Santa Cruz & Plaza de España Route

Santa Cruz

The city’s old Jewish quarter is one of Seville’s most charming areas, characterized by narrow, cobbled streets, fountain-filled plazas, white-washed buildings and streets lined with orange trees. It’s also one of the most popular barrios for tourists, being home to some of the city’s best sights, including the UNESCO World Heritage Royal Alcazar – the Moorish palace, dating back to the 1300s – and the famous La Giralda Cathedral, with an old minaret for its bell tower. Spend your time here getting lost among its maze of streets, stopping off at tapas bars along the way and admiring its attractive architecture.

Plaza de España

This bombastic plaza in the Parque de María Luisa was the most grandiose of the building projects completed for the 1929 Exposición Iberoamericana. A huge brick-and-tile confection, it’s all very over the top, but it’s undeniably impressive with its fountains, mini-canals and Venetian-style bridges. A series of gaudy tile pictures depict maps and historical scenes from each Spanish province.