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Seville is one of those cities that you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s warm, walkable and has incredible food and architecture. Me and my husband had talked about visiting this beautiful Spanish city for some time and finally we did it… with our toddler in tow! Although young children and city breaks aren’t necessarily a match made in heaven, we had a wonderful time. This itinerary of how to spend 3 days in Seville is based on my own travels in the city, so expect a few toddler travel tips in this family friendly guide.
How many days in Seville is ideal?
We spent a total of 3 days (4 nights) in Seville and found that although we could have easily stayed for longer, 3 days was still plenty of time to see and do everything that we wanted to.
If you’re travelling solo or as a couple, then you could easily cram a few more activities in than we did.
When to visit Seville
Situated in Southern Spain, Seville is drenched in sunshine. In fact, Seville is one of the warmest cities in Europe, alongside Valletta in Malta.
We visited Seville in mid October and the daytime temperatures were still in the region of 28-30 degrees celsius. And the evenings were beautifully balmy. I would personally avoid the city during the peak of summer, especially with children, as temperatures can be unbearably hot.
Best area to stay in Seville
As this Spanish beauty is quite a walkable city, you may as well take advantage of that fact and stay somewhere relatively central. We stayed in the Arenal neighbourhood which was centrally located but quiet enough not to be in the thick of the action. Our apartment was less than a 10 minute stroll to the Real Alcazar.
Top Tip: Opting for an apartment over a hotel gives those travelling with tots that extra space to chill out while their little one is taking a nap.
How to spend 3 days in Seville
Day 1
Take your time to explore some of the city on foot. For us, this meant taking a wander from our apartment in El Arenal to one of Seville’s most iconic locations – Plaza de Espana.
Plaza de Espana is the most famous square in the city and is completely free to visit. It is a semi circle shape with lots of beautiful mosaics, a large fountain and a canal with small bridges over it. There are also 48 tiled alcoves where you can sit, each represent a different Spanish province. You can hire a boat to row in the canal which I would have loved to have done but not so safe with an energetic toddler!
Top Tip #1: Don’t miss the free flamenco shows in the square. Seville is the birthplace of flamenco and while there are evening shows you can pay to go to, we felt that a free performance was probably the best option with a fidgety child.
Top Tip #2: If you can see the square early in the morning, do it! There is very little shade here so it does get quite hot. If you do happen to visit later on in the day, bring a hat, sunglasses etc.
Once you’ve had enough of the square, head out into Maria Luisa Park for some shady respite. Maria Luisa Park surrounds the Plaza de Espana and is a great place for kids to let off steam. There is a playground although my daughter was a bit small to enjoy it and for those who fancy it, you can hire bikes here too.
We enjoyed some lunch at a pavement cafe we spotted on our walk back to our apartment but there are plenty of eateries around. You can’t miss the freshly squeezed Seville orange juice!
After an afternoon siesta, head out for some tapas. Not only is Seville the birthplace of flamenco, but it is also the place where the concept of tapas originated from. There are plenty of bars and restaurants that serve tapas, although for us we had the added challenge of suitable places for a toddler to dine (no bar stools please!). Plus I am a vegetarian so needed some options beyond patatas bravas, as tasty as it is. See the end of this post for my personal recommendations for best places to eat in Seville.
Day 2
After breakfast at Mercado del Arenal, we began day 2 of our 3 days in Seville by taking a boat ride along the Guadalquivir river. We opted for an hour long journey on an eco friendly boat with a bar. There’s on board commentary so you can learn a little about what you are viewing and some of the history of the city. For adults, this is a perfect way to relax with a glass of something sparkling whilst still sightseeing. And for little ones, well my daughter enjoyed dancing to the music on board and waving to passing kayakers.
Top Tip: I recommend booking your boat ride on Get Your Guide. With my discount code QUIRKYLITTLEPLANET5 you can get 5% off your booking.
After a little river cruise, grab some lunch to enjoy somewhere shady. For us that meant sandwiches at Parque Cristina Infantil.
Parque Cristina Infantil is a perfect little playground for toddlers. My daughter loved the swings and the static play bus, although a particular highlight for her was feeding the pigeons the remains of her cheese croissant! There are plenty of benches and shady spots to sit and watch the world go by just outside the play area, so is great for adults too.
Don’t miss a visit to Setas de Sevilla which is the world’s largest wooden structure and a unique architectural experience. You can walk around the top of the structure and admire the panoramic views of the city. We booked tickets for 7pm and waited until the aurora light show after sunset. It was great to be able to view the city during daylight, capture the sunset and then enjoy the spectacular light show which started at dusk. Sunset is an incredibly popular time to visit so pre-booking is essential, I booked this on Get Your Guide as you can visit again within 48 hours of your first access.
Top Tip: Download the Get Your Guide app. It is an easy way to access your tickets, plus they send you event reminders.
After your visit to Setas de Sevilla, enjoy some more tapas in one of the nearby restaurants (see the bottom of this post for my recommendations). The area has such a lively evening vibe without being hectic. I’d also recommend a late night gelato for dessert on your wander back to your accommodation.
Day 3
Start your day with brunch and then head over to one of the city’s most popular attractions – the Real Alcazar de Seville. The Real Alcazar is a historic Royal palace and UNESCO World Heritage site. In fact, it is the oldest active royal palace in Europe. AND is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family during their visits to Seville. So make sure you have plenty of space in your camera roll for taking pictures of the stunning architecture and beautiful gardens!
If you’re travelling with a toddler then you may not get to appreciate the history and culture of the place quite so deeply. However my daughter enjoyed spotting the peacocks roaming in the garden and liked the various fountains dotted around outside.
Top Tip: Book your tickets in advance. I cannot stress this enough. This is one attraction that books up quickly so plan ahead!
You’re likely to spend a fair amount of time at the Real Alcazar so don’t overplan this day. If you have kids then they will most likely need a little nap afterwards. If you don’t have kids and aren’t in need of a siesta yourself, then take some time to browse the shops, grab a tinto de verano or sangria.
Top Tip: One of my favourite shops in Spain in Ale Hop. I purchased some quirky gifts at the one in Menorca airport. Great place for kids to spend their pocket money.
On your last evening in the city, head out for dinner. Then make sure you try some churros for dessert! Churros are traditional Spanish type doughnuts and come with a rich thick chocolate dip. One portion was enough between the three of us.
If you have more than 3 days in Seville
- For adults: The cathedral is one of the most popular and highly rated attractions in the city. We were unable to get tickets to visit. So if you have time and want to see it, once again I recommend advance booking.
- For children: Seville is home to an aquarium. We didn’t visit as we wanted to see more unique attactions. However if we had had more time we may have taken our daughter to see the marine life.
Places to eat in Seville with kids
These are my personal tried and tested places that I ate at during my Seville trip.
- Tanto Monta, Calle de los Reyes Catolicos: Great tapas. Decent vegetarian options. We went early (by Spanish standards) and found that there were several other families with young children enjoying a meal.
- La Gorda de Las Setas, Plaza de la Encarnacion Casco Antiguo: Right beside Las Setas so ideal for dinner after a visit here. We were drawn to this restaurant as they offered pasta as a tapas option so we knew our daughter would at least eat that.
- Picnic Panes Artesanos, Mercado del Arenal: Delicious coffees and pastries. Perhaps not the most toddler friendly (bench seats and more of a coffee shop menu) but the staff were lovely so I couldn’t not include it.
- All Day Brunch By Cafe and Te, Calle San Fernando: Decent healthy options and a good lunch spot to watch the world go by. Bought the toddler a fresh fruit bowl as she LOVES fruit… she didn’t eat it! I recommend the orange juice.
- Filo, Calle Hernando Colon: Somewhere that does vegetarian friendly sandwiches! Small inside but a good takeaway option. They even offered to make my fussy child a cheese croissant.
- Billy Brunch, Calle de Pedro del Toro: Large portions. Cute logo. They have a little section with toys and books for children to enjoy while they wait for their food, plus a small childrens menu.
- Bar el Comercio, Calle Lineros: Highly rated (honestly, overrated!) churros. We got some to takeaway. One portion was enough between the three of us.
- Helados la Abuela, Avenida La Constitucion 16: Nice spot to pick up a late night gelato before a relaxed wander through the city.
Top Tips for visiting Seville with a toddler
- Compared to most other cities, Seville isn’t very heavy with cars. However watch out for the trams! If your child is likely to wander, strap them into a pushchair while out and about.
- Baby change facilities are hit and miss. We ended up changing my toddler’s nappy behind a bush in a park. There were large accessible toilets at the Real Alcazar though which made our trip there easier.
- Unlike in the UK, not all restaurants in Europe offer children’s menus. Luckily tapas affords an opportunity for toddlers to try a little bit of everything.
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