- Saint Ferdinand — Ferdinand III of Castile, who took Seville in 1248 and is buried in the cathedral. The later monasteries belong to the city he left behind.
- Cartuja — a Carthusian monastery. Las Cuevas, on the island of La Cartuja, housed Columbus for a time and held his remains before they were moved.
- Italica — the Roman city at Santiponce, birthplace of Trajan and Hadrian. The amphitheatre and mosaics are the visit; the monastery is next door.
Castles and monasteries around Seville — the Alcazar, Italica and Carmona
Ferdinand III of Castile, later called Saint Ferdinand, took Seville in 1248. The city he entered already had an Islamic palace and a ring of walls. The Christians kept the Alcazar, added monasteries, and pushed smaller castles out across the plain. That is the ground of this page: not the cathedral choir or Bellas Artes, but the palace-fortress, the surviving walls, the houses of monks, and the towns that still show a gate or a keep.
Most visitors from the Costa del Sol should start inside Seville — the Alcazar and the Macarena walls — then go north to Santiponce for Italica and San Isidoro del Campo. Carmona is the best day trip east. Alcala de Guadaira is closer. Cazalla and the southern keeps are for a second day. Related: Seville, Cordoba.
*Book the Alcazar. Italica and San Isidoro keep their own hours. The Cartuja of Las Cuevas is now largely a contemporary art centre in the old monastery.
Words you will meet
Seville: Alcazar, walls and two monasteries
The Alcazar is the building to book first. It is an Islamic palace lived in and extended by Christian kings, with courtyards, halls and gardens that still work as a royal residence. A stretch of the old walls remains in the Macarena quarter: twelfth- and thirteenth-century fabric, Islamic in origin. Walk that fragment if you want the defensive city, not only the palace.
The Carthusian monastery of Las Cuevas was founded around 1400 on the island now called La Cartuja. Columbus stayed there; his body rested in the church for years. What you visit today is mostly the Andalusian Centre of Contemporary Art inside the old precinct. The Hieronymite monastery of San Jeronimo de Buenavista survives as remains on the north side of the city. Neither replaces the Alcazar.
Santiponce, Espartinas and La Algaba
Santiponce is the outing that pairs a monastery with Rome. San Isidoro del Campo, a Hieronymite house from 1431, has a Gothic church, tombs, an altarpiece by Martinez Montanes, and two Mudejar cloisters with traces of fresco. A few minutes away is Italica: the amphitheatre, the House of the Birds and the street grid of a city founded in 206 BC. Do both on the same morning. The ruins take longer than the cloister.
Near Espartinas stands Loreto, an eighteenth-century shrine on a fourteenth-century Franciscan site, with the parish church of the Assumption and the old hacienda. It is a short stop if you are already west of the city, not a reason to skip Santiponce. La Algaba, on the Guadalquivir north of Seville, keeps the fifteenth-century Mudejar Torre de los Guzmanes and the church of Nuestra Senora de las Nieves. The small archaeological museum is optional.
Carmona and Alcala de Guadaira
Carmona is the town east of Seville that still reads as a fortress. The Seville Gate and the Cordoba Gate mix Roman and later work. The Alcazar de Arriba, the upper fortress, looks over the plain. Below the walls, the Roman necropolis is a field of tombs cut in the rock. Santa Maria stands on the mosque site. Give Carmona half a day. The town museum, in the old town hall, is useful if you want context before the gates.
Alcala de Guadaira is closer to Seville. The castle is a ruin on the hill; Marchenilla, a fourteenth-century house in the countryside nearby, is the extra keep. The river still shows old water mills, including Benarosa. Santiago is the parish church. Parque Oromana and the Dragon Bridge are modern walks, not medieval fabric. Come for the castle if you have an hour on the way to Carmona or back to the city.
The southern keeps and Cazalla
South of the city the plain holds three smaller fortresses. Los Molares has a fourteenth-century castle, the Mudejar church of Santa Marta with a Renaissance tower, and a dolmen outside the town. El Coronil keeps Las Aguzaderas, a fifteenth-century castle, and the church of Nuestra Senora de Consolacion. Montellano’s Castle of Cote stands on the edge of the village; San Jose is a later Baroque parish. See one of these if you are already driving the southern roads. They do not replace Carmona.
Cazalla de la Sierra is a different direction: north into the Sierra Norte. The Carthusian monastery is the reason this page includes the town. The church of Nuestra Senora de Consolacion and the main square fill a short walk afterwards. Leave the bodegas and hill walks for a longer stay. Do not add Cazalla after Italica and Carmona on the same afternoon.
- Los Molares Castle — map
- Church of Santa Marta, Los Molares — map
- Dolmen of Los Molares — map
- Las Aguzaderas Castle — map
- Church of Consolacion, El Coronil — map
- Castle of Cote, Montellano — map
- Church of San Jose, Montellano — map
- Carthusian monastery, Cazalla — map
- Church of Consolacion, Cazalla — map
How to get there from Malaga
Seville is about two hours west of Malaga on the AP-4, or about the same on the high-speed train. The Alcazar, the Macarena walls and La Cartuja are then a walk or a short city bus ride. Santiponce is a few kilometres north of the centre. Carmona is half an hour east. A hire car from Malaga Airport is useful if you want Carmona and Alcala on the same trip. A private transfer can take you to a hotel in Seville; from there Italica is an easy taxi.
Car hire: the flexible option
From Malaga Airport or the Costa del Sol you can drive to Seville, park outside the old town and walk the Alcazar. The same car reaches Santiponce and Carmona the next morning. Cazalla is a longer run into the hills.
Hire a car at Malaga Airport
Taxi or private transfer
Door to door from Malaga Airport or your Costa del Sol hotel to Seville. A same-day return can cover the Alcazar if you start early. Stay overnight for Italica and Carmona.
Book a transfer*No credit-card details or advance payment are needed to request a quote. Cancellation is free. Book ahead in high season to avoid price rises and to secure the car or group size you need.
Other options
AVE and Avant trains run from Malaga Maria Zambrano to Seville Santa Justa in about two hours. From the airport take the suburban train or a bus to Maria Zambrano first. Santa Justa is outside the old town; a city bus, tram or taxi takes you to the Alcazar. Book both directions in busy months.
ALSA coaches also run Malaga–Seville. They are usually cheaper and slower than the high-speed train. From Fuengirola, Torremolinos or Marbella go into Malaga first, then west.
From Seville, city buses and the metro-tram cover the centre. Buses run to Santiponce for Italica and San Isidoro, and to Carmona. Alcala de Guadaira is on a frequent suburban line. Cazalla, Los Molares, El Coronil and Montellano have thinner services. If those villages are on the list, hire a car.
Practical tips
- Book the Alcazar first. Walk the Macarena walls the same day if you want the old defences.
- Pair Italica with San Isidoro del Campo. They sit in the same village.
- Carmona is the day trip. See the gates and the necropolis; the upper alcazar is the view.
- Las Cuevas is a monastery precinct used as a contemporary art centre. Go for the buildings and the Columbus story, not for a furnished royal palace.
- Do not add Cazalla and three southern castles after a full Alcazar morning.
Frequently asked questions about Seville’s castles and monasteries
What should I see first?
The Alcazar. Then Santiponce for Italica and San Isidoro. Carmona is the best town outside the city.
Who was Saint Ferdinand?
Ferdinand III of Castile. He took Seville in 1248. He is buried in the cathedral. The later monasteries belong to the Christian city he left behind.
Is Italica in Seville?
It is at Santiponce, a few kilometres north of the centre. The amphitheatre and mosaics are there. San Isidoro del Campo is in the same village.
Did Columbus live at Las Cuevas?
He stayed at the Carthusian monastery and was buried there for a time. The precinct is now largely a contemporary art centre.
Is Carmona worth a half day?
Yes. The gates, the upper alcazar and the Roman necropolis are the reasons to go. Alcala de Guadaira is closer but smaller.
How long is the train from Malaga?
About two hours on AVE or Avant from Maria Zambrano to Santa Justa. Add the airport train into Malaga and a taxi from Santa Justa to the Alcazar.
