Barrio Santa Cruz

Barrio de Santa Cruz

White walls, ochre trim and flowerpots: Seville's postcard lanes

Address

The lanes behind the Alcázar's north wall, centred on Plaza de Doña Elvira

Through a gate beside the Alcázar wall the streets suddenly narrow, and white houses trimmed in ochre crowd together. This was the Jewish quarter, so the lanes twist like a maze and every balcony has geraniums hanging off it. Tiny squares with orange trees pop up out of nowhere, and some alleys are so tight the balconies almost touch. By day it's full of visitors, but once the tapas bars light up after 9pm the mood changes completely.