One thing you probably know about Seville is that it is hot with a capital 🔆 in the summer months. Hot, hot, hot. For this reason, if you’re visiting for any length of time you’re probably going to ask how to get to the beach from Seville at least once!

In this article we’re going to look at how to get to the beach from Seville and which beaches you can easily access from Seville even for a day trip or as part of a road trip around Andalucia.

⭐️ Disclaimer: my personal preference is for wild and empty beaches over busy beaches full of people and facilities. Just keep this in mind when working through the list of beaches I recommend. The article has a balance of beach styles but photos are primarily of empty beaches because that’s where I love to be.

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Where is Seville?

The city of Seville is located in the province of Seville in the southern autonomous region of Andalucia in southern Spain (just three hours by train from the epic Spanish capital, Madrid). Both the city and the province are landlocked. Seville itself has no coastline and no beaches. This doesn’t mean that it’s hard to get to the beach from the city of Seville, however, it just means you wind up in another province. Handily, all the provinces of Andalucia are utterly gorgeous.

✈️ The Seville airport is an easy 10km from the city – and there is a helpful bus that goes right from the airport into town.

How to get to the Beach from Seville

Let’s consider the three main beach towns near Seville first:

Should You Take a Day Trip or Stay at the Beach?

Actually, both are possible since Sevilla is so nicely located so close to so many truly incredible beaches. The closest beach is just 90 minutes or so away from the city. 

⛺️ If you’re going to stay over at the beach, please remember that wild camping is not legal in Spain so don’t just show up and expect to pitch a tent. There are plenty of official campsites along the southern Spanish coast within easy reach of Seville. There are also hotels, apartments and even glamping sites available.

⛺️ Just remember that the summer months mean high season so everyone in Seville is looking to get to the beach. Don’t show up and expect to find accommodation: pre-booking is imperative. (And on the flip side, when I tried to book a winter time hotel in a beach area the other day I realised the hotel is closed Nov – March!)

➡️ If you’re in Seville with kids then a day at the beach will be an extremely welcome break for them.

What Sort of Times are We Talking at the Beach?

⏰ This is a great question. My preference is to alway go early to the beach. I like to leave home early and get home late. However, the Spanish, if they’re day-tripping, often prefer to go after lunch and enjoy the early evening on the beach, have supper in a chiringuito or one of the many beach bars and only then head home to Seville.

Chiringuito – beachside shack/cafe/restaurant – in reality it is any beachside spot selling food. I’ve been to some that really are little more than beach shacks and I’ve been to others that serve incredible cuisine. They all sell great seafood and beer, that’s all we need! 

⏰ When in Andalucía we can’t forget about the all important siesta. In many places, especially small towns, life stops between 2 – 6 as everyone goes home to eat lunch and rest. Many restaurants at the beach will stay open all day but others will close at 4 pm and not open again until 8.30 pm or so.

How to get to the beach from Seville by Province

OK so you’ve figured out your transport preferences and you know you can stay at the beach until late so let’s look now at beach options and how to help you escape the summer heat of Seville. 

Realistically, if you’re going to the beach from Seville you’re going to the beach in Huelva, Cádiz or maybe Malaga. If you feel like crossing the border, honestly there are breathtaking beaches to visit in Portugal that are easily accessible too.

In this article we’re going to focus on Huelva and Cádiz since these provinces offer the closest beaches for anyone in Seville.

Beaches in Huelva Province 

The Huelva Province coast stretches from the Portuguese border all the way to Playa Matalascañas. The whole of this coastline is part of the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light). Many of the beaches in Huelva make me weep at their beauty. Much of the Huelva coast is located within the gorgeous Doñana National park.

⭐️ There are a myriad of excellent reasons to visit Spain, keep reading to learn more about this magnificent country ⭐️

🏖 Matalascañas

The easiest and nearest beach to reach from Seville, this gorgeous beach is very popular. However, if you have your own transport it’s easy to drive in either direction from the resort area and find nigh on deserted stretches of beach.

Matalascañas is famous for its weird upside down Torre la Higuera.

🚌 It is possible to take a bus from Seville to the small town of Matalascañas.

🚗 100 km 1 hr 20

✅ Take a day trip to Matalascañas, El Rocío and Doñana National Park

⭐️ Because we have a car we prefer to be west of this beach area between Playa Matalascañas and Playa del Parador de Mazagon – around El Arenosillo and Playa Rompeculos (yeah, ass-breaker beach). Its possible to park and then carry everything down to the beach. Note that parking isn’t super close but the walk on raised wooden paths through or alongside the forest is, for me, part of the joy of visiting beaches in this area.

🏖 Punta Umbría

This is one of the most popular beaches areas in the region. People rave about the magical sunsets here but sadly, I haven’t had the chance to stay late here yet so I’ve never seen sunset from Punta Umbria. While the town of Punta Umbría and the beaches closest to town have something of a party reputation, the beaches away from town are as wild, free and breathtaking as you might hope to find anywhere.

🚌 There is no direct bus from Seville. Take a bus to Huelva and transfer to a Punta Umbria bus.

🚗 112 km 1 hr 20

⭐️ This was the first beach I visited after moving to Seville. We drove to Playa de Enebrales just outside of Punta Umbria. Here you walk through a pine forest until you reach the wild and empty beach. The are small sand dunes to enjoy here too. Expect no services if you’re outside of the town.

✅ Organise a private tour of the Huelva beaches

What Else to do in Huelva

➡️ Visit Huelva City, a beautiful place that sees very few international tourists. Wander through the city, head down to the water to explore the Muelle de Río Tinto.

➡️ Stop in the small town of Niebla to check out the Río Tinto (yes, it’s red) and the castle.

Visit El Rocío on your way home from the beach. This is a fascinating town that exists primarily for the enormous pilgrimage that takes place every April.

➡️ La Rábida – explore this area of Huelva’s docks if you fancy a bit of culture. Here you’ll find museums, replicas of Columbus’ trio of Atlantic going boats, botanical gardens and more.

➡️ Visit Aracena in the north of Huelva Province, this is one of my favourite places to spend a day away from a beach. Aracena is a a small town nestled in the hills of the Sierra de Aracena. It is famous for its mushrooms, a gorgeous old castle and some of the best caves in Europe.

➡️ Visit Almonaster La Real and the incredible tenth century mezquita hiding in plain view.

Beaches in the Province of Cadiz 

If you have ever wondered where locals choose to go to the beach (by locals, I mean people in western Andalucia particularly), they choose the beaches of Cádiz. The Cádiz coastline is absolutely beautiful but it’s rarely entirely unspoiled. The Cádiiz coast is part of the Costa de la Luz and the beaches are still Atlantic Ocean beaches. In the summer the water might be warm enough to enjoy but never in winter.

If you have a car, then all of the gorgeous Cádiz coast is easily reached. If not, many of the Cádiz beaches are easier to reach from Jerez de la Frontera than from Seville.

Let’s take a look now at some of Cádiz’s best beaches.

🏖 Playa la Caleta, Cádiz

This small beach is located in the Old Town of Cádiz. It’s a gorgeous horseshoe shape beach that locals love to frequent. Flanked by Castillo de Santa Catalina and Castillo de San Sebastian, the atmosphere on this small town beach is utterly wonderful. Be sure to also head into the old city of Cádiz for lunch and to visit a museum or two and the Camera Obsura.

🚌 Easily reached from Seville

🚂 If train is your preference then La Caleta is the easiest beach to visit from Seville

🚗 125 km 1hr 30

⭐️ Playa Santa María del Mar is an even closer beach to the train station in Cádiz.

✅ Take an organised tour to Cádiz if you don’t fancy public transport

🏖 Chipiona

Chipiona is the first town in Cádiz after you leave Huelva province via the coast. It has a number of city beaches that are well serviced by chiringuitos and lifeguards.

🚗 115 km 1 hr 30

🏖 Playa de Composto

This is one of the most remote beaches of Cádiz and unsurprisingly, if you’re car-less you will struggle to get here. Perfect for people who have a car and want to enjoy the Bahía de Cadiz Natural Park (the visitors’ centre is just by the beach too). Next on my personal list of beaches to visit.

🚗 135 km 1hr 30

🏖 Sancti Petri

This beach is popular because there is a small island with a castle just off shore. It’s possible to kayak yourself out to the island and, I believe, even walk when tide is low.

🚌 Closest town is Chiclana de la Frontera, which is accessible by bus from Seville.

🚗 145 km 1hr 40

🏖 Cala de Pato: In the Buff

Finally a nudist beach!

This cove is protected on three sides and has delightful rocky outcrops so you can find the privacy you desire (or don’t) for your naked sunbathing. Can be busy in summer.

🚌 Get your soon to be naked butt in a car as there is no bus from Seville

🚗 150 km 1 hr 50

🏖 El Palmar

El Palmar is a super popular beach for everyone. With its wide sandy beach, perfect waves for learner surfers (not in winter, winter is for the professionals), restaurants incredible sunsets and more, for many this is the best beach to visit from Seville.

🚗 160 km 1 hr 45

✅ Take a tour to El Palmar and the Baleo Claudia ruins

✅ Take a stunning sunset horse ride on the beach near El Palmar

🏖 Playa del Faro de Trafalgar: For the History Buffs

This beach is in the Cape of Trafalgar of Battle of Trafalgar fame. In 1805 the British fleet fought a combined French and Spanish fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. The beach is not generally too busy and it is possible to see across to Africa on a clear day. The photo (above) was taken from next to the Faro de Trafalgar (Trafalgar Lighthouse), which you can walk around but not climb.

The wind can be fierce and the waves, magnificent. When we visited in April, people were surfing and swimming was not recommended.

Parking costs 3 Euros.

🚗 175 km 2 hr

🏖 Los Caños de Meca / Playa el Pirata

These adjoining and truly lovely beaches can get crowded and noisy in the summer but don’t let that bother you because they’re truly beautiful. You’ll see people kitesurfing and windsurfing when the wind is right.

These beaches are perfect for people who enjoy chiringuitos, sipping a mojito on the beach and being able to stroll into town for a meal. Do try Restaurante el Pirata, up on the cliff (accessible from the beach for great food and magnificent views over the water.

🚗 175 km 1 hr 50

🏖 Zahara de los Atunes

This small coastal town has long sandy beaches with incredible sunsets.

🚗 180 km 2 hr

🏖 Playa de Bolonia

In my opinion, this is pretty much a perfect beach. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen because of its incredible and enormous dune at one end. The other end is famous for natural rock pools. The beach is 4km long and 700 m wide. The sand dune is actually a protected natural monument but you can climb it and enjoy sliding down on your bottom.

⭐️ This is one of the best places in Andalucia to visit with kids ⭐️

Speaking of bottoms, around the sand dune area it is considered to be a nudist area.

At the other end of the beach, if you can walk that far you’ll find the natural pools (trapped sea water).

Another huge highlight of this beach is the unparalleled Roman ruin of Baelo Claudia, which sits along side the beach and is free to enter via the visitor’s centre

People come to this beach for its natural beauty, for the ruins, the dune and the fabulous chiringuitos.

🚗 205 km 2 hr 15

✅ Take a day trip to El Palmar and the ruins at Bolonia

🏖 Tarifa

Tarifa is one of my favourite coastal cities. It has two beaches: Playa Chica (above) on the Mediterranean Sea and the other on the Atlantic Ocean for Tarifa is where the two bodies of water meet – isn’t that cool? The smaller, Med beach is popular with people who want to swim (many like to swim up to the island) while the Atlantic beach is popular with kite surfers. There are great beach bars, restaurants and more.

🚗 215 km 2 hr 20

✅ Book a horseback ride on the beach in Tarifa

✅ Go whale watching from Tarifa

What Else to Do in Cádiz Province

➡️ Zahara de la Sierra and its fake beach, La Playita – visit this or any of the other incredible pueblos blancos in Cádiz Province

➡️ Take a day trip to Gibraltar

➡️ Take a day trip to Tangier (from Tarifa)

➡️ Visit the city of Jerez de la Frontera

Beaches in the Province of Malaga – The Costa del Sol 

The Costa del Sol has been a famous and popular beach destination for tourists for many years and with good reason. The Malaga coastline offers twinkling blue Mediterranean waters, chiringuitos, activities and more. Don’t expect the wild, empty beaches of Huelva here.

Let’s take a quick look at a few of Malaga’s best beaches but given that we’re talking about the best beaches to visit from Seville, I’m only going to name a few really special ones near each of the main beach towns for this section as it’s really a bit far for a day trip even for someone as gungho as me.

⭐️ Many people coming to Andalucía will be asking the question, which is better, Malaga or Seville? Of course, the answer depends on what you’re hoping for from your vacation.

🏖 Marbella

With the Sierra Blanca mountains framing views from the coast, there is no doubt that fancy Marbella’s beaches are some of the best in Malaga Province. There are 23 beaches in the 25 km of Marbella’s coast line.

🚌 Take train to Malaga and bus to Marbella

🚗 260 km 2 hr 45

🏖 Torremolinos

A popular beach resort town, the beaches of Torremolinos offer exactly what you’d expect – the sand is soft, the water is warm and not too wild and there are plenty of excellent chiringuitos and bars along the busy beaches.

🚌 Take train to Malaga and bus to Torremolinos

🚗 215 km 2 hr 10

🏖 Malaga

Malaga is obviously the capital of Malaga Province and there is never a shortage of cultural or outdoor activity to be found here. In Malaga city, La Malagueta is a popular blue flag beach with an inflatable water park in the summer months, plenty of beach bars and even excellent museums just minutes away. There are lifeguards along the beaches in Malaga.

🚌 Take direct bus or train from Seville

🚗 215 km 2 hr 20

🏖 Nerja

Playa de Burriana is possibly the most beautiful beach on all of the Costa del Sol.

🚗 260 km 2 hr 45

What Else to Do in Malaga

➡️ Visit Ronda, the city that spans two gorges (also excellent with kids)

➡️ Walk the famous Caminito del Rey

➡️ Visit Antequera, one of my favourite towns in Andalucia

➡️ Spend the day exploring the narrow streets of Mijas Pueblo

Beaches to Visit in Portugal

I’m not nuts, I promise. From Seville it’s just as easy to cross into Portugal for some beach fun as it is head to Malaga. We regularly go to the Algarve for the day or a quick weekend trip. It’s so easy to do.

🏖 Vila Nova de Cacela

Just over the border into Portugal and practically the first beach you come across is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. The only thing when visiting Vila Nova de Cacela is to be super aware of the tide as it changes fast and when it comes in the beach is swallowed by the sea and there is no way back to land.

The white sand and turquoise water here will stop you in your tracks, I’m not kidding.

🚗 150 km 1hr 40

🏖 Tavira

The gorgeous town of Tavira is just two hours from Seville and although the beach is then accessed by boat from Tavira, this is a great option if you fancy seeing something of Portugal. Tavira is not your typical Algarve resort town, it’s a quaint old town with narrow, winding roads, incredible restaurants and, of course, a huge and gorgeous beach just a short boat ride away. On the beach there are beach bars and restaurants.

🚌 Take a direct bus from Seville to Tavira

🚗 175 km 1hr 50

🏖 Faro

Although further away it is still not impossible to visit Faro from Seville. We tend to go for a night or two if we fancy a trip to this beautiful Portuguese town and its stunning beaches.

🚌 Direct bus from Seville

🚗 200 km 2 hr 15

A Final Word on How to Get to the Beach from Seville

I hope this article and its list of incredible beaches in the region has helped you figure out how to get to the beach from Seville as well as decide where to go and which beach is right for you. I included the three Portuguese beach options, by the way as I find that people don’t always realise how easy it is to get to Portugal from Seville and it’s something we really love to do.

Whichever beach you pick: Enjoy, and don’t forget the sun cream!

And before you go, don’t forget to check out my 1-day, 3-day and 5-day itineraries for Seville.