Castles · Tour

Alcázar Royal Apartments, Cathedral and a Guided Giralda Climb

Three monuments, one licensed local guide, and admission arranged in advance so the ticket queues are not part of the day. The Alcázar is taken from the Puerta del León inwards, through the Mudéjar palace, the Salón de Embajadores under its dome, and the Patio de las Doncellas with its long reflecting pool. The route also goes into the Royal Apartments, which are still used by the Spanish monarchy, and that is the part most itineraries leave out. What a guide adds here is the argument of the building. The Alcázar was built by Christian kings using Muslim craftsmen, in Islamic forms, after the conquest. Nothing about that is obvious from the tilework, and it explains more about medieval Spain than any single date. The Cathedral follows: the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the tomb of Columbus, the altarpiece and the glass. The Giralda finishes it, and here the climb is done with the guide rather than alone. It goes up by ramps rather than stairs, built so a rider could reach the top, because it was a minaret before it was a bell tower. The panorama over the old centre is the reward. The gardens have appeared in Game of Thrones, which the guide will point out.