The article regarding where to stay in Seville comes after many other posts about this beautiful city: The top 10 things to do in Seville or 10 interesting tips to know about Seville. After having visited Seville 3 times, I can also recommend you the best places to stay. Which area is better to sleep?
Why visit Seville
There are many reasons why I would recommend a visit to this beautiful Spanish city. Thanks to its squares, monuments, museums and historic buildings, it has nothing to rival the great art cities of Europe. That’s why I also added it to the best European cities (not capitals) to visit.
On the streets of the capital of Andalusia (read here the road trip in Andalusia) you can feel history and culture. Seville Cathedral, for example, is the largest Gothic building in the world. The bell tower, known as the Giralda, is actually the minaret of the Aljama mosque. It was demolished before the cathedral was built.
Seville is a city of traditions, such as La Feria and Semana Santa. During the feast of the commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the city is infused with the scent of incense and orange blossom. It is perhaps the best opportunity to decide to visit it, staying in one of its beautiful districs.
Please note: to discover the city at its best, I absolutely recommend you to CLICK HERE and buy the Sevilla Card Pass. It allows you to visit all the most important monuments and skip the queue (very important). With the Seville card you can be confident and no longer have to pay any entrance tickets beacuse there’re all included..
Best places where to stay in Seville
Seville is one of the most beautiful and striking cities, not only in Andalusia (click to see all my post about this region) but in all of Spain. In this article I will show you the neighborhood where to stay in Seville to enjoy the city to the fullest.
Places to stay in Seville in Santa Cruz Barrio
This is one of the best places where to stay in Seville.
The Barrio Santa Cruz is the Santa Croce neighborhood. This name might be deceiving, this area is actually famous for being the Jewish district of the city. The Jewish population reunited in this area as early as 1248, when Ferdinand III of Castile conquered Seville. This area is also known as the Juderia. In fact, and is among the most loved and attended not only by the inhabitants, but also by tourists.
Staying in Seville in the Barrio de Santa Cruz, means walking in the small and characteristic alleys, discovering charming little squares and places of historical/cultural interest.
You can easily access several important areas, such as the beautiful Alcazar and the Seville Cathedral. Walking along the tiny street Callejon del Agua, you will find Archivio de Indias. It is the most visited area of Seville, at least by tourists.
Also inside the Barrio Santa Cruz is the Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus, where numerous testimonies of Jewish culture are kept. The “street of the kiss”, however, is famous because it is so narrow that one could kiss from one palace to another. Besides its history, the Jewish quarter is ideal for having fun and tasting the famous tapas.
CLICK HERE for all hotels in the Barrio Santa Cruz area
Places to stay in Seville near Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Seville is located just on the border between the Barrio de Santa Cruz and the Avenida de la Constitución.
The latter is a street that during the day is travelled incessantly by tourists, while in the evening it empties, showing all its beauty thanks to the numerous monuments present. At night, travelers crowd into the bars, clubs and restaurants where you can eat, drink and listen to music. An amazing Spanish “movida” atmosphere.
The Giralda of Seville, in the heart of the historic center.
The cathedral area is one of the best places where to spend the night in Seville.
You’ll find a wide choice of hotels and b&b’s, as most of the points of interest are easily reachable on foot, through narrow and charming streets. If you choose to visit Seville during the Semana Santa period, this district becomes the best choice.
During Easter week the worshippers wear hoods and carry the statues of saints on their shoulders, along streets crowded with citizens, travelers and bystanders. The peak of the “festival” takes place Good Friday and the parade passes right through the cathedral area.
CLICK HERE for all Hotels in the Cathedral area
Places to stay in Seville in the Barrio Triana
Of all the neighborhoods to stay in Seville, this is the most remote. This is the charming district on the other side of the Guadalquivir River. You can reach it by crossing Ponte de Isabel II, or Ponte de Triana. This “barrio” is also filled with tapas bar and restaurants, especially in Calle Betis.
Once you cross the bridge, what usually catches the traveller’s interest are the buildings of azulejos. The ceramics of Seville and especially of Triana, are famous all over the world.
The advice is to lose yourself along the narrow streets to admire the colors and patterns of the tiles. Perhaps you could stop in the shops where they are for sale or in the rare craft shops where they are still produced today. Besides the ceramics, you will notice the balconies of the buildings adorned with colorful flowers. The inner courtyards are striking for their flowery gardens.
Sleeping in this area of Seville, culture lovers can satisfy their curiosity with some famous monuments. Some of them are the 18th century Iglesia de Santa Ana, the oldest Christian church in the city, the Capillita del Carmen, the Capilla de los Marineros and the church of Santa Justa and Rufina, dedicated to the two patron saints of the city.
The two saints were ceramists in the 3rd century and died as martyrs of the Romans, as Christians.
CLICK HERE for all the Hotels in Triana
Places to stay in Seville in El Alameda de Hercules: in the north
The northern area of Seville’s where I advise you to stay is the Barrio Macarena, also known as La Macarena. This is also a great places where to stay in Seville. It is located within the city walls, on the east side of the Guadalquivir River. It is certainly not a very touristy part of the city, but maybe that’ s why it has a special charm.
Those who decide to stay in this area will find themselves immersed in the authentic life of a citizen of Seville. There is no better way to perceive the true identity of a place than by strolling through the streets where mass tourism does not arrive. Before the work carried out for Expo ’92, this neighborhood was not recommendable. It did not have a good reputation. In the last thirty years the situation has changed.
Barrio Maracena and Alameda de Hercules
The Barrio Macarena is full of interesting sites to visit. Besides the numerous churches, there is one of the most important attractions of the city: El Alameda de Hercules. It is a very large square. It was commissioned by the Count of Barjas towards the end of the 16th century. The oldest public garden not only in Spain, but also in all of Europe. Those who want to try the experience of sleeping in this area of Seville will surely appreciate the nightlife. “Around here” is very lively. It is the most loved Seville by students who come from all over the world to study.
Those who have visited the Alameda de Hercules have found in the streets the same spirit that you can feel in Barcelona’s Raval or in London’s Soho district. In addition to the places to eat and drink, the area is multicultural and full of creative spaces. The cultural life of the Alameda animates every night with music festivals, thematic meetings and art exhibitions. Little is left of the old district, where street artists, bohemians and prostitutes used to live. Entertainment is combined with the ancient traditions of Catholic devotion. Here the Virgen de la Macarena is revered, dancing in the discos until the morning, strolling around the stalls of its crowded markets such as de la Feria or the antiques market in El Jueves, located in Calle Feria.
Finally, in this neighbourhood of Seville, the architecture lovers will be able to admire important structures such as the Metropol Parasol. This is also known as Setas de Sevilla due to the presence of wooden mushroom-shaped buildings. It is one of the greatest masterpieces of contemporary architecture in the world.
CLICK HERE for all the Hotels in Alameda de Hercules
