If there are several of you, or you land in the middle of the night, a fixed-fare taxi to the centre for €26 or €29 is often the easiest option, and Uber, Cabify and Bolt also operate from the airport. Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times, stops and pitfalls, and I’ll also tell you how to carry on to Madrid, Córdoba, Malaga, Granada and the coast. There’s no train or metro to the airport, so you can forget about those.

If you’d rather drive yourself from the airport, you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com.

Quick overview

• EA bus (Especial Aeropuerto): €6 (around £5) per journey, about 20 minutes to Santa Justa and 35 minutes to Plaza de Armas, running roughly every 15 to 30 minutes from early morning until around 1am.
• Fixed-fare taxi: €26 (around £22) on weekdays between 7am and 9pm, €29 (around £24) at night, at weekends, on public holidays and during Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Uber, Cabify and Bolt: typically €20 to €30 (around £17 to £25), with the price shown in the app before you book, 15 to 25 minutes plus waiting time for the car.
• Private transfer: from about €50 (around £40) per car, with the driver waiting in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name.
• Hire car: seven rental companies have desks in the terminal, but a car is for touring Andalusia, not for Seville itself.
• Train and metro: there aren’t any to the airport, as neither Renfe nor the Seville metro goes out there.

How to find your transport at the airport

Seville Airport has one terminal, and the arrivals hall is on the ground floor. Once you’ve collected your luggage and walked out through the arrivals exit, you’re straight out on the forecourt, where the EA bus has its own stop and the taxi rank is on the same pavement. The signs say Autobús and Taxi, and you can’t really go wrong, because everything is grouped together outside the same exit. You’ll find the airport’s own overview of the bus and taxis at Aena, which runs the airport.

The car hire desks are also on the ground floor of the terminal, and drivers from private transfer companies wait inside the arrivals hall with a sign. If you book an Uber, Cabify or Bolt, the app will show you the pick-up point, which is in the car park about a minute’s walk from the terminal, not at the taxi rank.

1. EA bus to Santa Justa, the city centre and Plaza de Armas

The EA bus is TUSSAM’s dedicated airport line, and it’s the only public transport to and from the airport. It heads in along Avenida Kansas City, stops at Santa Justa railway station, continues past San Bernardo and Prado de San Sebastián to Paseo de Colón by the Torre del Oro and finishes at the Plaza de Armas bus station on the western edge of the Old Town. The whole journey takes about 35 minutes, a bit longer in the morning rush hour and late in the afternoon.

It’s an ordinary city bus with an open area for suitcases, so you’ll need to keep an eye on your luggage on the bends. The bus is fine for most people, but if you’re staying in the heart of Santa Cruz, allow 10 to 15 minutes’ walk over cobblestones from the nearest stop, and that’s no fun with two big suitcases in 38-degree heat.

Fares and tickets

A single costs €6 (around £5), and it’s a special fare, so a standard €1.40 (around £1.20) TUSSAM ticket isn’t valid on this bus. The easiest way to pay is by contactless card directly on the card reader by the driver, and there’s usually a TUSSAM ticket seller at the airport stop who also accepts cash. TUSSAM also sells a return ticket for €8 (around £7) that’s only valid on the same day, but check whether it’s still available before you count on it. The ticket doesn’t let you transfer to other bus routes in the city.

Timetable and journey time

The bus runs every day all year round. From the airport the first bus leaves at around 5.20am and the last at around 1am. In the other direction it starts as early as around 4.30am from Plaza de Armas to serve the early morning flights. During the day it runs roughly every 15 minutes, and early in the morning and late in the evening about every half hour. The exact times are adjusted from time to time, so check the current timetable on TUSSAM’s website before you fly. If you land between 1am and 5am, the bus isn’t an option.

Where should you get off?

Santa Justa (José Laguillo stop): Get off here after about 20 minutes if you’re continuing by AVE train, or if you’re staying in Nervión or near the station. From Santa Justa it’s a 25-minute walk or a short taxi ride to the Old Town.

San Bernardo and Prado de San Sebastián: These two stops are on the south-eastern edge of the centre, and from Prado de San Sebastián it’s only a 10-minute walk through the Jardines de Murillo to the cathedral and Santa Cruz. If you’re staying in Santa Cruz, this is where to get off. You can see hotels in Santa Cruz here.

Paseo de Colón by the Torre del Oro: This stop is by the river a few hundred metres from Puerta de Jerez, and it’s the best stop for El Arenal, the cathedral and Avenida de la Constitución. From here you can walk to most of what I describe in my guide to the sights in Seville. If you want to stay right here, you can see hotels in El Arenal here.

Plaza de Armas: The final stop is the city’s bus station by the river, and from here you can cross the Puente de Isabel II bridge to Triana in 10 minutes or walk up Calle San Vicente to Alameda de Hércules in a quarter of an hour. It’s the right stop if you want to stay in Triana or around Alameda de Hércules. If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Seville.

2. Fixed-fare taxi to the city centre

Seville’s taxis charge a fixed fare between the airport and the city, so you needn’t worry about a detour or a meter running wild. On weekdays between 7am and 9pm the journey costs €26 (around £22), and at night between 9pm and 7am, at weekends, on public holidays and during Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril the fare is €29 (around £24). The fares are set by Seville City Council’s Instituto del Taxi, and they’re usually adjusted slightly every year, so treat the amounts as approximate.

The price covers the whole car with up to four passengers, and it only applies to the journey between the airport and the city. There’s no night surcharge beyond the night fare itself, but there may be a small supplement of €0.57 (around 50p) per suitcase over 10 kilos. The journey takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on the traffic on Avenida Kansas City. The taxi rank is just outside the arrivals hall, and the official taxis are white with a yellow stripe on the front doors. Ask for a receipt if anything seems wrong, as you can then complain to the council afterwards.

If you’re going to more than one address, the driver switches the meter on from the first stop, so carrying on from a hotel in the centre to somewhere else costs extra. And if you’re heading to a suburb or a town outside Seville, the fixed fare doesn’t apply, so you’ll need to agree a price or use the meter.

3. Uber, Cabify and Bolt

All three apps work in Seville. Cabify is the biggest locally and has its own pick-up points at the airport, while Uber and Bolt also have cars in the city. The app shows you the price before you book, and to the centre it’s typically €20 to €30 (around £17 to £25) depending on the time and demand. If lots of flights land at once, the price can easily end up above the taxis’ fixed fare, so compare before you hit book.

The meeting point isn’t the taxi rank. The app shows you a pick-up point in the car park a minute’s walk from the terminal, and Uber itself says that the assigned point isn’t always at the nearest exit, so follow the map in the app rather than the signs for the taxis. Only book once you’ve got your luggage, as drivers only wait a short time and you’ll pay a fee if you cancel too late.

The advantage of the apps is that you have the price and route in writing and can book a larger car if there are four of you with suitcases. The downside is the waiting time, which can easily be 10 to 15 minutes at night, when the taxis are ready to go straight away.

4. Private transfer

A private transfer is the option where the driver stands in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign and drives you straight to your hotel door. It costs from about €50 (around £40) per car for up to three people, so almost double a taxi, but you avoid queues, explaining the way through the narrow streets of Santa Cruz and worrying about cards or cash. The driver tracks your flight, so you don’t pay extra if it’s delayed.

I’d only recommend it if you land late at night, are travelling with children and need a child seat, or have so much luggage that an ordinary taxi won’t do. For one or two people with normal luggage, the bus or a taxi is better value. The transfer needs to be booked at least a couple of days in advance.

Book a private transfer from Seville Airport here.

5. Hire car from Seville Airport

Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz, OK Mobility and Sixt have desks on the ground floor of the terminal, so you can be sitting in the car a quarter of an hour after collecting your luggage. Some of the cheapest rental companies are located outside the airport grounds and pick you up in a shuttle bus, which can easily add half an hour each way, so check the location before you book.

In Seville itself, however, a car is a burden. The Old Town is full of pedestrian streets and one-way alleys, large parts of the centre are closed to cars without a permit, and multi-storey car parks are expensive and often full. If you’re staying in Santa Cruz, El Arenal or Triana, you won’t use the car a single day, because everything is within walking distance.

A car does make sense, though, if Seville is the start of a tour of Andalusia to Ronda, the white villages, Córdoba or the Costa de la Luz. In that case I’d stay car-free in the city first and pick up the car at the airport or at Santa Justa on the day you move on. That way you save both on parking and on the days when the car would just be sitting there.

Onwards from Seville to Madrid, Córdoba, Malaga, Granada and the coast

If you’re not staying in Seville, the EA bus is still your friend, as it stops at both of the city’s main departure points. From Santa Justa, Renfe’s AVE trains and competitors Iryo and Ouigo run to Madrid in about 2.5 hours, to Córdoba in under 45 minutes and to Malaga in about 2 hours, while Granada takes just over 2 hours with few daily departures. Buy your ticket in advance, as the high-speed trains have reserved seats, and there’s a luggage security check before the platform, so arrive 20 minutes before departure.

From Plaza de Armas, ALSA runs to Malaga, Granada and across the border to the Algarve coast and Lisbon, and Damas runs to Huelva. The buses to Cádiz and Costa de la Luz towns such as Conil, Chipiona, Rota and Tarifa, on the other hand, are run by Comes from the Prado de San Sebastián bus station, which is also a stop on the EA bus, so you don’t need to go all the way to Plaza de Armas to get to the coast.

If you’re heading on to one of the other two big cities in Andalusia, read my guides to where to stay in Granada and where to stay in Malaga. If you’re flying home from Malaga instead of Seville, I also have a guide to getting between Malaga Airport and the city centre.

The journey back to the airport

The EA bus runs back to the airport from Plaza de Armas, stopping at Paseo de Colón, Prado de San Sebastián, San Bernardo and Santa Justa, and the first departure from Plaza de Armas is at around 4.30am, so you can make even the earliest flights. Allow 35 minutes from Plaza de Armas and 20 minutes from Santa Justa, and add 10 minutes in the morning rush hour.

Get to the stop in good time, as the bus can be full in the early morning hours when lots of flights depart at once, and then you’ll have to wait for the next one. If you’ve got a lot of luggage, go to Plaza de Armas and catch the bus at the start of the route, where there’s still room for suitcases.

A taxi to the airport costs the same fixed fare as into the city, €26 or €29, and takes 15 to 25 minutes. If you book it by phone through your hotel, the driver may add the metered amount up to the pick-up point, though no more than the minimum fare. You can book Uber, Cabify and Bolt in advance in the app for a specific time, which is handy at 5am when you don’t want to be waiting on the street.

Seville Airport is small and easy to get around, but security can take a while during the morning wave, when lots of flights to the rest of Europe leave close together. Be there at least two hours before departure in the morning, and you’ll also have time for a coffee.

Which option should you choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re staying:

Santa Cruz and the area around the cathedral: Take the EA bus and get off at Prado de San Sebastián, leaving you a 10-minute walk. If you have more than one suitcase each, the €26 (around £22) taxi is worth the money, as the cobblestones of Santa Cruz are not kind to suitcase wheels.

El Arenal and Centro: EA bus to Paseo de Colón by the Torre del Oro. From here it’s under 10 minutes to most of El Arenal and Avenida de la Constitución.

Triana and Alameda de Hércules: EA bus to the final stop at Plaza de Armas, then a 10 to 15-minute walk. It’s the easiest journey of them all, as you don’t have to keep an eye out for the stops.

Nervión and the area around Santa Justa: EA bus to Santa Justa in about 20 minutes. The taxi costs the same fixed fare as to the centre, so here the bus is clearly the best value.

If you land at night: Between roughly 1am and 5am the bus doesn’t run, so a €29 (around £24) taxi or a pre-booked transfer is the answer. The taxis are waiting even when the last flights land.

If there are 3 to 4 of you: The taxi costs €26 to €29 for the whole car, and the bus costs €18 to €24 for three to four people, so the difference is small, and the taxi takes you to the door. Take the taxi.

If you have a lot of luggage: Taxi or private transfer. The bus has room for suitcases, but you have to drag them from the stop yourself, and that’s the annoying part.

If you’re heading straight on: EA bus to Santa Justa if you’re taking the train, to Prado de San Sebastián if you’re taking the bus to Cádiz, and to Plaza de Armas if you’re taking ALSA to Malaga, Granada or Portugal.

Practical tips for getting from Seville Airport to the city centre

Have a contactless card ready for the bus. You pay directly on the card reader by the driver, and it’s much quicker than cash. Tap the card on the reader once per person, and keep the receipt on the screen until you’ve got off.

Don’t expect to use your bus ticket elsewhere in the city. The EA ticket is only valid for the single journey to or from the airport. The city’s regular buses and the tram need a new ticket for €1.40 (around £1.20), and likewise the city’s one or three-day tourist card isn’t valid on the airport bus.

Check whether you’re landing during Semana Santa or the Feria de Abril. During Holy Week and the spring fair in April, taxis are more expensive, hotels are far more expensive, and the processions block the streets in the centre, so the bus may take detours or stop in different places from usual. The Visita Sevilla tourist office has the dates for both festivals, which change from year to year.

Only use the official taxis from the rank. Drivers offering a ride inside the arrivals hall aren’t taxis, and you’ll have no fixed fare and no way to complain. Go out to the rank and take the first white taxi in the queue.

Watch your belongings at Plaza de Armas. The bus station is a busy place with lots of travellers and suitcases, which attracts pickpockets. Keep your bag in front of you while you wait, and don’t leave your luggage unattended while you buy a ticket or look for the toilets.

Keep an eye on the airport’s own website if the bus lets you down. During strikes or roadworks on Avenida Kansas City, the EA bus may take detours or run less often, and Aena and TUSSAM are the first to announce it. If you have an early flight, book a taxi or a transfer the evening before rather than relying on the first bus.

The post Seville Airport to the City Centre – Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are my picks for the 17 best things to see and do in Seville, with prices, opening hours and tips on what to book before you go. Prices are in euros, and 1 euro is roughly £0.84. Book your tickets for the Real Alcázar and the cathedral online, because the queues get long. Several museums are closed on Mondays, so read the sections before you plan your days. The last two sections are about day trips.

1. Real Alcázar

The Real Alcázar is Seville’s royal palace and, in my opinion, the city’s greatest experience. The palace was founded by the Muslim rulers, and after the Christian reconquest, the Spanish kings kept building. Its heart is the 14th-century Palace of Pedro I in Mudéjar style, where you walk through the Patio de las Doncellas with its long water channel, the Patio de las Muñecas and the golden Salón de Embajadores with its dome of carved wood. Behind the palaces lie the large gardens with fountains, palm trees, pavilions and peacocks, and many people will recognise the place as Dorne from Game of Thrones.

A standard ticket costs €15.50 (about £13), and the Alcázar is open every day from 9.30am to 7pm from April to September and from 9.30am to 5pm from October to March. The reduced price is €8 (about £6.50) for students and over-65s, among others, and children up to the age of 13 get in for free, but they need a free ticket. If you’d also like to see the royal apartments on the first floor, the Cuarto Real Alto, it costs €5.50 (about £4.50) extra. The Alcázar is closed on 1 and 6 January, Good Friday and 25 December. The ticket office in the Patio de Banderas only takes cards.

Come for the first entry slot in the morning, and save the gardens for last, because they’re lovely when the sun is high. You should allow at least two hours. If you buy your ticket through a reseller, you’ll pay a little more than on the Alcázar’s own website, but in return you get easy cancellation.

Book a ticket for the Real Alcázar.

2. The Cathedral and the Giralda

Seville Cathedral is one of the largest Gothic churches in the world, and it was built on the site of the city’s great mosque. The Giralda was the mosque’s minaret, and according to UNESCO, it’s a masterpiece of Almohad architecture. Today, it’s the cathedral’s bell tower. The cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias were added to the World Heritage List together in 1987. Inside the cathedral, you’ll see the huge gilded altarpiece and Christopher Columbus’ tomb, where the coffin is carried by four figures representing the old Spanish kingdoms.

You walk up the Giralda on ramps instead of stairs. They were built so that people could ride up on horseback, and from the top you look out over the whole Old Town. A ticket for the cathedral and the Giralda costs €13 (about £11) online and €14 (about £12) at the ticket office, and the reduced price is €7 (about £6) online. It’s open Monday to Saturday from 10.45am to 7pm and on Sundays from 2.30pm to 7pm, and the ticket office closes at 6pm. The times can change for services and religious festivals.

On Sundays, there’s free entry for part of the afternoon when the church calendar allows it. The tickets are handed out at the Puerta del Príncipe from 5pm, and there’s often a queue. My tip is to buy a ticket online for an early slot and finish in the orange tree courtyard, the Patio de los Naranjos. If you’d like everything explained, there are guided tours that combine the cathedral, the Giralda and the Alcázar in one morning.

Book a guided tour of the Alcázar, the cathedral and the Giralda.

3. Plaza de España

The Plaza de España is Seville’s most photographed spot, and it’s free. The square was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and designed by the architect Aníbal González. According to Spain’s official tourism website, it blends Renaissance-inspired architecture with local materials such as exposed brick, ceramics and wrought iron. The building forms a large semicircle with a tower at each end, and in front of it runs a canal with small bridges clad in blue and white tiles.

Along the wall stands a row of benches with painted tiles, and each bench represents one of Spain’s provinces with a map, a coat of arms and a scene from the province’s history. It’s fun to find the provinces you’ve visited yourself. You can hire a small rowing boat on the canal, and the square is also known from films such as Star Wars: Episode II and Lawrence of Arabia.

Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light is soft and there are fewer people. In the middle of the day in summer, there’s almost no shade on the square itself, so bring water. You can walk here from the cathedral in about 20 minutes, or you can take the tram to Prado de San Sebastián and walk the last stretch. In the evening, street performers often dance flamenco under the arcades.

4. Parque de María Luisa

Right next to the Plaza de España lies the Parque de María Luisa, Seville’s big park and the best place to find some shade. The park was originally part of the gardens of the San Telmo Palace, and the Infanta María Luisa donated it to the city in 1893. For the 1929 exposition, it was redesigned by the French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier with avenues, fountains, ponds, tiled benches and pavilions.

At the southern end lies the Plaza de América with two of the exposition’s pavilions. One houses Seville’s archaeological museum, and the other houses the museum of folk art and traditions, the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares. Between them, the square is full of pigeons strolling around among the tourists. Other little spots in the park are the duck pond, the Isleta de los Patos, and the Glorieta de Bécquer, a monument to the poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer beneath a large, old tree.

Entry to the park is free. My tip is to combine the park with the Plaza de España, so you see the square first and then head into the park when it gets hot. You can also hire a bike or a four-wheeled pedal cart at the entrance if you’re a family with children. The park is a good place for a break with a sandwich in the middle of the day, and in the mornings, locals go for their runs on the paths.

5. Barrio Santa Cruz

Barrio Santa Cruz was Seville’s Jewish quarter in the Middle Ages, and today it’s the most charming part of the Old Town, with whitewashed houses, narrow lanes, flower boxes and little squares with orange trees. The neighbourhood lies just east of the Alcázar and the cathedral, and it’s easy to get lost, which is half the charm.

Walk through the Callejón del Agua, the little lane along the Alcázar’s wall, where a water conduit once ran into the palace. Also look for the Plaza de Doña Elvira with its tiled benches and orange trees, the Plaza de Santa Cruz and the Plaza de los Venerables. The streets themselves are free, and it isn’t hard to find somewhere for tapas, but be aware that the restaurants right around the cathedral are more expensive and often worse than the ones a couple of streets further in.

Come early in the morning, before the groups arrive, or in the evening, when the streets are full of locals on their way out to eat. Santa Cruz is also the area I recommend for a first visit in my guide to where to stay in Seville, because you’ll be within walking distance of almost everything. If you’d like to stay in the neighbourhood, you can see hotels in Santa Cruz here. Remember that cars can’t get all the way into the narrow lanes, so pack light.

6. Metropol Parasol (Las Setas)

The Metropol Parasol, which the people of Seville call Las Setas, or the mushrooms, is Seville’s modern landmark. The German architect Jürgen Mayer designed the huge undulating structure over the Plaza de la Encarnación, and it opened in 2011. According to Spain’s official tourism website, it’s the world’s largest wooden structure, and it’s 29 metres high. In the basement is the Antiquarium museum with Roman excavations, and on the ground floor there’s a food market.

Up on the roof, you follow a winding walkway between the mushrooms, and the view over the Old Town, the cathedral and the Giralda is one of the best in the city. A ticket costs from €16 (about £13) and gives you access to the walkway, a short film about Seville and the Aurora light show, which runs in the evenings from April to October. It’s open every day from 9.30am until 1am, with last entry at 12.15am, and a visit takes about an hour. There’s also a combined ticket with a flamenco show.

My tip is to go up at sunset, when the light hits the rooftops and the city switches on its lights. It’s the most popular time, so book ahead. Las Setas is in the Centro and Alfalfa area, about a ten-minute walk north of the cathedral, and there are good tapas bars in the streets around the square.

Book a ticket for Setas de Sevilla.

7. Triana and Mercado de Triana

Triana lies on the other side of the Guadalquivir, and the neighbourhood has its own proud identity. Sailors, potters and many flamenco artists lived here, and the area is still known for its ceramics. You cross the river on the Puente de Isabel II, which most people simply call the Triana Bridge, and from the bridge you look out over the colourful row of houses along Calle Betis.

Right at the end of the bridge is the Mercado de Triana, a covered market with fruit, fish, ham and small bars where you can have tapas and a glass of wine. The market is built on top of the remains of the Castillo de San Jorge, the castle where the Inquisition was based, and in the basement there’s a small free museum about the history of the Inquisition. Also walk down Calle San Jacinto and Calle Alfarería, where you’ll find ceramics workshops and shops selling tiles, and past the Capilla de los Marineros, the sailors’ chapel.

Come to the market in the morning, when the stalls are open, and stay for lunch. In the evening, locals sit along Calle Betis with a view across the river to the Torre del Oro, and this is where I think Seville is at its best. Triana is a good alternative if you’d like to stay somewhere a little more local, and you can see hotels in Triana here.

8. Flamenco in Seville

Andalusia is the home of flamenco, and you should see at least one show while you’re in Seville. A good performance has a guitarist, a singer and one or more dancers, and it’s far more intense than you’d think when you’re sitting just a few metres from the stage. Many of the small venues in Santa Cruz and Triana have shows every evening, and they usually last an hour.

If you’d like to learn a little about the history of flamenco first, visit the Museo del Baile Flamenco, which was founded by the dancer Cristina Hoyos and is on Calle Manuel Rojas Marcos near the Plaza de la Alfalfa. The museum costs €6 (about £5) and is open from 10am to 6.45pm. It also has its own shows at 5pm, 7pm and 8.45pm, which cost €29 (about £24), and a combined ticket with the museum costs €33 (about £28).

My tip is to choose a small venue rather than the big tablaos with dinner, where the food is often expensive and mediocre. Casa de la Memoria in Centro is one of the most popular places, and the shows often sell out, so book a few days ahead. Prices are usually between €20 and €30 (about £17 to £25), and drinks aren’t always included.

Book a ticket for the flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria.

9. Torre del Oro and the Guadalquivir

The Torre del Oro is the twelve-sided defensive tower that stands by the River Guadalquivir just below the cathedral. The Almohads built it in the early 13th century as part of the city’s defences, and from the tower, the river could be blocked with a chain across to the other bank. The name means the Tower of Gold, and there are several explanations for it, including that the tower’s walls once shone golden in the sun.

Today, the tower houses Seville’s naval museum, with model ships, old maps and the story of the city’s role in the trade with the Americas. Entry costs €3 (about £2.50), and entry is free on Mondays. It’s a small museum that takes half an hour, but the view from the terrace at the top is nice.

A promenade runs along the river from the Torre del Oro, and you can walk north along it to the Triana Bridge. This is also where the river boats leave from. My tip is to take a boat trip late in the afternoon, once the heat has eased. You’ll see the Torre del Oro, Triana and the bridges from the water, and the trip takes about an hour.

Book a guided boat trip on the Guadalquivir.

10. Casa de Pilatos

The Casa de Pilatos is one of Seville’s most beautiful palaces, and I think it’s underrated. The palace belongs to the Dukes of Medinaceli, and it blends Mudéjar style, Gothic and the Italian Renaissance. In the large main courtyard, busts of Roman emperors stand around a fountain, and the walls are covered in tiles with patterns that make your eyes swim. From here, you continue to the gardens, the halls and the staircases with their fine tiles.

A ticket for the ground floor costs €12 (about £10), and the first floor costs €6 (about £5) extra. The tickets include an audio guide in several languages, and children up to the age of 11 get in for free with an adult. The palace is open every day from 9am to 6pm. The first floor can only be seen on a guided tour with a limited number of places, so buy the combined ticket early in the day if you’d like to see it.

The Casa de Pilatos lies just north-east of Santa Cruz, about a ten-minute walk from the cathedral. My tip is to come here in the middle of the day, when the queues at the Alcázar and the cathedral are at their longest. The courtyards are quiet, and you can take your time. The name comes from a legend that the palace was built as a copy of Pontius Pilate’s house in Jerusalem.

Book a ticket for the Casa de Pilatos.

11. Palacio de las Dueñas

The Palacio de las Dueñas is a 15th and 16th-century palace in Gothic Mudéjar and Renaissance style, and since 1612 it has belonged to the Spanish noble House of Alba. According to the palace’s own website, the poet Antonio Machado was born here in 1875, when his father was one of the palace’s tenants and stewards. The famous Duchess Cayetana of Alba lived here, and her family has opened the palace to visitors.

You walk through courtyards with palm trees, lemon trees and bougainvillea, a small chapel and rooms holding the family’s collection of more than 1,400 works of art and pieces of furniture. It feels more like a private home than a museum, and that’s exactly what makes the place special. Entry costs around €15 (about £13) with an audio guide, and there are reduced prices for students and pensioners, among others. The palace opens at 10am and closes at 6pm in winter and later in summer, and it’s closed on 1 and 6 January and 25 December.

The palace is in the northern part of the Old Town, about a ten-minute walk from Las Setas, so the two go well together on the same morning. My tip is to come early, while the garden is still in the shade.

12. Archivo de Indias

Between the cathedral and the Alcázar lies the Archivo General de Indias, Spain’s great archive of its colonies in the Americas and Asia. The building was originally the 16th-century merchants’ exchange, the Casa Lonja de Mercaderes, and it was designed by Juan de Herrera, who was also behind the monastery palace of El Escorial near Madrid. The building has housed the archive since the late 18th century, and it was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List together with the cathedral and the Alcázar.

Most of the archive is reserved for researchers, but you can walk up the grand marble staircase and see the long galleries with shelves of dark wood and changing exhibitions of maps and documents from the voyages of discovery. Entry is free, and the archive is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 2pm. It’s closed on Mondays.

Many people walk past without going in, which is a shame, because a visit only takes half an hour and makes a good break from the heat. My tip is to pop in while you’re waiting for your time slot at the Alcázar or the cathedral, because it’s right next door. Remember that you’ll have to go through a small security check at the entrance.

13. Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza

By the river in the El Arenal district lies the Real Maestranza, Seville’s great bullring with its white and ochre facade. It’s one of the oldest and best-known bullrings in Spain, and its construction stretched over more than a hundred years from the middle of the 18th century. Bullfighting is controversial, in Spain too, but the arena itself and the museum are interesting, even if you don’t care for the tradition.

On a guided tour, you’ll see the museum with costumes and paintings, the chapel where the bullfighters pray before the fight and the arena itself with its yellow sand. A ticket costs €12 (about £10), and there’s a reduced price of €7 (about £6) for students, young people and over-65s and €4 (about £3.50) for children aged 7 to 11. On bullfighting days, the arena closes earlier to visitors, so check the times on the arena’s website.

El Arenal lies between the cathedral and the river, and it’s a good area to stay in if you want to be close to both the Old Town and Triana. You can see hotels in El Arenal here. My tip is to combine the bullring with the Torre del Oro, which is five minutes further down the river.

Book a guided tour of the Real Maestranza.

14. Museo de Bellas Artes

The Museo de Bellas Artes is Seville’s art museum, and according to Andalusia’s official tourism website, it’s considered one of the most important art museums in Spain. The museum is housed in a former 17th-century convent with three beautiful courtyards, and the collection is especially strong on paintings from the Seville school, with Murillo, Zurbarán and Valdés Leal.

The best room is the old convent church, where Murillo’s large religious paintings hang beneath the painted dome. You don’t need to be an art expert to get something out of a visit, because the building itself, with its courtyards, tiles and ceiling paintings, is an experience in its own right. Entry is a token charge of about €1.50 (about £1.30), and EU citizens get in for free, so remember your passport or ID. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The museum is on the Plaza del Museo in the western part of Centro, about a ten-minute walk from Las Setas. On Sundays, there’s often a small art market on the square in front. My tip is to spend an hour here on a hot afternoon, because the thick convent walls keep the cool in, and it’s rarely crowded.

15. Basílica de la Macarena and Alameda de Hércules

North of the Old Town lies the Macarena district with the Basílica de la Macarena, home of the Esperanza Macarena, Seville’s most beloved statue of the Virgin. According to the city’s tourism website, the statue was made by an unknown artist in the 17th century, and during Holy Week, Semana Santa, she’s carried through the city at night in front of thousands of people. The basilica is open every day from 9am to 2pm and from 5pm to 9pm.

Right next to it stand more than 100 metres of the old 12th-century city wall, which the Almohads built as part of the city’s defences. It’s the longest stretch of city wall preserved in Seville, and it’s free to see from the outside.

Afterwards, walk south to the Alameda de Hércules, a long, tree-lined square with two columns topped by statues of Hercules and Julius Caesar at one end. The square is surrounded by bars and cafés, and in the evening it’s one of the liveliest places in the city, with a younger and more local crowd than in Santa Cruz. My tip is to spend an evening here with tapas and a beer once you’ve seen the big sights.

16. Day Trip to Córdoba

Córdoba was the capital of the Muslim caliphate in Spain, and the city’s big attraction is the Mezquita, the mosque that became a cathedral. Inside stands a forest of columns with red and white arches, and in the middle of it all is a 16th-century cathedral. The city’s historic centre is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and around the mosque lie the old Jewish quarter, with white streets and courtyards full of flowers, and the Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir.

A ticket for the Mezquita costs €15 (about £13), and from Monday to Saturday between 8.30am and 9.30am, entry is free for individual visitors, though not on days with special services. The bell tower costs €4 (about £3.50) extra. The mosque is usually open from 10am to 7pm, but the times can change, so check the website before you set off.

By high-speed train from Sevilla Santa Justa, the journey takes about 45 minutes, so it’s the easiest day trip from Seville. My tip is to catch an early train and make it in time for the free morning hour in the mosque. An organised tour is a good option if you’d like to have a guide with you. If you’re heading on to the Alhambra, take a look at my guide to where to stay in Granada, because Granada is too far for a day trip from Seville if you want time to see everything.

Book a day trip to Córdoba, the Mezquita and Carmona from Seville.

17. Day Trip to Ronda

Ronda sits on a cliff in the Serranía de Ronda mountains, and the town is split in two by the El Tajo gorge, which according to Spain’s official tourism website is more than 100 metres deep. Across the gorge stands the Puente Nuevo, the 18th-century bridge that rises up to 98 metres above the river and connects the Old Town with the newer part of town. The view from the bridge and from the viewpoints along the gorge is what most people come for.

Ronda also has one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, Arab baths and an Old Town with white houses and small churches. The drive from Seville takes about two hours each way, and the bus takes a little longer, so it’s a long day. That’s why I think an organised tour is the best option, especially if it also stops at some of the white villages, the pueblos blancos, along the way.

My tip is to walk down the path below the Puente Nuevo, where you’ll see the bridge from the bottom of the gorge. Wear good shoes, because the paths are steep. Ronda is closer to Malaga than to Seville, so if you’re carrying on towards the coast, you can read about the best things to do in Malaga and on the Costa del Sol and about where to stay in Malaga.

Book a day trip to Ronda and the white villages from Seville.

Practical Travel Tips for Seville

The Old Town is flat and compact, and you can walk to almost all the sights. For longer distances, the city has Tussam buses, a short tram line that runs from the Plaza Nueva past the cathedral towards San Bernardo, and a metro line. A single bus ticket costs about €1.40 (about £1.20). From the airport, the EA bus runs to the centre, and it has its own fare. High-speed trains to Córdoba and Madrid leave from Santa Justa, and you can check timetables and prices with Renfe. The train to Madrid takes about two and a half hours, and if Madrid is also on your list, take a look at my picks of the best things to do in Madrid.

Plan your week around the closing days. The Archivo de Indias and the Museo de Bellas Artes are closed on Mondays, while the Torre del Oro has free entry on Mondays. The cathedral doesn’t open until the afternoon on Sundays. Book the Real Alcázar, the cathedral and Las Setas at sunset online well in advance.

Seville is one of the hottest cities in Europe, and in July and August it often reaches over 40°C in the middle of the day. The best time to go is in spring and autumn. During Holy Week, Semana Santa, and the spring festival, the Feria de Abril, the city is full of life, but hotels are expensive and sell out quickly. If you’d like to see the full range, you can see all hotels in Seville on Booking.com.

The post 17 Best Things to Do in Seville: Sights, Prices & Tips appeared first on Destination Well Known.

In this guide, I'll take you through four areas that work well for a city break. I'll explain their differences, suggest specific hotels and cover the practical details that are easy to miss when you're looking at a hotel map.

Here are the best areas to stay in Seville:

• Santa Cruz – best area for your first visit.
• El Arenal – best area for a central riverside location.
• Triana – best area for tapas and neighbourhood life.
• Centro and Alfalfa – best area for shopping and restaurants.

The centre is easy to explore on foot, although the summer heat can make even short walks tiring. The distances below use the cathedral as a reference point. TUSSAM's EA airport bus runs into the city; you'll often need to walk the final stretch to your hotel. If you're also considering other cities in Andalusia, take a look at my guide to where to stay in Malaga. Granada is around three hours away by train or bus, and I've also written a guide to where to stay in Granada.

1. Santa Cruz – best area for your first visit 🏛️

• Distance to the centre: A central location, usually within 0-800 metres of the cathedral.
• Public transport: Trams and the metro around Puerta de Jerez are within walking distance; streets within the neighbourhood are narrow.
• From the airport: Around 30-45 minutes by taxi, or 45-70 minutes by EA bus and on foot, depending on traffic and the address.
• Price range: €€-€€€; the location comes at a premium, particularly around holidays and popular weekends.
• Safety: Watch out for pickpockets in crowds. Even little lanes can have restaurant noise and early deliveries.

Santa Cruz is my first choice for a short break when you want to spend your time enjoying the city rather than getting around it. You'll be close to the cathedral and Alcázar, surrounded by a network of narrow streets, small squares and restaurants. That makes it easy to head out early and return to the hotel when the midday heat sets in.

The official tourist board has a useful introduction to Santa Cruz and its small squares. I'd use the streets around Plaza de Doña Elvira and Callejón del Agua as reference points. You don't need a hotel right beside the cathedral to get a good location; a couple of streets away can be a better compromise.

See hotels in and around Santa Cruz here

You pay for having the main sights close by, and this is also one of the most visited neighbourhoods. Don't expect to have the streets to yourself. On the plus side, staying here lets you enjoy the area at different times from the day-trippers, with a short walk before breakfast or after dinner.

Book your visit to the Real Alcázar and check the cathedral's practical visitor information so you can plan your days around your tickets. You'll find prices and opening hours for both in my guide to the best things to do in Seville. A central hotel is particularly handy if you have a few hours between visits and don't want to spend the break on another long walk.

I'd choose Santa Cruz for couples and first-time visitors who want to feel immersed in Seville as soon as they step outside. If you have a large suitcase or find stairs and uneven surfaces difficult, check the hotel's access arrangements. A taxi won't necessarily be able to reach the front door in the narrowest streets.

Places to Stay in Santa Cruz

Hotel Alfonso XIII – luxury

One of the city's classic luxury hotels, on the southern edge of Santa Cruz by Puerta de Jerez. It's an obvious contender if beautiful shared spaces and the hotel experience itself are part of the appeal of your trip, with the Alcázar and cathedral still close by.

See photos, availability and prices at Hotel Alfonso XIII

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla – upper mid-range

A smaller hotel near the cathedral with a rooftop pool that can be a welcome break from sightseeing. I'd particularly consider it for a couples' trip when you want to combine a very central location with a more personal hotel setting.

See photos, availability and prices at Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Hotel Murillo – budget to mid-range

A simpler option in Santa Cruz, where the location is the main selling point. It's worth comparing with the area's more expensive boutique hotels if you mainly need a good base for walks, tapas and early visits to the sights.

See photos, availability and prices at Hotel Murillo

2. El Arenal – best area for a central riverside location 🌉

• Distance to the centre: West of the cathedral, around 300-900 metres away depending on your hotel.
• Public transport: Walk into the centre or use buses along the neighbourhood's edges; Puerta de Jerez is useful in the south.
• From the airport: Around 30-45 minutes by taxi, or 40-65 minutes by EA bus and on foot.
• Price range: €€-€€€; a mix of small hotels and exclusive addresses.
• Safety: The riverfront and main sights get busy. Check reviews for noise from bars and traffic at the specific address.

El Arenal is a very good compromise if you'd like to stay close to Santa Cruz without having a hotel in the middle of its narrowest tourist lanes. The neighbourhood sits between the cathedral and the Guadalquivir, so you can swap the city's tightly packed streets for a more open riverside walk in just a few minutes.

It's especially practical if you want to eat out in different parts of the city. Santa Cruz lies to the east and Triana is across the bridge. You don't have to plan all your dinners around the street closest to your hotel. In the evening, it's easy to take a detour along the river on your way back.

See hotels in and around El Arenal here

I'd look at the hotel's position in relation to the bridges and cathedral rather than simply picking the first place with a river view. The main roads along the water can have traffic, while the side streets within El Arenal often make a more pleasant base. The view from your particular room may not be the one shown on the hotel's homepage, either.

For a summer trip, keep the option of a hotel break in mind. You can visit a sight in the morning, have a leisurely lunch and head out again later. This location makes that straightforward: there's no long bus journey or distant bridge to work into your plans every time.

In my view, El Arenal suits couples and anyone who wants a slightly more flexible base than Santa Cruz. This is still central Seville, with restaurants, visitors and lively streets. If peace and quiet is your priority, I'd look for a courtyard-facing room before considering a distant suburb.

Places to Stay in El Arenal

Hotel Mercer Sevilla – luxury

A small luxury hotel in El Arenal that makes particular sense for a special weekend for two. The location lets you combine quiet breaks at the hotel with walks to the cathedral and dinner on either side of the river.

See photos, availability and prices at Hotel Mercer Sevilla

Las Casas de El Arenal – mid-range

Here, you'll stay in traditional buildings on the neighbourhood's streets rather than in a large modern complex. I'd consider it if you want a central base with a sense of Seville's courtyards and older houses around you.

See photos, availability and prices at Las Casas de El Arenal

Adriano Boutique Sevilla – often a more affordable option in the area

A smaller hotel on Calle Adriano, well placed for both the river and the city centre. Compare it with the other hotels in El Arenal if you want to keep costs down without moving far from the sights.

See photos, availability and prices at Adriano Boutique Sevilla

3. Triana – best area for tapas and neighbourhood life 🍷

• Distance to the centre: On the western side of the river, around 1-2 km from the cathedral.
• Public transport: Buses and walkable routes across the bridges; Plaza de Cuba metro station is useful in the southern part.
• From the airport: Around 30-45 minutes by taxi, or 50-80 minutes by bus and on foot, depending on the connection.
• Price range: €-€€€; a wider price range than in the most touristy streets around the cathedral.
• Safety: Check reviews for evening noise near bars. A riverside location isn't automatically a quiet one.

Triana is for you if you'd like a neighbourhood with its own everyday life, even once you've finished sightseeing for the day. You'll cross the Guadalquivir to reach the cathedral and Alcázar, but this is no distant suburb. Crossing the bridge becomes part of your day in the city.

Around the market and Calle San Jacinto, you'll find shops, places to eat and plenty of reasons to stay on this side of the river in the evening. If you'd like to learn about the neighbourhood's craft heritage, Centro Cerámica Triana is a worthwhile stop. It's a good way to see something beyond the biggest monuments.

See hotels in and around Triana here

I'd choose Triana if you have more than a couple of days in Seville and would like to spend your evenings close to the hotel. On a very short trip, Santa Cruz or El Arenal can be more convenient, especially if you've booked several early-morning visits. The distance is manageable, but you still have to walk it.

Bear in mind that Triana covers more than the streets beside Puente de Isabel II. A hotel further north or west can leave you with much longer walks than photos of the river might suggest. I'd check the walking time to the bridge rather than relying on the neighbourhood name in the hotel description.

Triana isn't a shortcut to automatically finding cheap hotels; there are expensive boutique hotels here too. Its strengths are the choice and the feeling of returning to a different neighbourhood in the evening. If you're considering several Spanish cities, you can compare it with the areas in my guide to where to stay in Valencia.

Places to Stay in Triana

Cavalta Boutique Hotel – luxury

A boutique hotel in Triana for travellers who want to make the hotel experience a priority and stay away from the busiest streets around the cathedral. Check its location on the map: the walk to the main sights is longer than from hotels right beside the bridge.

See photos, availability and prices at Cavalta Boutique Hotel

Ribera de Triana Hotel – mid-range

The hotel is by the river in northern Triana, close to Puente del Cristo de la Expiración. It can be a good compromise between hotel comforts and neighbourhood life, but is less obvious a choice if you want the shortest possible walk to Santa Cruz.

See photos, availability and prices at Ribera de Triana Hotel

B&B Casa Alfareria 59 – budget to mid-range

A smaller place to stay in Triana's streets, suited to travellers who prefer something intimate to a large hotel. It's worth considering for a trip where breakfast, walks and neighbourhood restaurants matter more than hotel facilities.

See photos, availability and prices at B&B Casa Alfareria 59

4. Centro and Alfalfa – best area for shopping and restaurants 🛍️

• Distance to the centre: North of the cathedral, around 500 metres to 1.3 km away depending on the location.
• Public transport: Mostly on foot, with buses around the area's edges and trams near Plaza Nueva.
• From the airport: Around 30-45 minutes by taxi, or 50-75 minutes by EA bus and on foot.
• Price range: €-€€€; a broad mix of accommodation and smaller hotels.
• Safety: Bars, squares and shopping streets can be noisy. Check access arrangements if the hotel is on a pedestrianised street.

Centro and Alfalfa make sense if you'd like shops, cafés and restaurants nearby but don't need the cathedral on your doorstep. Here, I'm talking about the streets around Alfalfa and Salvador and further towards Setas. You're still in Seville's Old Town, with plenty of scope to get around on foot.

The atmosphere changes over short distances. The main shopping streets are lively during the day, while small squares with bars can stay busy late into the evening. I'd focus on the particular street when choosing. A central hotel can be excellent, but a room directly above a popular bar is a different proposition.

See hotels in and around Centro and Alfalfa here

One of the area's clearest landmarks is Setas de Sevilla, whose website has information on access and visiting. Staying around Alfalfa gives you a good base for both the streets to the north and the sights to the south. It's a useful balance if you don't want to follow the same route every day.

I'd also consider this area if you're travelling with friends who have slightly different plans. Some can go shopping, others can visit a museum, and you can meet for a late lunch near the hotel. That flexibility is often more valuable than choosing a hotel purely for its proximity to one particular sight.

You'll need to accept slightly longer walks to the river than from El Arenal. In return, there's a wide choice of smaller hotels and places to eat, and it's easy to enjoy the neighbourhood in the evening. If you're considering another Spanish city for your next trip, I've also put together my recommendations for where to stay in Madrid.

Places to Stay in Centro and Alfalfa

Hotel Boutique Corral del Rey – luxury

A small boutique hotel in the streets around Alfalfa, well suited to a trip for two. I'd look here if you value a more intimate hotel experience while still being able to walk to the cathedral and the city's restaurants.

See photos, availability and prices at Hotel Boutique Corral del Rey

H10 Casa de la Plata – upper mid-range

A central hotel around the shopping streets between Salvador and Setas. It's a good option if you want a comfortable hotel in a location where shopping and sightseeing fit into the day without much planning.

See photos, availability and prices at H10 Casa de la Plata

BYPILLOW Abril – budget to mid-range

A smaller hotel close to Setas in the northern part of the area covered here. It's worth comparing if you'd like to save a little on location and don't mind the extra walk to the cathedral.

See photos, availability and prices at BYPILLOW Abril

For another city break built around narrow streets and courtyard stays, my guide to where to stay in Marrakech explains the choice between a riad in the medina and a hotel with a pool.

Where should you avoid staying in Seville?

On a short trip, I wouldn't choose a hotel far outside the central area just to save a little on the room. Nervión or the area around Santa Justa can be practical for trains, work or specific events, but you'll spend more time travelling back and forth to the streets most visitors come to experience.

I also wouldn't automatically pick the busiest squares in Santa Cruz or Alfalfa if a good night's sleep matters to you. Look for recent reviews mentioning street noise and air conditioning, and check whether a car can actually reach the hotel. In summer, a convenient base where you can take breaks is often worth more than a small saving far from the centre.

The post Where to Stay in Seville? The 4 Best Areas + Places to Stay 🇪🇸 appeared first on Destination Well Known.