Our stay in Seville was just as an Airbnb booking should be - a private room in a family home, a comfortable bed, a clean shower, a welcome from the host who knows all the good places in the locality – all at a reasonable price.

Of course, it being a lived-in home may also have drawbacks: in this case, because of the design of the house, the noise of people (and dogs) moving around, talking, banging doors, travel up through the building. If you are a light sleeper, this is not the place for you.

But having José María as host more than made up for this inconvenience. He and his wife Ascen greeted us warmly, made us very comfortable and gave us lots of information about sights to see and places to eat. José María even walked us to a nearby café and recommended the croquetas, which were delicious.

Point to note for future visitors to the city: we would advise booking the main tourist attractions in advance. That way, you avoid long queues. Also, the hop-on tourist bus ticket lasts 24 hours so is well worth getting as soon as you arrive.