Seville Cathedral

After the Alcazar, it is undoubtedly the Cathedral – in Spanish Catedral de Santa María de la Sede de Sevilla – with the iconic Giralda Tower the second most famous and spectacular tourist attraction in Seville.

Built on the site of an ancient Almohad mosque, at 126 metres long and 83 metres wide it is one of the largest churches in the world. It is a magnificent construction that mixes Gothic and Renaissance elements, with a monumental exterior and an interior rich in decoration and artistic treasures.

Inside the Cathedral of Seville you can see what is considered to be the tomb of Christopher Columbus. In reality, it has never been possible to attribute with certainty the remains inside to the Genoese navigator. The mystery remains and so does the fascination of this place.

The Giralda Tower is the cathedral’s bell tower, which was the minaret of the original mosque. It is 90 metres high, but you can easily reach the top because the flights of stairs were built wide enough for even guards on horseback to climb! On its top flies El Girardillo, a bronze weathervane that has become the symbol of Seville.

The Giralda and the Cathedral form a single architectural complex, but are two separate sights, so much so that it is possible to buy admission to climb to the top and enjoy an extraordinary 360-degree panorama of Seville. In all, the tower has no less than 24 bells, to which is added the clock tower on a higher level, bringing the total to 25 bells, making Seville Cathedral the Spanish church with the most bells.

Official entrance tickets to the Cathedral

Due to the large influx of tourists to the Cathedral, we recommend you buy a skip-the-line ticket online at this link: it will save you a lot of time in line at the entrance, perhaps under the hot Seville sun! The ticket includes the ascent and view from the Giralda.

Combined tickets and guided tours

As an alternative to the single ticket, you can book a guided tour with an official tour guide who will explain everything about Seville’s main attractions.

In addition, many tourists visit the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Alcazar together. If you want to optimise your time, you can buy a single tour that includes entrance tickets and a guide.