My wife and I will be in Sevilla for two nights in late February.

Can anyone recommend a nice, quaint area (or actual property)to stay. Central to tapas and nightlife, and historic/older, but ideally not too touristy; although I am guessing that time of year it’ll be fairly quiet. I guess what I mena is, I dont want to be in areas (cafes, bars) frequented by only tourists.

I have read a lot about Santa Cruz. And even seen it featured on Travel Channel here in the States. Any insights there? Also the Judería.

Any other neighborhoods we should consider? Our main focus will be walking tours (weather permitting), drinking and eating to excess. Hey….we don’t get away from the kids often.

Cheers.

Brendan
Charlotte NC

BTTT.

Just about everywhere in THAT part of Seville you'll feel is "old."

A lot of people like staying in the Barrio Santa Cruz. We stayed on the other side of the cathedral in the very atmospheric and elaborately decorated Alfonso XIII.

For a cheaper alternative and VERY well-located would be the Dona Maria...small hotel with a rooftop pool in sight of the cathedral and Alcazar.

Brendan - you might want to check out the Hotel Amadeus in the Santa Cruz area. It's less than a 5 minute walk to the Cathedral/Giralda, and right in the middle of the warren of little streets in the barrio. Reasonable rates, and charming decor.

have a great time!!

Thanks folks! I actually just saw Dona Mariaon a travel show the other night

How timely.

cheers

anyone have any experience with Triana? it sounds fun and maybe a little more apt to find locals?

but what is it like to stay the nigts there? versus say just going over the bridge for drinks and dinner? is it walkable from the Cathedral or Santa Cruz areas?

any advice is appreciated.

Triana doesn't please me too much. I find the food too tourist versions, and they also charge too much for the meals.

Try for the section of Macarena. You have a walk to the center but not too much. I used to take taxis for returning after 2:00 am. Cheap and great.

Macarena allows you to walk down to the bars on the river. Great place for having a drink in a late night.

Blackduff

brendan-- your post has Barrio de Santa Cruz written all over! It is everything you listed; central. historic, great restaurants. There are quite a bit of small shops, which do attract tourists, but I suspect that in January that should not be much of a concern.

as far as recs, what is your budget?

we just spent 5 great days in seville and stayed at the hotel petite palace de santa cruz. highly recommend the hotel and neighborhood.

We have spent quite a lot of time in Seville - anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks at a time. We have always stayed in Barrio Santa Cruz and suspect always will. Everywhere we want to go is within walking distance and it is the loveliest most atmospheric area we have found. You will find plenty of tourists but also plenty of locals.

The cooler months are not necessarily quiet - the quietest we have seen Seville was in July but the heat probably keeps most away then. The cooler months attract many Europeans and North Americans escaping their winters.

I like the Santa Cruz area and El Centro in Seville. Both are very conveneient and central.

You are kidding yourself if you think any of those areas are not touristy and that there won't be tourists in cafes and bars. Those are prime areas where tourists stay and go out at night. Obviously anything on the Travel Channel is going to have lots of tourists in it.

thanks, all.

Hello my husband and I stayed at hotel alminar it gets great ratings close to everything it one of my favorite hotel on our trip to spain

There is no better area for quaint, old and historic than Santa Cruz. It is tourist central, however I recommend staying in Santa Cruz to enjoy the narrow streets, the tapas bars, etc. With only two days in your time budget you’ll be glad you did. It is very close to the most interesting and historic sights.

If you want to visit some areas less touristy, you can always take a taxi or walk to other areas.

If you want to see a flamenco show, there are many options. Most are shows for tourists, but don’t let that disturb you. It’s a wonderful experience. Among the tablaos in Sevilla, probably the best is El Arenal, near the bullring. I also highly recommend Casa de la Memoria which is right in Santa Cruz on C/ Ximenez de Enciso, 28.

For a more authentic flamenco experience, go to La Carboneria ENE of the cathedral on C/ Levíes, 18. This is my favorite bar in the world. It has been discovered by tourists, but it is still a favorite of locals.

Another authentic flamenco option is the peñas in Triana. There are many peñas on C/ Salado and also on C/ Betis in Triana.

Hi Brendan:

We opted for Las Casas de la Juderia on a recent visit...loved it and the location in the Barrio de Santa Cruz...old world, certainly..large, airy rooms. Try #10, twice the size of most European hotels..excellent breakfast buffet, walk everywhere.

Have sent several friends and some family and the verdict has always been "Thanks, it was great"..

stu t.

Consider Hotel Alminar (www.alminar.com). Pretty spacious, modern, great location (200 steps to the Cathedral) and not too expensive.

Also, consider downloading Maribel Guides (google it).

I second Hotel Amadeaus. We stayed there for a couple of nights last summer and it was lovely - very central and beautiful room. We had breakfast, each morning, on the rooftop, and became part of the Seville skyline!