Day 9 ·
Santa Cruz early, the Cathedral, the Alcázar and tapas in Triana
Seville · Spain · 4 min read
Santa Cruz before ten, Casa de Pilatos without the crowds, the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Alcázar on a Spanish-language tour, and a tapas crawl through Triana in three bars.
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Churrería Los Especiales
Churros with thick hot chocolate at the kiosk at the foot of the Triana Bridge, on the Seville side. Open every day from 7:00; cash is better.
Our guide Worth it as an easy breakfast by the river, not as a pilgrimage. The churros are fried to order and the chocolate is thick, but local blogs rank other churrerías ahead of it. Read the full guide - 2
Plaza Virgen de los Reyes
Our way into Santa Cruz, after a quick coffee at Cervecería Giralda. Between 8:00 and 10:00 the morning sun hits the Giralda head-on.
Our guide Before ten it's one of the prettiest parts of Seville; from eleven to six it's a line of groups with headsets. The time of day decides everything. Read the full guide - 3
Callejón del Agua
The 140-meter alley that runs right along the Alcázar wall. From here we continued through Plaza de Alfaro, Doña Elvira, Los Venerables and Plaza de Santa Cruz to the Murillo Gardens.
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Casa de Pilatos
An hour on the ground floor and in the gardens, with the 12 € ticket and the audio guide included. On the way we saw the three Roman columns on Calle Mármoles.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, with the ground-floor ticket and in the morning. Compared with the Alcázar it comes out behind; seen as a noble house that's still lived in, it's one of the best things in Seville. Read the full guide - 5
San Leandro Convent
Yemas bought through the torno, the revolving window, without ever seeing the nun. On Mondays the torno is open until 13:00, so it came before the tour.
Our guide Worth it for the ritual more than the sweets. It takes ten minutes and a few euros, but the yemas are very sweet and you see nothing of the convent inside. Read the full guide - 6
Patio de Banderas
Three minutes for the photo of the Giralda over the orange trees, on our way to the meeting point. Before that, a manzanilla standing at Casa Morales.
Our guide Worth it as a three-minute stop on the way to the Alcázar or the Cathedral. It's small and there's nothing to visit inside, but the Giralda framed by orange trees is one of the best views downtown. Read the full guide - 7
Royal Alcázar of Seville
The Spanish-language guided tour starts. Meeting point by the monument to the Immaculate Conception, in Plaza del Triunfo, at 12:40.
Our guide It is the biggest visit in Seville and it pays off more with a guide. If you can, go to Casa de Pilatos first: the other way around, Pilatos feels small. Read the full guide - 8
Seville Cathedral and the Giralda
The second half of the tour: the inside of the Cathedral, the tomb of Columbus and the climb up the Giralda on ramps, with no stairs.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, and with a guide it makes a lot more sense. Combining it with the Alcázar on one tour saves you lines, though some reviewers feel a few stops are too short. Read the full guide - 9
La Terraza de EME
The rooftop of the EME hotel, next to the Cathedral, with the Giralda right in front of you. No reservation needed; we asked for a table in the shaded part.
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Bar Santa Ana
First stop on the Triana tapas crawl, after a rest and a walk along Calle Betis. Then came Casa Ruperto and Casa Cuesta, and the sunset by the river again.
Our fullest day in Seville. We split it into three parts: the Santa Cruz quarter and Casa de Pilatos in the morning, the Cathedral and the Alcázar with a guide at midday, and a tapas crawl through Triana in the late afternoon. All on foot, about 12 kilometers.
Why we planned it this way
Santa Cruz changes with the hour. Before ten you can walk it in peace; from eleven on it’s a line of groups wearing headsets. So we went in at 9:30, with our route through the squares worked out ahead of time.
Casa de Pilatos was at 10:46 for two reasons. At that hour there’s hardly anyone there, and it’s best seen before the Alcázar: the other way around, the Medinaceli palace looks small. On Monday afternoons entry is free, but according to our research it’s only for EU citizens and capped per hour, so we paid the 12 € for the ground floor.
The San Leandro convent works the torno on Mondays until 13:00, and the tour started at 13:00 in Plaza del Triunfo. Casa Morales and the Patio de Banderas were on the way.
For the Royal Alcázar and the Cathedral we booked a combined tour in Spanish. They’re the monuments with the longest lines in the city, and the tickets are timed and tied to your ID. With a guide we covered all three in two and a half hours, indoors through the worst of the heat.
We changed the tapas crawl before the trip: Bar Bistec and Las Golondrinas close on Mondays. It ended up as Bar Santa Ana, Casa Ruperto and Casa Cuesta, three bars with different dishes, and by 20:45 we were home. The next day we left for Córdoba at 9:00.
What to know before you go
The tour’s dress code is enforced at the door. And the next morning, if you’re doing the Córdoba day trip, call the company to confirm your pickup time.
What we booked and tasted
Seville: Cathedral, Giralda and Alcázar with priority access
- Spanish-speaking guide with headsets
- Skip-the-line entry to the Royal Alcázar and its gardens
- Skip-the-line entry to the Cathedral and the Giralda
- Free cancellation up to 2 days before
The three most visited monuments in Seville, right next to each other, with the timed tickets taken care of. And during the hottest hours we were indoors, except on the climb up the Giralda.
See the tourGetYourGuideChurrería Los Especiales
Order Churros with thick hot chocolate and café con leche
Three minutes from the apartment and open from 7:00, so starting the day early was no problem.
San Leandro Convent
Order A box of yemas de San Leandro
A cloistered convent founded in 1295 that sells sweets through the torno. You ring the bell, say the greeting and put the money on the torno.
Casa Morales
Order A glass of manzanilla and a small tapa
A bodega from 1850 with big ceramic jars along the walls, five minutes from the Cathedral. Standing up, ten minutes before the tour.
La Terraza de EME
Order A cocktail or a beer
After two and a half hours inside the Cathedral and the Alcázar, the view of the Giralda from above. You go for the view, not the food.
Bar Santa Ana
Order Vermouth on tap, aged cheese and jamón ibérico
A family bar on Calle Pureza, its walls covered in Holy Week images. A good start to the crawl.
Casa Ruperto
Order Fried quail ("pajaritos") and a caña
The house specialty since 1970, and something different from the ham at the first stop and the fried fish at the last.
Casa Cuesta
Order Tortillitas de camarones, baby squid in garlic and a glass of manzanilla
A Triana spot since 1880 on Calle Castilla, a few minutes from the apartment. A good way to close the crawl.
What we learned
Tips
- The tour requires appropriate clothing: no sandals, tank tops or short skirts. Bring your passport or a clear photo of the ID you booked with.
- At San Leandro, the nun says "Ave María Purísima" and you answer "Sin pecado concebido". Bring coins or small bills: it's hard to give change through the torno.
- You climb the Giralda by 34 ramps, with no air conditioning. Drink water before going in, because eating and drinking aren't allowed inside the monuments.
- On Mondays Bar Bistec and Las Golondrinas are closed. That's why our tapas crawl was Bar Santa Ana, Casa Ruperto and Casa Cuesta.
Do
- Get into Santa Cruz before ten. From eleven on the groups arrive and the alleys fill up.
- Visit Casa de Pilatos before the Alcázar. The other way around, the house feels small.
- Get to the meeting point 20 or 30 minutes early: look for the purple T-shirts by the monument to the Immaculate Conception.
Don’t
- Don't accept the sprig of rosemary they offer you near the Cathedral: afterward they ask for money to read your palm.
- Don't buy flamenco tickets from the promoters on Mateos Gago: they take you to tourist tablaos.
- Don't take photos inside the convent or of the nuns.