What Is Metropol Parasol?

Metropol Parasol — locally nicknamed "Las Setas de Sevilla," the mushrooms of Seville — is a set of six giant honeycomb-latticed timber canopies rising over Plaza de la Encarnación in the old town. German architect Jürgen Mayer H. won an international design competition for the site in 2004, and the structure opened in 2011 after a long and difficult build. At roughly 150 by 70 meters and about 26 meters tall, it's regularly cited as one of the largest wooden structures in the world.

The site almost became a parking garage instead. Excavation work in the early 2000s uncovered Roman and Almohad-era remains beneath the plaza — mosaic floors, house foundations, and city walls dating back more than 1,800 years — and the discovery halted the original underground parking plan. Those ruins are now preserved and open to visitors as the Antiquarium, the archaeological museum built directly beneath the parasols, on a separate ticket from the rooftop walkway.

Tickets & Prices 2026

As of mid-2026, standard adult admission to the rooftop walkway and viewpoint — which includes the "Feeling Sevilla" multisensory room — runs approximately €15–16. A reduced rate of roughly €12–13 applies to students, seniors, and children aged 6–14, and children under 5 enter free. These figures come from current listings on the official ticketing site and third-party resellers; small variations exist between sources, so confirm the exact 2026 price for your date before booking.

The Antiquarium archaeological museum beneath the parasols is not included in the walkway ticket — it's a separate admission of around €2, with free entry for children under 16. If you're weighing whether a multi-attraction pass makes more sense than paying for sites individually, our breakdown of whether the Seville Pass is worth it covers where Metropol Parasol fits into that math. Buy directly through the official Setas de Sevilla site or a listed authorized reseller — unofficial resale sites for a landmark this photographed routinely mark up prices.

Opening Hours & Best Time to Go

Metropol Parasol keeps unusually long daily hours by Seville attraction standards: doors open at 9:30am and the walkway stays open into the night, with sources listing closing anywhere from around 11:45pm to 12:30am and last entry roughly 30–45 minutes before close. No weekly closed day is listed. Because exact closing times shift slightly by source and season, check the live schedule on the official site before you plan your visit window.

Sunset is the single best time to go — the golden-hour light over Seville's rooftops and the Giralda in the distance is the reason most people visit at all, and the canopies are illuminated after dark for a different, equally photogenic look. The tradeoff is that sunset draws the largest crowds and the longest queues for the elevator up. Early morning, right at 9:30am opening, and later in the evening after most tour groups have left are the quietest windows, and in summer they're also markedly cooler — Seville regularly hits the high 30s°C (upper 90s°F) by midday from June through August.

How Long to Plan

Budget about an hour to 90 minutes for the rooftop walkway and the Feeling Sevilla multisensory room together. If you also want to see the Antiquarium's Roman and Almohad ruins beneath the plaza, add another 30–45 minutes and treat it as a separate stop with its own ticket and hours. For most travelers working Metropol Parasol into a broader old-town day, our 2-day Seville itinerary shows where a sunset visit here fits alongside the cathedral, Alcázar, and Santa Cruz quarter without feeling rushed.

How to Get There

Metropol Parasol sits at Plaza de la Encarnación, right in the historic center, which makes it walkable from most old-town accommodation. From Seville Cathedral it's about a 15-minute walk north through the shopping streets around Calle Sierpes. Seville Metro Line 1 has a stop roughly 800 meters away, and city buses 27 and 32 stop closer to the plaza itself. If you're arriving from Santa Justa train station, a taxi or rideshare is faster than the walk, which runs 20–25 minutes on foot. Driving into the city center isn't worth it — parking near the plaza is scarce and metered, and most of the surrounding streets are pedestrianized.

Visit Tips: Queues, Booking & Common Mistakes

Book your ticket online ahead of time, especially for a sunset slot in spring and summer — walk-up queues for the elevator can run long during the busiest hour of the day. If crowds matter more to you than golden-hour light, go right at 9:30am opening instead; you'll get the plaza and walkway largely to yourself for the first 20–30 minutes.

Don't confuse the walkway ticket with Antiquarium admission — they cover different parts of the site and are sold separately, so decide before you arrive whether you want both. Wear flat, closed shoes; sections of the wooden walkway are uneven and can be slick after rain. And don't cut it too close to closing — last entry is well before the stated closing time, so arriving in the final 30–45 minutes risks being turned away even though the site "closes" later.

Nearby Attractions

Metropol Parasol sits close enough to Seville's major landmarks to fold into the same day without much backtracking. Casa de Pilatos, the 16th-century Andalusian-Renaissance palace, is about a 10–12 minute walk northeast through the old town. Heading south, it's roughly a 15-minute walk to Seville Cathedral and the Giralda, the world's largest Gothic cathedral and its bell tower. From there, the Real Alcázar is immediately adjacent, making a natural pairing for a single old-town walking loop that starts or ends at sunset on the parasols.

Frequently Asked Questions