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Home›Mediterranean destinations›Spain›Seville
Luxury in Spain
The soul of Andalusia: the Real Alcázar and its gardens, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, flamenco in Triana, and the Hotel Alfonso XIII.
Bienvenidos
Seville was a great city of Moorish Spain, and when the Castilian kings took it in 1248 they kept its palace. The Real Alcázar, rebuilt by Pedro I in the fourteenth century in the Moorish style, is still a royal residence, its tiled halls and gardens among the most beautiful in Europe.
After 1492 the city held the monopoly of trade with the Americas, and the gold of the New World paid for its cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, whose tower, the Giralda, was once the minaret of the mosque. The cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archive of the Indies are World Heritage.
Seville is the home of flamenco, sung and danced in Triana across the river. Every spring, Holy Week brings its processions and the April Fair its horses, sherry and dancing, and the Hotel Alfonso XIII, built for the exhibition of 1929, remains the grand address of the city.
| English | Spanish | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | OH-lah |
| Please | Por favor | por fah-VOR |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRAH-thee-ahs (GRAH-see-ahs is also understood) |
| Good evening | Buenas noches (after dark; buenas tardes earlier) | BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor | lah KWEN-tah, por fah-VOR |
Where to go
When to go.
The capital of Andalusia, built around the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the Moorish and Mudéjar royal palace of the Alcázar, and the old quarter of Santa Cruz. The Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias were listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Best time to visitMarch to May, and October to November; July and August are very hot.
Cruises
How the ships arrive in Seville, and the luxury lines that call.
Only small ships can sail up the Guadalquivir to Seville, where they berth at the Muelle de las Delicias, close to the centre. Larger ships stop at Cádiz, about 120 km away.
Of the luxury lines, SeaDream and Atlas Ocean Voyages begin and end voyages here.
The luxury lines that call here
From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.
Travel
The great hotel trains and first-class rail at our standard.
The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, from city to city.
The top fare in Confort, the first-class carriage of Spain's high-speed AVE, with 2+1 seats.
The top class of Iryo, Spain's private high-speed operator, in a first-class carriage at the end of the train with 2+1 seats. A light meal and drinks are served at the seat, and the ticket is flexible.
Overnight journeys in restored carriages.
Spain's luxury train of restored 1920s carriages, with Grand Class rooms and Deluxe Suites.
Experience
The Seville year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.
Live
A home in Seville: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.
The Sotheby's affiliate for Spain, brought together under the Vivium group in 2025, with offices in Barcelona, the Costa Brava, Madrid and La Moraleja, Palma, Port d'Andratx, Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca, Marbella, Alicante and Seville. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
All the leading agencies in Spain ›
Looking for a home in Seville? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.
Plan your trip
In Andalusia in southern Spain, on the Guadalquivir river. Seville airport takes private jets and is about 20 minutes from the centre; Madrid is two and a half hours by high-speed train.
The Real Alcázar, its cathedral and the Giralda, flamenco, Holy Week and the April Fair, orange trees in the streets, and the Hotel Alfonso XIII.
Not expected as in the US. In restaurants, 5–10% for good service. Round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Shoulders and knees covered in churches and cathedrals. Several towns fine people for walking the streets in swimwear or shirtless away from the beach, including Barcelona (€120–€500), Málaga and Marbella (€300–€750) and Palma (€100–€200). Smart dress for fine dining; jackets are rarely required.
Beyond Seville
Ibiza, Mallorca, Marbella and Barcelona, and the Mediterranean beyond.
Customs and etiquette
How Spain does things.
Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.
The Mediterranean Season Letter
Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.
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