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Santa Cruz neighbourhood, Seville

Avenida de la Constitución, Sevilla, Andalucía

Description

Santa Cruz was in medieval times the Jewish quarter of Seville and is today its main tourist neighbourhood. After Ferdinand III of Castile conquered the Seville from Muslim rule in 1248, he concentrated the Jewish population in what became known as the "judería" until the ethnic group was expelled from Spain in 1492. The "Barrio de Santa Cruz" takes its name from the church of Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) and consists in a maze of narrow, white-painted streets designed to provide as much protection from the heat of the sun as possible. Neighbourhood highlights include the Seville Cathedral and its bell tower (La Giralda), the Royal Alcazar, the Iglesia and Plaza de Santa Cruz; and the Patio de Banderas.

Access & Transport

The neighbourhood is at the southern end of the city centre, south of the cathedral until the Royal Alcazar and its gardens. The metro and tram lines L1 and T1 stop at "Puerta Jerez", just to the West of the Alcazar, and the tram also stops at "Archivo de Indias". On the eastern side, buses 01, 21, A1, A8, C3 stop at Menéndez Pelayo (Puerta de La Carne)

Instructions & Recommendations

We suggest combining an exploration of the Santa Cruz neighbourhood with a visit of the Seville Cathedral, the Royal Alcazar and, for those with cultural inclinations, the Archivo de Indias. Those 3 activities have been reviewed separately.

Meta review

The neighbourhood is extremely popular with tourists who enjoy getting lost among the "labyrinthine" streets and enjoy not only the various monuments but also having a drink or lunch/dinner in one of the many cafes, bars or restaurants. Unsurprisingly, there are also comments that the area is too tourist oriented and has lost it authenticity.

Environmental & Social

Environmentally neutral. Socially, the benefits of tourism balance out the drawbacks of over-commercialisation

Conclusion

Santa Cruz is one of Seville's emblematic districts and given how central it is and the fact that the Alcazar and Cathedral are located there, you would have no excuse to explore for a while. Even though it has become very commercial, we would not call it a tourist trap because it really is worth strolling through the narrow alleys and you neither need to pay nor invest much time in getting there.

Key positive

Very charming streets

Many top sights located within the neighbourhood

Key negative

A little too commercial and busy with tourists

Suitability

No restrictions

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 15m

est. visit time:1h 30m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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