Staying in Seville during holy week

Glad you are interested in Seville.
Holy Week and Féria are wonderful times to visit Seville.

This page may be helpful:

https://visitasevilla.es/en/holy-week-in-seville/

As a child I remember Holy Week and Féria (1954).

Over the years been to both events many times.

My advice….
- Best to make reservations for accommodations, places to eat, transportation, etc EARLY as possible.
- Recent check of my favorite hotels show all full …. already (September ).
- Be ready for large crowds! Gives a new meaning of “elbow to elbow” viewing from the streets! Jammed packed. Especially cathedral area.
- Very high prices to reserve (if desired) a viewing seat at street level. Balconies (at various levels) can also be rented along the routes. Both are very expensive and obtaining reservations may be almost impossible to obtain even now (September).
-Hotel rates go way up!
-if staying out of the city (Seville) make reservations EARLY. The buses/trains to/from Seville will be most likely booked solid well in advance. I.e., staying in Cadiz, Jerez, etc may be a challenge to ride the bus/train to/from Seville.

- parking rental car, during both of these events, is hard to find a parking space. I would even say next to impossible! Expect rates to go up as well.

Now I have seen “pockets “ where one can view, park and get a hotel reservation.

“ Alcarez” = Real Alcazar.

The best web page for Seville is:
Exploreseville.com

Unfortunately, it is under repair at the moment.

Has everything you will need to know about Seville and more.

I'm in Andalucia every year around that time but have not yet braved Sevilla during Holy Week (Semana Santa).

One bit of advice I might offer is this: The processions take place in many towns across the region. If you are interested but do not want to pay the rates for hotels and deal with the crowds in Sevilla, you can choose another town that will have the processions on a smaller scale.....if you are interested, we can offer some alternatives to Sevilla. (I will be in Andalucia this year during that time and am now gathering tips on where I might travel to see some of the activity......you could look at Jerez, Cadiz or even smaller Conil de la Frontera, options not too far from Sevilla but smaller in scope.. There is a lot of info on those online but right now I can't find anything in English for 2027..

Malaga is a great city that has a big Semana Santa tradition. Crowded, but not as bad as Seville.

I was in Andalucia about 10 years ago for Semana Santa. I'd been to Sevilla before and it was my first time in Malaga. I was in Malaga 2 days before Palm Sunday and left for Sevilla on Tuesday for 4 nights. I much preferred Malaga. Though there was a holiday atmosphere, people take the processions seriously. I am neither Christian nor religious but I found the experience very moving. I had time in the mornings and early afternoons for sightseeing. I didn't have any trouble getting a table at restaurants, though I didn't look for "highly recommended" ones. Sevilla was very different. There was a festive atmosphere and crowds weren't respectful, unlike Malaga. I went to a couple sights that weren't crowded - not the "biggies" though. Many tourists in both cities were Spanish. The main streets leading to the cathedrals are cordoned off to vehicles for the week, other streets are cordoned off for hours if a procession (there are many and they are long) is scheduled to pass through. Best to stay where you are within easy walking distance of the cathedral and take into account that you may have to walk some way from a bus or taxi to your room from the train stations.

I left Sevilla for Cordoba on Saturday afternoon. Easter Sunday in Cordoba was very quiet and felt like just another Sunday.

I have been to Sevilla on four occasions. Last year we wanted to go for Holy Week/Easter but prices were sky high and not many lodging options remained. I am sure it would be quite a moving and memorable celebration but it was beyond my budget. I also knew that the crowds would be huge. I was in Sevilla once, years ago, for the Corpus Christi celebrations and it was packed and Semana Santa draws in even more people. So we tabled Sevilla and went to Zaragoza instead and it was truly wonderful and we were very happy with that decision. There were spectacular multiple processions each day lasting until well after midnight and each group was different. All very colorful and solemn and eager to demonstrate their devotion and faith. Each confraternity had its own color, garb, music and traditions. The city's historical old Town itself was amazing, buzzing with activities. Very attractive with lots to see and do. It was not over touristed and we had no trouble getting into restaurants. We were able to get a good hotel right between the main plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and the Plaza del Seo, right in the heart of the area where all the processions passed. And prices in Zaragoza were budget friendly. We also took the public bus to the Aljaferia Palace and toured that. If I remember correctly the public bus transportation was free if staying at a hotel. If you are set on Sevilla, book early and know that it will be very busy. If not, there are lots of alternatives all over Spain. Málaga's Holy Week celebrations are also very famous. But I'd like to suggest Zaragoza for consideration.

Pat, thanks for your reply. You brought back memories.

We moved from Seville to Ferrol.

Holy Week in Galicia is something to experience.

https://visitferrol.com/semana-santa-2/?lang=en

Many spend a few days in Galicia during Holy Week. Then walk the Camino de Santiago’s Ingles Route to Santiago.

Galicia is beautiful. Wonderful people. Always good food!

https://www.turismo.gal/inicio?langId=en_US

I can add a few comments to the info already posted:

• In Seville, not only do hotel rates skyrocket during Holy Week, but also cancellation rules become a lot more stringent. When I traveled there in 2019, I had difficulty finding a hotel that would allow me to cancel up to 2 weeks before my arrival date, and I stood to lose the entire amount of the booking (not just the first night) if I needed to cancel later than that. I'd have been very uncomfortable with a 3-day cancellation policy for such an expensive room. I think I was making my reservation the previous December.

• Most sights remain open during Holy Week (though churches that are staging areas for processions may not be very accessible), but opening hours may change, if only because processions may block access to museum buildings from time to time. The local tourist office may be able to provide a handout with special Holy Week visiting hours. You might be able to find that information online a week or two ahead of time.

• You probably will not be able to sightsee as efficiently as possible during Holy Week. The procession will slow you down as you move from one sight to the next, the changes in hours may complicate things (possibly requiring multiple visits to the same part of the city), and you'll probably spend some time simply watching processions. I'd recommend adding a day or so at each major stop if you have a significant amount of traditional sightseeing planned.