12 Things to Do in Seville When It's Too Hot at Midday

Early morning

1. Plaza de España at 8 a.m.

I got to Plaza de España just after eight, around opening time. Half of the huge semicircle was still in shade, and I could photograph the tiled benches without getting in the way of tour groups. In summer it's usually open until midnight.

Then do a loop through Parque de María Luisa before the sun takes over. It's free, and the trees make a real difference.

2. Mercado de Triana just after nine

The regular food stalls at Mercado de Triana open at 9 a.m., Monday through Saturday. When I got there, the fish counters were freshly stocked, the bread was just coming in and it still felt like the start of the workday, not the lunch rush.

I bought some fruit and had a coffee standing at the counter. The market is in Triana, across the river, right by Plaza del Altozano and the Triana Bridge (Puente de Isabel II).

3. Real Alcázar at opening time

I booked the earliest time slot at the Real Alcázar, which is 9:30 a.m. in the summer season. It was an easy call, because walking through the gardens gets a lot more tiring once the sun is high. A standard ticket is about 16 euros, or around $18.

You won't have the place to yourself, but that first hour gave me time to stop and look at the tilework and the doors. If the day already feels hot, do the gardens first.

4. Centro Cerámica Triana when the doors open

Centro Cerámica Triana, on Calle Callao a few blocks in from the river, opens at 10 a.m. Admission is about 2 euros. Allow about an hour for a visit.

I liked getting some background on all the ceramics I'd already seen on building fronts and in bars. And around eleven, it was nice to start moving indoors.

Midday

5. Museo de Bellas Artes after noon

Once the heat really set in, I went to the Museo de Bellas Artes on Plaza del Museo. In June the museum is usually open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Entry is free for EU citizens with ID, and everyone else, Americans included, pays about 1.50 euros.

Of the three museums I visited to escape the heat, this one worked best. You get cool air, benches and a reason to take your time for a couple of hours.

6. The cathedral, but not the Giralda in the heat

The cathedral works well when the sun is at its worst. It opens to visitors at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and tickets cost about 13 euros online or 14 euros at the ticket office.

Where I went wrong was going up the Giralda, the cathedral's bell tower, in the early afternoon. The view was good, but it wasn't worth climbing those ramps in the heat. Save the tower for a cooler hour.

7. Casa Fabiola in Santa Cruz

Casa Fabiola is in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, and admission is about 3 euros. It's usually open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. That makes it handy in the afternoon, when a lot of smaller places seem closed or half asleep.

I got there just after three and stayed longer than I'd planned. The collection is a manageable size, and I got as much out of the house itself as out of the paintings.

8. The Antiquarium under Las Setas

Around four, I went down into the Antiquarium, under Plaza de la Encarnación and the giant wooden canopy everyone calls Las Setas. It's an archaeological site below street level, and a standard ticket is about 2 euros. It's usually open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

I wouldn't go to Seville just for this, but as a break from the afternoon heat it worked well. By the time I came back up, the shade under Las Setas had grown.

Evening

9. Walk along the Guadalquivir after 8:30 p.m.

I waited until about 8:30 p.m. before walking along the river from the Torre del Oro toward the Triana Bridge. The sun was still up, but the walk was bearable now, and there was more of a breeze down by the water.

That stretch takes about 15 to 20 minutes if you don't stop. It took me longer, because the light on the Triana side kept getting better and I kept stopping to take pictures.

10. Eat late around Alameda de Hércules

By about 9:30 p.m., Alameda de Hércules sounded like a better idea than one more sight. It's in the northern part of the city center, and its bars and outdoor tables fill up once the temperature drops.

I ordered a few small plates and stayed put. You don't need to book every meal. Sometimes a block with a few packed bars and a little patience is all it takes.

11. Las Setas after 10 p.m.

I saved Las Setas for 10 p.m. The walkway on top is usually open until 1 a.m., and a standard ticket starts at around 16 euros. It's about a 10-minute walk from Plaza Nueva, and buses 27 and 32 stop nearby.

I wouldn't have paid 16 euros for that view at 4 p.m. Late in the evening the temperature was more reasonable, and the light over the rooftops made the visit worth the time.

12. End the night in Triana after 11 p.m.

My last walk of the night often started after 11 p.m., on the Triana side of the river. Calle Betis is the obvious stretch, but I usually turned in toward San Jacinto and the smaller streets, where the night went on at a quieter pace.

You have to adjust to the late hours. In June I ate later, walked later and slept a little longer in the middle of the day. That's when Seville started to make sense to me.

Good to know

• Be outside by 8 a.m. if you want to cover a lot of ground on foot
• Have an indoor plan for roughly noon to 5 p.m.
• Buses 27 and 32 are handy around Plaza de la Encarnación
• Bring water even on short walks
• Seville in June isn't for you if you want to be out all day or don't handle intense heat well

I'd go back in early June, but only if I could split up the day the same way. The heat held me back more than I'd expected, but the evenings gave the city a pace I really liked. The picture I remember most clearly is a simple one: 11:20 p.m. in Triana, my camera in one hand and a paper napkin soaked with olive oil in the other, in no hurry to head back.