in Lent, ahead of the Holy Week crowds that Andalucía's tourist board describes flowing down the streets like rivers.

Visit Sevilla calls Lent the prelude. The brotherhoods rehearse with their costaleros, the volunteers who carry the floats, polish the silver and set the floats up in their churches, and incense fills the streets from Ash Wednesday. It is also the season for torrijas and pestiños, sweets with roots before the 15th century.

Surprising Seville: a hosted group near the cathedral, bus ticket included

Surprising Seville is 4 nights, from £549, hosted by Jackie Whyte. Home is the Hotel América, rated three star locally, close to the cathedral, the Giralda and the Barrio de Santa Cruz, with tapas restaurants all around it.

Day two of the provisional itinerary brings a visit to the Seville Skywalk and the included city bus tour. After that, the 48-hour hop-on hop-off ticket lets you go at your own pace. Optional extras are offered: a guided tour of the cathedral, Alcázar and Giralda, a morning Segway tour and a flamenco show at El Arenal.

Most people on a Spice holiday book on their own. Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty, so there is company for tapas without anyone having to arrange it. A room to yourself carries a supplement, explained on our single supplement page.

New to this? Read our guide for first-time solo travellers, or see our solo holidays for the over 50s, city breaks and holidays in Spain.

Cannot make early March? Athens the same month, or Lisbon in April

Ancient Athens is 4 nights, 10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027, from £579, hosted by Jackie Whyte. It starts with dinner together at a local restaurant and offers two optional extras: a food tour and a guided visit to the Acropolis. Expect it cooler, at about 16°C by day in March on the Greek weather service's averages.

A Taste of Lisbon is 3 nights, 15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027, from £639, hosted by Pam Harte. Its suggested days take in Alfama and Tram 28, then Belém and pastéis de nata. Portugal's weather institute averages about 19°C by day in April. More ideas: European city breaks for solo travellers, city by city.

Questions people ask

Is March a good time to visit Seville?

Yes. It averages about 22°C by day, it is drier than April and the orange blossom begins to open. The real heat waits for summer, when July averages about 36°C.

What is the weather like in Seville in March?

On AEMET's thirty-year averages, highs of about 22°C, lows of about 9.5°C and 36mm of rain on about six days. Pack layers and a light jacket for the evenings.

When does the orange blossom come out in Seville?

Visit Sevilla says the city begins to bloom in March and stays fragrant into April. An early March week catches the start of that season.

When is Holy Week in Seville?

It moves with Easter, so it can fall in March or April. Visit Sevilla lists the next one in the last week of March, a couple of weeks after our early March group goes home.

See the dates and book Surprising Seville online

See the dates and book online on the Surprising Seville page, where the live price sits beside the Book button. Places now: 23 places left.

For a question before booking, ask Jackie Whyte, the host, through our contact page, or ask Rosie, the chat on the holiday page.