Reales Alcázares, Royal palace in Seville, Spain
Reales Alcázares is a royal palace complex in Seville, Spain, featuring courtyards surrounded by arcades with slender columns and decorative arches. Water flows through shallow channels into central basins while ceramic tiles in blue and ochre cover floors and lower walls.
Construction started in 913 when Caliph Abdurrahman III ordered a fortified residence on this site. Christian monarchs later expanded the complex considerably, especially King Pedro I during the 1360s, who employed Muslim craftsmen.
Many of the rooms and galleries still display original Mudejar carpentry and stucco work created by Christian craftsmen trained in Islamic techniques. The gardens themselves follow formal Renaissance layouts planted with orange trees and native hedges that cool the courtyards throughout summer.
The palace opens daily except Mondays; tickets can be purchased online in advance to avoid queues. The gardens are extensive and shaded, so plan at least two hours for your visit.
The upper floors remain the official Seville residence of Spain's royal family and are closed to visitors during royal stays. This makes the complex the oldest continuously inhabited royal palace in Europe.
Location: Seville
Architectural style: Art of Al-Andalus
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Fee: Yes
Part of: Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville, Seville old town
Address: Patio de Banderas
Opening Hours: October-March: 09:30-17:00; April-September: 09:30-19:00
Phone: +34902559386
Email: actividades@patronato-alcazarsevilla.es
Website: http://alcazarsevilla.org
GPS coordinates: 37.38443,-5.99119
Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:01
Seville reveals its story through the marks of many years. The Cathedral and its Giralda tower show the change from Gothic to baroque. The Royal Alcázar mixes Islamic designs with gardens shaded by orange trees. Walking through the streets, you move from the narrow alleys of Santa Cruz to the open views of Plaza de España, built in the early 20th century with channels and colorful tiles. Maria Luisa Park gives a break under the Mediterranean trees, not far from the Metropol Parasol with its modern wooden shapes that stand out against the old buildings. Along the Guadalquivir River, the Torre del Oro hints at how important the river was in medieval times. The Triana Bridge connects the city center to the pottery and sailor neighborhoods. Places like the Fine Arts Museum and the Hospital de los Venerables open doors to spaces where art and architecture meet. Each spot tells a different part of the story, with no one dominating.
Andalusia holds a notable collection of historic gardens that reflect different periods of Spanish history. These sites combine Moorish, Christian, and modern design traditions and demonstrate the evolution of garden art on the Iberian Peninsula. From the terraced layouts of the Nasrid era to the parks of the 19th and 20th centuries, these places provide insight into the cultural influences of various ages. Granada contains several significant examples of this garden tradition. The Generalife served as the summer residence of the Nasrid sultans and features water features, patios, and planted terraces overlooking the Alhambra. The Carmen de los Mártires combines Moorish, French, and English garden elements, while the Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta represents an example of early 20th-century garden design. Additional sites such as the Carmen de la Victoria, the Jardin de los Adarves, and the Palacio de los Córdova complete the picture of Granada's garden tradition. Seville houses one of Spain's most important historic gardens at the Real Alcázar. The complex includes Moorish courtyards, Renaissance parterres, and modern plantings. The city also offers the Jardines de Murillo at the edge of the Alcázar grounds, the expansive María Luisa Park with its pavilions and plazas, the Jardín Americano with exotic vegetation, as well as Los Jardines de la Buhaira and La Cartuja de Sevilla. The Casa de Pilatos displays an ornate palace courtyard with plants and fountains. In Córdoba, the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos presents geometric gardens with water basins and cypresses, while the Palacio de Viana offers twelve different interior courtyards with varied plantings. Málaga contributes to the diversity with the Botanical Garden La Concepción and the Pedro Luis Alonso Gardens, and in Vélez de Benaudalla lies the Nasrid Garden of Vélez as another testimony to Moorish garden design.
Seville features an exceptional architectural and cultural ensemble. The city is home to the Gothic cathedral, the Moorish-influenced Alcázar, the Santa Cruz district, and the Plaza de España. Parks and gardens such as María Luisa offer spaces filled with orange trees and palm trees. The Guadalquivir River flows through the city, bordered by the Triana district known for its ceramics workshops. Museums, palaces, and churches house art collections from the Middle Ages to the present.
General Archive of the Indies
172 m
Royal Tobacco Factory of Seville
417 m
Antiguo Hospital de Venerables Sacerdotes
131 m
Palacio del Rey don Pedro
82 m
Paseo de Catalina de Ribera y Jardines de Murillo
309 m
Patio de Banderas
54 m
Fuente de Híspalis
292 m
Gardens of the Royal Alcázar of Seville
135 m
Palacio de Yanduri
228 m
Room of Justice, Alcázar of Seville
45 m
Casa de Murillo
235 m
Columbus Monument
309 m
Patio de la Montería
68 m
Paseo de Catalina de Ribera
284 m
Patio del León, Alcázar of Seville
66 m
Postigo de la Torre del Agua
85 m
Monumento a Catalina de Ribera
299 m
Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
73 m
Foro de la Biodiversidad (Sevilla)
94 m
Arco de la Plata o de Mañara
205 m
Antigua Casa Lonja
166 m
Cilla del Cabildo
138 m
Edificio actual de la Oficina de Turismo
216 m
Palacio de la Diputación Provincial
113 m
Instituto Andaluz de Arquitectura
68 m
Casa unifamiliar, actual Consulado de Francia.
237 m
Jardines de la plaza de Santa Cruz
255 m
Portal of Marchena, Alcázar of Seville
93 mReal people, real opinions — but not verified.
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Magnificent. Impossible to visit Seville without seeing the Alcazar and its gardens. The audio guide is well-designed and details each location. A restorative place where you should take the time to stroll around.
Beautiful!
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