Holiday apartments in Alameda de Hércules, Seville

The Alameda de Hércules is the open-air living room of contemporary Seville. This tree-lined promenade (Europe's oldest public garden, watched over by two Roman columns) now concentrates the city's most creative scene: specialty coffee, independent bookshops, galleries, alternative theatre and a nightlife that doesn't need to shout to be the most interesting in town.

Staying by the Alameda means choosing the Seville that young Sevillians actually live in. Mornings start with sourdough toast at any of its cafés; then a wander through the El Jueves flea market on Calle Feria (the city's oldest street market) or a visit to the Mudéjar churches of San Luis de los Franceses and Santa Marina, five minutes away. At lunchtime the neighbourhood's tapas mix lifelong classics with world kitchens; at night the Alameda's own terraces stay lively until late with a diverse, relaxed crowd.

The location is more central than it looks: the Setas de Sevilla are an 8-minute walk, La Campana 12 and the Cathedral 20, or a short bike ride, since this flat, calm quarter is Seville's best for cycling. For travellers who want culture, food and real neighbourhood life, the Alameda is the safe bet. Our apartments here are on Calle Juan Rabadán, Teodosio, Lumbreras and Jesús del Gran Poder, between San Lorenzo and the Alameda: one and two-bedroom flats, one of them with a parking space included.