Attraction
Real Alcázar de Sevilla
A royal palace complex with more than a thousand years of history, famous for Pedro I's Mudéjar palace, tiled courtyards and extensive walled gardens.
There are more things to do in Seville than its compact size suggests. The capital of Andalucía is built around three UNESCO World Heritage monuments, the Real Alcázar, the Cathedral with its Giralda tower and the Archivo de Indias, which stand side by side at the edge of the Santa Cruz quarter. From there the old town spreads north through lanes, squares and church towers to the modern timber canopy of Las Setas and the Macarena district, while the Plaza de España and the Parque de María Luisa lie to the south and the Triana neighbourhood faces the centre across the Guadalquivir.
Seville is one of the best cities in Spain for eating out. Tapas bars range from 17th-century taverns to modern kitchens, and the city also has Michelin-starred tasting menus, historic pastry shops and morning churros. Flamenco is part of everyday culture, from small peñas and bars to dedicated shows. Three days is enough for the main monuments, a flamenco evening and a long tapas crawl; four or five allows time for Triana, the museums and a day trip to Córdoba or Cádiz.
Attraction
A royal palace complex with more than a thousand years of history, famous for Pedro I's Mudéjar palace, tiled courtyards and extensive walled gardens.
Attraction
The largest Gothic cathedral in the world, built on the site of the Almohad great mosque, with the Giralda tower, the tomb of Columbus and a…
Attraction
A vast semicircular square built by Aníbal González for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, lined with tiled alcoves representing the provinces of Spain.
Attraction
Seville's main park, around 40 hectares of shaded gardens, fountains and exposition pavilions redesigned by Forestier and linking the Plaza de España and the Plaza de…
Attraction
A giant timber canopy over the Plaza de la Encarnación, with a rooftop walkway and 360-degree views, a Roman and Moorish museum below and a food…
Attraction
A twelve-sided Almohad watchtower built in 1220 on the Guadalquivir, now holding a small naval museum and a terrace with river views.
Café
Seville's best-known pastry shop, founded in 1885 at the top of Calle Sierpes, with a historic shopfront, cakes, pastries and seasonal specialities such as roscón de…
Café
A family-run bar founded in 1904 in the shopping streets of the old town, famous for breakfasts of churros with thick hot chocolate and for its…
Café
A specialty coffee roaster by the river near the Torre del Oro, roasting its own beans on site and serving espresso and filter coffee in a…
Café
A specialty coffee and breakfast spot opposite the Feria market, opened in 2018 by Colombian coffee lovers, serving espresso, filter brews, toasts and waffles.
Café
A small specialty coffee bar beside Las Setas where the owner roasts his own beans and serves espresso and filter coffee, mostly to take away.
Café
A long-established breakfast and brunch café on Calle Regina near Las Setas, known for brunch sets, toasts on different breads, pancakes and homemade cakes.
Hotel
Seville's grand hotel, built in Neo-Mudéjar style for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition beside the Alcázar, with tiled courtyards, an outdoor pool and several restaurants.
Hotel
A five-star grand luxury boutique hotel opened in 2016 in a restored 19th-century mansion in the Arenal, close to the Maestranza bullring and the Plaza Nueva.
Hotel
A five-star hotel directly opposite the Cathedral, set in traditional Andalusian buildings, with a terrace facing the Giralda, a pool and several restaurants and bars.
Hotel
A small luxury boutique hotel of 17 rooms in a restored 17th-century casa palacio in the Alfalfa quarter, with a rooftop plunge pool facing the Giralda.
Hotel
A boutique hotel in a 19th-century Sevillian casa palacio about 130 metres from the Cathedral, with a rooftop pool facing the Giralda and a complimentary afternoon…
Hotel
A four-star hotel made up of 27 old houses in Seville's former Jewish quarter, linked by around 30 patios and passageways full of fountains and plants.
Bar
The rooftop bar of the EME Catedral Mercer hotel, facing the Cathedral and the Giralda, with cocktails, cold tapas and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.
Bar
A sprawling bar in a former coal yard on the edge of Santa Cruz, open every night with live music, short flamenco performances and an informal…
Bar
A small, late-night Triana bar where the owner, Anselma, leads spontaneous sevillanas and flamenco, with no cover charge and a packed local crowd.
Bar
A late-night bar opened in 1978 and decorated wall to wall with Holy Week imagery, known for its Sangre de Cristo cocktail of sparkling wine and…
Bar
The Art Deco wine and cocktail bar of the historic Hotel Alfonso XIII, a stylish setting for a pre-dinner drink beside the Alcázar and the university.
Bar
A long-running live music club on the Alameda de Hércules, a reference for Seville's rock and indie scene since the 1980s, hosting concerts and tribute nights.
Restaurant
Founded in 1670 and billed as the oldest bar in Seville, a tiled and wood-panelled tavern serving traditional Andalusian tapas at its long counter.
Restaurant
A historic shop-bar founded in 1850 near the Cathedral, with old wine vats, a wooden counter and good-value traditional tapas and montaditos.
Restaurant
A San Lorenzo favourite for more than 30 years, combining traditional Sevillian cooking and creative tapas in a busy bar and a separate restaurant.
Restaurant
A popular modern tapas restaurant in the Arenal, serving Mediterranean dishes that mix tradition and innovation for lunch and dinner every day.
Restaurant
A relaxed contemporary restaurant facing the Alameda de Hércules, recommended in the Michelin Guide, with seasonal Andalusian cooking and influences from the owners' travels.
Restaurant
A family-run Andalusian restaurant near the Cathedral whose story began in 1954, serving seasonal Andalusian cooking with Huelva prawns, stews, meat and fish.
Thing to do
Seville's former Jewish quarter, a maze of narrow lanes, whitewashed houses, orange trees and small squares beside the Alcázar walls, best explored slowly on foot.
Thing to do
Triana's neighbourhood food market at the end of the Isabel II bridge, with around a hundred stalls of produce, fish and ham plus tapas bars and…
Thing to do
A cultural centre for flamenco in the old town, staging nightly live shows of dance, song and guitar in a small, intimate setting close to Las…
Thing to do
A thermal bath experience in a 16th-century Mudéjar-style house in Santa Cruz, with baths at different temperatures, massages and a rooftop bath facing the Giralda.
Thing to do
An interactive museum of flamenco dance founded by the dancer Cristina Hoyos, with exhibitions on the art form and live shows in an intimate vaulted space.
Tour operator
Small-group food tours of Seville, from a morning tasting walk with jamón carving to evening tapas, tavern and flamenco tours, capped at 12 people.
Tour operator
A cooking school inside the Mercado de Triana offering market tours and hands-on Spanish and Andalusian cooking and tapas classes, morning and evening.
Tour operator
A Seville guiding company running small-group and private tours of the Alcázar, Cathedral and Santa Cruz, city introductions, tapas walks and day trips.
Tour operator
A long-established boat company running sightseeing cruises on the Guadalquivir all year from the quay beneath the Torre del Oro, with views of Triana and the…
Tour operator
A Seville bike tour company based in the Arenal market, offering guided bike tours, customised private rides and group events around the city's flat centre and…
Three days covers the Alcázar, the Cathedral, the Plaza de España, Las Setas and a flamenco show; four or five days allows time for Triana, the museums and a day trip to Córdoba, Cádiz or Carmona
Santa Cruz and the Cathedral area are best for first-time visitors, the Arenal is close to the river and the bullring, the Alfalfa and Encarnación area is central and lively, and Triana across the river is more local and good value
An airport bus runs between the terminal and the city centre, stopping at Santa Justa station, the Prado de San Sebastián and Plaza de Armas; taxis charge a fixed fare to the centre and take around 20 minutes
Seville is generally cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona; tapas, set lunch menus and walking keep costs down, although hotel prices rise steeply during Holy Week and the April Fair
Seville is generally safe, including at night; pickpocketing is the main risk in crowded areas around the Cathedral and during festivals, so keep valuables secure, and take the summer heat seriously