Real Alcázar de Sevilla

An alcázar is a Spanish palace or fortress of Moorish Origin*

Dozens of alcázars are in Spain but only six are considered “Royal” — or “Real” in Spain.”   The grandest one is just across the river from us, Real Alcázar – Sevilla and it is simply astonishing!  Very few other palaces compare to its exotic beauty and spaciousness.

We were not overwhelmed with expectations when we booked our tickets.  Walking the city, Alcazar is impossible to miss. Several times we passed nearby and easily could see from the outside that the complex is huge and spectacular.  Still to us though, it was another palace and we have seen so many.  Brilliantly, Real Alcázar controls the number of visitors on the property.  Tickets are sold with predetermined entry times and tickets must be purchased ahead of time.  Call us cheap, call us smart, we bought our tickets online for 1 euro each, tickets otherwise are 13,50 euros each.  While 13,50 euros is not a bad price, 1 euro is better. With six weeks in front of us, we signed up two weeks ago for the special Monday-only, 1 euro limited-availability event.  We did it!  We snagged two of the 80 tickets available for the 4 pm entry last Monday.  By the time last Monday arrived, we had nearly forgotten about the event. 

We took our place in the queue at about 3:30 pm.  The line snaked for nearly a block.  Far more than 80 people were there!  At the entry, with no pre-purchased ticket for the 4 pm time slot in hand, all were turned away.

We waltzed in with our 1 euro tickets and were stunned.  Unlike other palaces we have visited, there was no gold gilding, no red draperies, no ancient carved furniture, no hunting room, etc.  This is an opulent Sultan’s palace!  We strolled through 18 fabulous green gardens dotted with fragrant blooming vines, tall palms, and orange trees.  We resisted the urge to get lost in the maze garden but walked through five serene great stone patios each with small foot fountains accented by long green reflecting pools. We saw three more tall fountains gently spraying water creating a pleasant, quiet atmosphere, and a long caverned underground swimming pool which is how royalty survived Sevilla’s hot summers long ago.  There are five separate palaces on the property each connected by courtyards, gardens, and walks elaborately decorated with rich Arabic arches, points, intricate ceramic tile work, and lace-like stucco work.

None of the many rooms held furniture.  Only one salon has massive decorative ancient wall tapestries.  Undistracted by clutter, visitors are free to appreciate the worn tile floors, the tall ceilings, the elaborate, intricate stucco work, and the cedar carvings.

This palace goes back to a modest beginning in the first century.  A  tile floor, over a thousand years old, and a large wall of the original Islamic palace are still standing and visible.  However, much of the original structure is gone and many remaining remnants uncovered in archeological excavations had been covered up by renovations and additions made by generations of royalty who came along beginning in the 13th century and added their personal touch.

After many expansions, Real Alcázar de Sevilla occupies 420,000 square feet (9.6 acres).  Aside from being the most visited place in Seville, and much of Spain, the palace is still being used today.  The second floor of the residential portion of the complex is still used by Spanish royalty today when they visit Sevilla.

As we walked through the halls, the courtyards, gardens, and salons, we could almost picture early turbaned Muslim sultans and their queens strolling through the halls, giving audience to important people or simply lounging on satin floor pillows under colorful silks.

*Credit to Google,  Definitions from Oxford Languages ·