Seville is flat, which is the good news. The less good news is underfoot: around the Cathedral and in the Santa Cruz quarter, many lanes are paved with small stones, the pavements shrink to the width of one wheel and then vanish, and the odd delivery van squeezes past with centimetres to spare.
None of that should stop you bringing a pushchair. It does mean planning your days a little differently from a city break in, say, Lisbon or Rome. These are the things worth knowing before you arrive with a toddler and a buggy.
The easy half of the city is very easy
Most guides lead with the old town. With a pushchair, start south of it instead.
Plaza de España is the easiest big sight in Seville: a huge semicircle with wide, smooth paving, bridges over a canal and tiled alcoves for each Spanish province, which older children like hunting for (find the one for Málaga, find the one for Granada). There are usually small rowing boats for hire on the canal; check on the day whether they are running.
Right next door, María Luisa Park (Parque de María Luisa) has shaded paths, ponds and Plaza de América at its southern end, where toddlers chase the pigeons. In October or March it is a pleasant place to spend a whole morning. In July it is one of the few places in the centre where a pushchair walk at 11am is still bearable.
From there, Avenida de la Constitución runs north to the Cathedral. It is pedestrianised apart from the tram, and it is the smoothest way into the historic centre.
Santa Cruz is lovely and hard work
This is the part people warn you about, and they are right. The lanes of Santa Cruz, behind the Alcázar, are narrow, cobbled and full of corners where you will be lifting the front wheels over a step. Callejón del Agua, the lane that runs along the old Alcázar wall, is pretty and fine with a light buggy if you go early. By late morning it fills with tour groups.
Our advice: go before 10am, use a carrier for the under-twos if you have one, and plan an escape route. The Jardines de Murillo, a long strip of flat garden on the eastern edge of the quarter, is where you come out to breathe.
The Cathedral, the Giralda and the Alcázar
The Giralda, the Cathedral's bell tower, is 104 metres high and you climb it on 35 ramps rather than stairs. That sounds made for pushchairs. In practice the ramps are long and the space is shared with a lot of people, and most parents will find a carrier, or a child old enough to walk the ramps, far easier. Children of five and up tend to enjoy counting the ramps on the way up.
The Real Alcázar is the palace next door, and the gardens are the part small children will remember: big, green and with room to run. The palace rooms have thresholds and uneven floors, and the garden paths are not smooth. Check the official website for the current rules on pushchairs and for ticket prices, which change from year to year. Book a time slot online, because queues at the entrance can be long in spring and autumn.
Las Setas has a lift, and the market below is useful
Metropol Parasol (Las Setas, "the mushrooms" to locals) is the huge wooden canopy on Plaza de la Encarnación. The walkway on top is reached by a lift from the basement, next to the Antiquarium, where the ticket office also is. Tickets are €€ (check the website for children's prices and any discounts). Kids like the walk round the top. Go just before sunset if you can.
On the ground floor there is a food market, which is handy for picking up fruit or snacks without hunting for a supermarket in the old centre.
Getting around without folding the buggy every time
Seville's public transport is better for pushchairs than the old town's pavements suggest:
- The tram (Metrocentro, line T1) has low-floor carriages and stops with ramps. It runs from Plaza Nueva past the Cathedral and the Archivo de Indias towards Prado de San Sebastián and San Bernardo, which saves short but tiring walks in the heat.
- Metro Line 1 crosses the city underground and its stations have lifts. In the centre it stops at Puerta de Jerez, Prado de San Sebastián and San Bernardo, where it connects with local trains.
- The airport bus (line EA) runs into the centre. It shares its luggage space with a lot of suitcases, so be ready to fold the pushchair when it is busy.
- Taxis are plentiful. Bring your own car seat or a travel booster if you want one, as most taxis will not have them; check the current rules for children in taxis before you travel.
Crossing to Triana is a pleasant walk over the Isabel II bridge (Puente de Isabel II, the "Triana bridge"), which has wide pavements. Calle Betis, along the river on the Triana side, is good for an early dinner with a view.
Siesta, late dinners and the heat
Small shops in the centre often close from about 2pm to 5pm. Spanish lunch runs from 2pm to 4pm and most restaurants do not start serving dinner until 8.30pm or later. With small children, the trick is to eat a big lunch at the Spanish time, keep the afternoon quiet and have tapas early in the evening. Bars are relaxed about children and it is completely normal to see a pushchair parked by the table at 9pm.
Heat is the real limit from June to September, when afternoon temperatures regularly go above 35°C. In those months, do sightseeing before midday, go back to the flat for the afternoon and come out again after 7pm. October, November, March and April are the kindest months for a buggy-based trip.
In the evening, head for the Alameda de Hércules, a long, wide promenade north of the centre with play areas and bars around them. Local families gather there after school and at weekends, so it is a good place for children to play with other children.
What to pack
You do not need much special kit, but a few things make a real difference:
- A lightweight pushchair with larger wheels, rather than a big travel system.
- A baby carrier or sling for Santa Cruz, the Cathedral and anywhere crowded.
- A sunshade or parasol clip, even in spring.
- A refillable water bottle, as there are public fountains in many squares and parks.
One last tip: put the old town in the mornings, the parks and the river in the afternoons, and keep at least one day with no sights at all.
If you would like to meet local families during your stay, Woltica's travelling families circle helps you get to know Spanish families who live in Seville, swap tips with parents who know the city and perhaps arrange a meet-up in one of the parks. You can find out more at Woltica.