Alcázar of Seville

What makes it special

Most of what you walk through is the palace Pedro of Castile built in the mid-14th century, in the Mudéjar style. Older and later stages, from the late 11th century to the present, wrap around it, because the Alcázar has never stopped being used.

The Patio de las Doncellas is the most photographed courtyard in the palace. Look up in the halls around it: the ceilings are richly carved, and muqarnas, the honeycomb vaulting, sit in the corners.

Water is the other material. It runs through every corner of the site as a counterpart to the Guadalquivir, and where it lies still it doubles the ornate arches above it.

Out in the gardens, fountains sit among the planting, and the Jardín del Laberinto is a maze garden. Look too for the Baños de Doña María de Padilla in the grounds.

Visiting

From the Puerta del León, the main entrance, you come into the Patio de Banderas. The ticket desk there takes cards only, and without a booking its queue can run 45 to 90 minutes.

Inside, start with the palace rooms: the Patio de las Doncellas and the Salón de Embajadores are the two to reach if your time is short. The Antiquarium is on the same ticket.

Then go out into the gardens and give them real time. The usual mistake is spending the whole visit indoors and arriving outside with a quarter of an hour left.

Tips

Buy online through the palace's own booking service: the day's tickets are a fixed number, and visitors who expected to buy at the gate have been turned away. If you qualify for a reduced rate, bring the document that proves it to the desk.

In summer, carry at least a litre of water and sun protection. The interior rooms have no air conditioning and are uncomfortable by midday in July.