5 of the best hostels in Seville

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Lovely, lively Seville is Andalucia’s capital, and southern Spain’s biggest city. Here you can visit the home of flamenco, eat some of the country’s best tapas, tour the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world and marvel at Moorish architecture. Throw in a bar and club scene that reaches past dawn and some of Spain’s wildest festivals, and you’ve the recipe for an intoxicating trip.

Plaza de España, Seville (Photo: HyunJae Park via Flickr / Public Domain Mark 1.0)

There’s budget accommodation across the city, with many hostels clustering in the historic centre, within walking distance of the city’s main sights and nightlife. Be warned: summers are scorching hot, so you’ll either be looking for a place with air conditioning, or naturally cool, airy rooms. Our favourites are a good bet throughout the year, and offer roof terraces that are perfect for the city’s warm nights.

Seville’s historic centre has tapas bars aplenty – shutters help keep buildings cool (Photo: SJ Grant via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

San Isidoro Sevilla
This much-loved family-run hostel has a great location, between the shops and tapas bars of El Centro and the gardens and cathedral of Barrio Santa Cruz. The rooms – in a 200-year-old building – are simple but bright and cool, and service is friendly and helpful. There’s a rooftop terrace and plenty of shared space for cooking and relaxing.
30 Calle San Isidoro

Oasis Backpackers’ Palace Sevilla
There are two Oasis Backpackers to choose from in the city. This is the larger of the two, with a big roof terrace equipped with a bar and pool; regular live music and free flamenco lessons make it a destination in itself. There are over 200 beds, in a mix of dorms and private rooms. It’s in buzzing El Centro, 15 minutes’ walk north of the cathedral. The linked Oasis Backpackers’ Hostel is smaller but slightly more central.
Calle Almirante Ulloa

Triana lies across the Guadalquivir river from central Seville (Photo: Anne Scott Turner via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

Triana Backpackers
The Triana neighbourhood sits across the Guadalquivir river from central Seville, and has strong links to flamenco, pottery and tile-making, and the city’s Romani population. That – and the great sweep of the river itself – makes it one of the city’s most enjoyable districts, and in the air-conditioned Triana Backpackers, it has a great budget base. The palace and cathedral are 15 minutes’ walk away, there’s fun nightlife nearby, and the rooftop has hammocks and a jacuzzi.
69 Calle Rodrigo de Triana

A jamon-topped tortilla de patatas: Seville’s tapas are among Spain’s best (Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

La Banda Rooftop Hostel
La Banda takes a boutique approach to hostel life, with handmade beds, vintage furniture and a carefully curated soundtrack. The rooftop is the heart of it all, with cathedral views, live bands, well-priced food and cocktails. With 40 beds across seven clean, compact rooms, it’s not the biggest hostel in town, but it gets some of the best reviews.
Calle Dos de Mayo 16

Black Swan
It has a great location for sightseeing, just around the corner from the city’s main square, Plaza de San Francisco. And with air-conditioning, decent-sized beds and free dinner, Black Swan is is one of Seville’s best budget options. Organized nights out and tours plus a sociable patio are good if you’re looking to hang with your fellow backpackers, while well-maintained double rooms and dorms should help you doze long enough to hit the sights with a spring in your step the next day.
Calle Bilbao 8–10

By James Smart