Alcazar Seville Spain

The Alcazar of Seville is the oldest royal palace in Europe still in active use. The Spanish royal family stays here when visiting Seville, which means some sections of the palace are periodically closed for state purposes with no advance warning. If you arrive and the upper royal apartments are cordoned off, this is why.

The Palace

King Pedro I commissioned the main palace in the 1360s, though the site has been fortified and occupied since the Moorish period. The result is Mudejar architecture at its most elaborate: a style developed by Muslim craftsmen working for Christian rulers, combining Islamic geometric decoration, arabesques, and horseshoe arches with Gothic structural elements. The Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens) is the centrepiece, a rectangular reflecting pool surrounded by intricately carved plasterwork and glazed tile. The ceiling decorations in the private apartments of Pedro I are as complex as anything in the Alhambra in Granada.

The later additions by Ferdinand and Isabella and subsequent Spanish monarchs expanded the palace into a sprawling complex. Columbus met with Ferdinand and Isabella here before his 1492 voyage, and the Admiral’s Apartments (Cuarto del Almirante) commemorate that connection.

Book tickets at least a week in advance in spring and summer; the Alcazar is one of the most-visited sites in Spain and same-day entry is often unavailable. Entry is around EUR 12 to 14. The gardens are included and are worth at least an hour: a layered sequence of Moorish, Renaissance, and later formal gardens with fountains, orange trees, and a small labyrinth.

The Cathedral and La Giralda

The Seville Cathedral, a five-minute walk from the Alcazar, is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The Giralda tower, originally built as the minaret of a 12th-century mosque, is now the cathedral’s bell tower; climbing it is 35 ramp sections rather than stairs, because it was designed for horses. The view from the top over the old city is one of the better urban panoramas in Andalusia.

Combined tickets for the Alcazar and the Cathedral are not available; they are separate organisations. The Cathedral tends to be less crowded in the early morning.

Eating

Eslava in the Triana neighbourhood is one of Seville’s best tapas bars, known for creative versions of Andalusian classics. Arrive at opening time (around 1pm) or expect to wait. The tortilla de patatas here is specifically worth ordering.

The Barrio Santa Cruz immediately surrounding the Alcazar has restaurants at tourist prices and mediocre food. Walk five minutes away from the cathedral complex and the quality improves sharply. The neighbourhood of Alameda de Hércules has a denser concentration of bars and restaurants that serve locals rather than tourists, at prices that reflect it.

Staying

The Hotel Alfonso XIII adjacent to the Alcazar is a luxury landmark with Moorish-Revival architecture; expensive and worth it for a special occasion. For mid-range with character, the Hotel Casa Morales in the Santa Cruz neighbourhood is a former 19th-century wine bodega converted into a hotel, with good staff and a rooftop terrace.

Getting There

Seville has a train station (Santa Justa) with AVE high-speed rail connections from Madrid (2.5 hours) and Cordoba (45 minutes). From the station, taxis and the metro reach the old city. The old town is best explored on foot; the Alcazar, Cathedral, and Barrio Santa Cruz form a compact cluster. Seville gets extremely hot in July and August; October through April is the better season for walking.