Seville With a Toddler: Why We Loved This Family City Break
I think Seville might be my favourite city we’ve ever visited with a toddler.
We spent a week there in September with our 22-month-old daughter and, despite temperatures reaching around 38°C, I couldn’t believe how easy the city was to explore as a family.
Seville is flat, incredibly walkable and we had no problems getting around with our pushchair. Our daughter walked when she wanted to, there seemed to be toddler-friendly playgrounds everywhere, and when she got tired she simply napped in the pram while we carried on exploring.
But what I loved most was that we didn’t have to turn the holiday into a completely child-centred city break.
We still wandered beautiful streets, stopped for coffee and croissants, ate our way through tapas bars and food markets, joined a food tour, drank beers in the sunshine, visited rooftop bars and watched the sun set over the city. Our toddler just came along for the ride — usually with some bread, ham or an ice cream in her hand.
We stayed for seven nights in September, and by the end of the week I genuinely didn’t want to leave.
If you’re wondering what it’s really like visiting Seville with a toddler, here’s everything we learned — where we stayed, what we did, what our toddler actually enjoyed, where we ate and the practical things I wish I’d known before we went.
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Is Seville good with a toddler?
For us, absolutely. In fact, Seville turned out to be one of the easiest cities we’ve visited with a toddler.
The city is compact and surprisingly easy to explore on foot. We took our pushchair everywhere and our daughter could hop in and out whenever she wanted. When she got tired, she’d nap in it while we carried on walking, stopped for tapas or sat somewhere with a cold beer.
There were also playgrounds seemingly everywhere. We didn’t seek them out or plan our days around them — we’d just stumble across one while exploring. One of our favourites was in Plaza de la Alfalfa, where our daughter could play while we sat nearby with beers, meat and cheese. There was another beneath the Setas that we returned to on our final day.
Eating out was much easier than I’d expected too. We didn’t see many highchairs, but it never really became a problem. Tapas worked brilliantly because we’d order several dishes for the table and there was nearly always something our daughter wanted to try.
And that’s probably the biggest reason I loved Seville as a family destination. We didn’t feel as though we had to choose between having a city break and having a toddler.
We could visit the Alcázar in the afternoon, stop at a playground afterwards, eat tapas while she napped, get an ice cream when she woke up and finish the day watching the sunset with a drink.
It felt remarkably easy.
Where to stay in Seville with a toddler: our experience
We stayed at Genteel Home Betis 67 in Triana, just across the Guadalquivir River from the historic centre, and I absolutely loved this location.
We had Apartment 2, which was enormous compared with what we’d normally expect from city accommodation. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a proper kitchen and a large living and dining area, so there was plenty of space for all of us.
There was also a small outside area which came in surprisingly handy for drying swimming things, and having a kitchen made life much easier with a toddler. We could keep milk, fruit and snacks in the apartment and give our daughter some cereal or fruit before heading out for breakfast ourselves.
But the highlight was upstairs.
The building had a rooftop pool and terrace with incredible views across Seville. There was even a lift up to the pool level, which meant we didn’t have to negotiate stairs with the pushchair.
We’d often come back here after a day exploring, and on our final night the rooftop became the perfect place for our little goodbye to Seville — more on that later.
It was a pretty perfect way to end the holiday.
Was Triana a good area to stay with a toddler?
For us, yes. I’d happily stay there again.
For a week in Seville with a toddler, having that much space was wonderful.
We were on Calle Betis, right beside the river, with plenty of bars and restaurants around us. Despite that, we found our apartment surprisingly quiet.
Most mornings we’d leave the apartment, cross the river and wander into the centre for coffee and a croissant. We could reach many of Seville’s main sights on foot, but staying across the river meant we also got to experience Triana rather than spending the whole week in the historic centre.
Mercado de Triana was nearby, as was one of our favourite stops from the food tour, Bar Las Golondrinas.
It felt like we had the best of both worlds: close enough to walk almost everywhere, but with a neighbourhood full of places we actually wanted to eat and drink right outside the door.
Arriving at 2am with a toddler
Our arrival wasn’t quite as relaxed.
We flew from Stansted on an evening flight which was delayed, and by the time we eventually reached our apartment it was around 2am.
Thankfully, we’d planned for a late night.
We’d already dressed our daughter in her pyjamas and put her in a sleep sack designed with openings for pushchair and car-seat straps. Our Silver Cross Clic pushchair also folds small enough to go in the overhead locker, so we were able to keep it with us rather than checking it into the hold.
We’d brought our own car seat and took a taxi we’d pre-booked through Klook from Seville Airport to the apartment.
Travelling late with a toddler is never going to be my first choice, but having everything organised before we left made it much less painful than it could have been.
Would I recommend Genteel Home Betis 67 for families?
Based on our stay, yes.
The amount of space, kitchen, air conditioning, lifts, rooftop pool and location all worked brilliantly for us with a 22-month-old.
Obviously, accommodation facilities and room configurations can change, so I’d check the current details before booking rather than assuming everything will be exactly as it was during our stay in September 2023.
Check prices and availability at Genteel Home Betis 67
Our favourite things to do in Seville with a toddler
We managed to fit a surprising amount into our week in Seville. Some things were planned, others we simply stumbled across, but these are the experiences I’d particularly recommend with a toddler.
Plaza de España and María Luisa Park
Plaza de España was one of the places I was most excited to see before we arrived, and it didn’t disappoint.
We went in the morning before the day became too hot and took the pushchair, although our daughter was quite happy getting out and exploring.
The sheer size of Plaza de España actually makes it brilliant with a toddler. There’s space to wander without constantly worrying about traffic, and afterwards we continued into Parque de María Luisa, where there was even more room for her to walk around.
Real Alcázar of Seville
We spent the afternoon at the Real Alcázar, and this was one of my favourite sights in Seville.
The palace itself is stunning, but with a toddler I particularly loved being able to move between the interiors and the gardens. Our daughter could get out of the pushchair and explore rather than spending the entire visit strapped in.
It was hot when we visited, so we took our time rather than trying to rush through everything.
Check tickets and tours for the Real Alcázar
Setas de Sevilla at sunset
We ended up around the Setas several times during our holiday, but my favourite visit was around sunset.
We walked up and around the top as the light changed over Seville and then stayed in the area for drinks afterwards. The views were beautiful.
But our daughter’s favourite part was considerably closer to ground level.
There’s a playground underneath.
We came back to it on our final day and she had a brilliant time crawling through the tunnel and playing while we took a break from sightseeing.
Check tickets and tours for Setas de Sevilla
Seville Aquarium
We visited the aquarium later in the week and this was an easy win with our daughter.
After several days of architecture, palaces and walking around the city, suddenly everything was moving and colourful and at toddler eye level.
She loved it.
It was also another useful indoor activity when the weather outside was extremely hot.
Check Seville Aquarium tickets
Pabellón de la Navegación
This one surprised us.
We took the sightseeing bus to the Pabellón de la Navegación, partly because it gave us something indoors to do away from the heat.
It ended up being one of those places that worked for all three of us.
There were interactive elements for our daughter, including a boat she could climb around, but there was enough history and information to make it genuinely interesting for us too.
We also took the lift to the top of the tower, where there were fantastic views across Seville.
I don’t think this would necessarily have been at the top of my Seville wish list before the trip, but with a toddler — particularly on a hot day — I’d absolutely recommend it.
The hop-on/hop-off sightseeing bus
We bought a two-day ticket for the hop-on/hop-off sightseeing bus, and it turned out to be much better value than I’d expected.
By this point we’d already walked miles around Seville, so initially I was just grateful for the opportunity to sit down, give our legs a rest and watch the city go past. With a toddler — and in the September heat — it was also a really easy way to cover more of Seville without constantly walking.
But our ticket included much more than just two days on the bus.
Our ticket included entry to the Pabellón de la Navegación, which is where we hopped off on Day 5. We took the lift to the top of the tower for beautiful views across Seville before exploring the museum itself. It was interactive enough to keep our daughter entertained and, importantly, wonderfully cool inside.
There were also walking tours and other extras included with the ticket, although we didn’t manage to use everything during our stay.
I’d definitely check exactly what’s included when booking, as the extras can change, but it made our two-day ticket feel like much better value than simply paying for a sightseeing bus.
TIP: Check all the extras included with your sightseeing bus ticket before paying separately for attractions. Our two-day ticket included entry to the Pabellón de la Navegación as well as walking tours and other perks. Current tickets also include various free entries, discounts and an offer at Mercado del Barranco — although these change, so check the latest inclusions when you book.
Check prices and what’s included with the Seville sightseeing bus
More things we did in Seville with our toddler
Seville Cathedral
We actually visited Seville Cathedral twice — although the first time we only admired it from the outside while exploring the city on our first day.
Later in the week we went back to see inside, and it really is spectacular.
My husband also went up for the views while I stayed below with our daughter and the pushchair. The views from the top were beautiful, but this wasn’t something we could do with the pram, so it was easier for us to take turns.
The Cathedral itself was absolutely worth visiting, even without going up for the views.
Check tickets and tours for Seville Cathedral
Plaza de Toros
We also visited Seville’s bullring, the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza.
Bullfighting isn’t something I’d personally want to watch, but I was interested in seeing the arena and learning more about its history and significance in Seville.
It was quite fascinating to stand inside somewhere we’d heard so much about, even though attending an actual bullfight wouldn’t be for us.
And in what was becoming a fairly reliable pattern on this holiday, we followed our cultural experience with something much more exciting for our daughter:
a playground.
We headed to Parque Pakote afterwards so she could have a run around.
A boat trip along the Guadalquivir
On our final day, we picked up a croissant for breakfast and went for a boat trip along the Guadalquivir.
It was a lovely, easy thing to do with our daughter and gave us a completely different view of the city we’d spent the previous week exploring on foot.
We passed some of Seville’s landmarks from the water and our daughter was very happy on board — including sitting inside one of the orange lifebuoys, which resulted in one of my favourite photographs from the trip.
See Seville river cruises and boat trips
Eating in Seville with a toddler
One of my favourite things about Seville was how easy it was to eat well with a toddler.
We didn’t spend the week searching for restaurants with children’s menus or specifically “family-friendly” places. Instead, our daughter ate alongside us in tapas bars, markets and restaurants, usually sharing whatever we’d ordered for the table.
Tapas actually worked brilliantly. We could order several small dishes and there was nearly always something she’d eat — bread, meat, cheese, croquettes, potatoes and, of course, plenty of ice cream.
Highchairs weren’t something we saw everywhere, but it didn’t cause us too many problems. And when she fell asleep in the pushchair, we’d often take the opportunity to stop somewhere for a leisurely beer and a few plates of food.
Basically, toddler nap time became tapas time.
Our Seville food tour
One of the best things we did was a food tour we’d booked through GetYourGuide.
It wasn’t just about eating. As we moved between stops, our guide told us about Seville’s history and the neighbourhoods we were walking through, so it was a brilliant introduction to the city early in our trip.
One of our favourite stops was Bar Las Golondrinas in Triana, and I particularly remember learning about the history of Callejón de la Inquisición.
Our daughter came along with us and tried bits of the food as we went. I wasn’t sure beforehand whether a food tour would work particularly well with a 22-month-old, but for us it did.
See food tours in Seville on GetYourGuide
Mercado del Barranco
We ended up at Mercado del Barranco several times during the week.
Our first visit was on Day 1 when our daughter fell asleep in the pushchair. We stopped for beers and tapas while she napped and quickly realised this was a very pleasant way to spend nap time!
We returned later in the holiday for drinks and nibbles and then somehow found ourselves back there again for an early lunch on our final day.
Food halls and markets worked particularly well for us as a family because we weren’t committed to a long formal meal and could choose different things depending on what everyone fancied.
The churros we discovered far too late
This still annoys me.
On Day 6 we finally tried La Churrería, which was only a short walk from where we were staying.
The churros and coffee were incredible.
We’d already eaten churros on our food tour, but these were even better. In fact, I think they might be the best churros I’ve ever eaten.
And we’d spent almost an entire week staying just down the road without trying them.
If we’d discovered La Churrería on Day 1, I’m fairly certain we’d have been there every morning.
The dish we still talk about
We had lunch at Pan y Circo after visiting the Navigation Museum and ordered a dish that I can’t remember perfectly.
It was pork, stuffed with blue cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
Whatever it was called, it was ridiculously good.
My husband and I still talk about it now, which is probably the highest praise I can give a plate of food we ate three years ago.
Ice cream at Mito
And then there was Mito.
We went more than once.
The gelato was so good that we deliberately walked back there on our final day for one last visit before collecting our bags and heading to the airport.
Best ice cream ever?
Quite possibly.
A few more favourites
There were far too many good meals to cover properly here.
We had fantastic food overlooking the Setas at La Santa, delicious Arabic food at El Egipcio, tapas and possibly the best steak of the trip at Bodeguitas Antonio Romero, and plenty of spontaneous stops for ham, cheese, beer and whatever else looked good.
On our final night, we decided not to go out for dinner again. Instead, we ordered an Uber Eats, opened a bottle of wine and took everything up to the rooftop terrace.
It became our little goodbye to Seville. We sat looking out over the river, with the buzz of the bars below us, chatting about everything we’d done that week. Meanwhile, our daughter somehow found enough energy for a cheeky evening dip in the rooftop pool — much to the delight of the other guests!
The food wasn’t really what made the evening memorable. It was simply one of those lovely family moments when you can sit, take everything in and realise just how brilliant the week has been.
Is Seville pram friendly?
In our experience, very.
Seville is mostly flat and we found it incredibly easy to explore with our Silver Cross Clic. We walked miles during the week and I don’t remember ever feeling that bringing a pushchair was making the trip difficult.
Our daughter was 22 months old, so she was constantly alternating between wanting to walk everywhere herself and suddenly deciding she’d had enough. Having the pushchair meant she could hop in when she wanted and, most importantly, sleep while we carried on exploring.
That worked brilliantly for us.
Rather than heading back to the apartment every afternoon for a nap, she’d often fall asleep in the pushchair while we walked. We’d then find somewhere for a beer and some tapas and let her sleep.
There were obviously individual attractions where the pushchair wasn’t suitable for every part — my husband went up for the views at the Cathedral without us, for example — but for exploring Seville itself, I wouldn’t hesitate to take one again.
Visiting Seville in September with a toddler
There is one thing I definitely wouldn’t underestimate about Seville:
the heat.
We visited from 22–29 September and temperatures reached around 38°C during our stay. Even though it was technically heading towards autumn, it certainly didn’t feel like it.
What surprised me was how manageable we still found it.
We weren’t rushing from attraction to attraction and there were plenty of opportunities to get out of the sun. We’d stop for drinks, wander through shaded streets, spend time indoors and let our daughter dictate the pace when necessary.
The aquarium and Pabellón de la Navegación were particularly welcome when we wanted a break from the heat.
Having an air-conditioned apartment and the rooftop pool helped too.
I certainly wouldn’t assume late September means cool weather in Seville. If you’re travelling with a toddler, pack for the heat, carry plenty of water and be prepared to change your plans if it becomes too much.
Practical tips for visiting Seville with a toddler
A few little things made our week considerably easier:
- Take a lightweight pushchair that reclines. Ours became somewhere to nap as well as a way of getting around.
- Don’t take a week’s worth of nappies. We brought enough for the first couple of days and bought the rest locally.
- Pack a few familiar snacks for the journey. Once we were there, finding food for our daughter wasn’t difficult.
- Don’t rely on highchairs. We didn’t see them everywhere, although this never became much of an issue for us.
- Let tapas work in your favour. Ordering several dishes for the table meant there was usually something our daughter wanted.
- Use the playgrounds. We didn’t plan our days around them, but letting her run around between sightseeing stops made a huge difference.
- Consider the sightseeing bus. Our two-day ticket gave our legs a rest and included extras such as the Pabellón de la Navegación when we visited.
- Don’t be afraid of a slower day. Our first day was largely spent wandering, eating and getting our bearings, and it was a lovely introduction to the city.
How many days do you need in Seville with a toddler?
We stayed for seven nights, and I wouldn’t have wanted to cram our trip into a long weekend.
Having a full week meant we never felt as though every hour needed to be accounted for. We could stop at a playground because our daughter wanted to play, sit somewhere for a drink while she slept, revisit Mercado del Barranco for the third time or abandon whatever vague plan we’d had because it was simply too hot.
Could you see Seville in three or four days? Definitely.
But travelling with a toddler is rarely improved by trying to fit as much as possible into every day.
For us, a week gave us enough time to actually enjoy the city rather than just work our way through a sightseeing list.
And if you’d offered me another week at the end?
I’d probably have taken it.
Would we go back to Seville with kids?
1000% yes.
What I loved most was that travelling with our daughter didn’t stop us experiencing the Seville we’d hoped to experience.
We visited palaces and markets, went on a food tour, ate tapas, drank beers in the sunshine, watched street flamenco, explored parks, cruised along the river and sat on rooftops watching the city change as the sun went down.
Alongside all of that, our daughter played in playgrounds, climbed around boats, watched the fish at the aquarium, ate an impressive quantity of bread and ham and had more than her fair share of ice cream.
It felt like a family holiday where everyone got something out of it.
Our final night probably sums it up best. We ordered an Uber Eats, opened a bottle of wine and took everything up to the rooftop terrace of our apartment.
We sat overlooking the river, listening to the buzz from the bars below and talking about everything we’d done that week, while our daughter squeezed in one final cheeky evening dip in the pool — much to the delight of the other guests.
It felt like our little goodbye to Seville.
And I really didn’t want to leave.
FAQs
Is Seville good for toddlers?
For us, absolutely. It’s walkable, largely flat, has plenty of open spaces and playgrounds, and we found it easy to eat out and sightsee with our 22-month-old.
Is Seville easy with a pushchair?
We found it very easy. We used our pushchair throughout the week for getting around and naps, although some individual attractions or viewpoints weren’t completely pushchair accessible.
Where is the best area to stay in Seville with a toddler?
We stayed in Triana and loved it. We were close enough to walk across the river into the historic centre while having restaurants, bars and Mercado de Triana nearby. Our apartment also gave us far more space than a standard hotel room.
How long should you spend in Seville with kids?
We stayed for seven nights and thought a week worked brilliantly with a toddler. You could see the main sights in three or four days, but the extra time allowed us to explore at a much slower pace.
Is Seville too hot for children in September?
It can still be extremely hot. We experienced temperatures of around 38°C during our late-September trip. We coped by taking things slowly, finding shade, stopping frequently and mixing outdoor sightseeing with indoor attractions.
Love planning a trip around food?
Check out my complete guide to where to eat in Seville with kids, including the restaurants, tapas bars, markets, churros and ice cream we tried during our week in the city.
