Benito Villamarín: Guide for Visiting Fans

Currently, all matches are at Estadio de La Cartuja — a completely different part of the city. Here's how to get there, and how the old Villamarín compares for context when it reopens.

For La Cartuja (current matches): The cleanest option is the dedicated "Lanzadera Betis" shuttle. For the 2025–2027 seasons, the city of Seville launched the "Lanzadera Betis" — a dedicated shuttle service that only runs on matchdays. Take Metro Line 1 to Blas Infante station, where a fleet of special shuttle buses departs every 5 minutes directly to the stadium. Bus lines C1, C2, and 2 are reinforced 2 hours before kickoff, connecting the city center (Prado, Triana, Santa Justa) directly to the stadium. If you're arriving from Santa Justa train station, the C2 Cercanías commuter line connects Sevilla-Santa Justa station to Estadio Olímpico station (Juan Bautista Muñoz), located a short walk from the stadium.

Coming from Seville Airport (SVQ, officially Aeropuerto de Sevilla San Pablo), Seville Airport is located about ten kilometres to the east of Seville's centre; a taxi from the centre of Seville out to the stadium will take about 20 minutes and should cost you between €10 and €20, depending on traffic. From the airport to the city center first, then use the Lanzadera shuttle — total journey around 45–50 minutes.

For rideshare/taxi to La Cartuja: Because the stadium sits on the Isla de la Cartuja (an island on the Guadalquivir), road access is strictly controlled on matchdays. Use rideshare to get into the Triana neighborhood or near Puente de la Barqueta, then walk the rest — about 15–20 minutes on foot across the bridge. Don't try to door-drop at the stadium itself.

For the Villamarín (when it reopens, 2027–28): Take Metro Line 2 (red line) to Estadio Benito Villamarín station, which exits directly adjacent to the stadium. The journey from Puerta Jerez in the city center takes approximately 12–15 minutes.

At La Cartuja, the parking reality is brutal. Driving to the stadium is strongly not recommended. In 2026, police block all private vehicle access to the island 90 minutes before the game. If you must drive, you must register your license plate on the Real Betis App or website to access the P7 or P8 parking lots. Pre-registration is non-negotiable and both lots sell out fast for high-demand fixtures.

The smartest workaround: park at the Torre Sevilla Shopping Center garage (which is easy to access) and take a 45-minute walk to the stadium. The Torre Sevilla garage charges around €2–4/hour, has ample space on matchdays, and puts you near the Barqueta Bridge walking route. It's honestly a better experience than sitting in the post-match island bottleneck.

The stadium has several areas where you can leave your car if you are attending a football match. The club's own parking lot is normally reserved for club members, but it is best to inquire in advance if it can be used for some events.

When the Villamarín reopens, street parking in the Heliópolis neighborhood fills up quickly but is walkable from several side streets. Arriving 90+ minutes early is the only real strategy.

While the Villamarín is being renovated, the old logic of staying in Heliópolis for the stadium doesn't apply. Book in the city center and you'll be well-placed for both matchday transit and everything else Seville offers.

Triana is the best base for visiting football fans right now. On the left side of the river, the Triana district is filled to the brim with bars serving drinks and good quality tapas. It's a 15-minute walk to the Barqueta Bridge and an easy shot to the Lanzadera shuttle. Mid-range hotels here run €80–140/night.

Casco Antiguo / Barrio Santa Cruz puts you dead-center in Seville's historic heart — near the Cathedral, Alcázar, and every tapas bar worth visiting. Slightly more expensive (€100–200/night for decent three-star options), but the C1/C2 buses to La Cartuja run directly from Prado de San Sebastián, which is a short walk away.

Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento is the obvious option if you want to be right next to La Cartuja itself. Attached to the Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento hotel, La Santa María provides a terrace for alfresco drinks, with a superior snack selection. Convenient, but isolated from the city's bar scene — you'll need a bus or taxi for any real evening out.

The honest truth: because La Cartuja is located outside the dense historic centre, there are fewer food and bar options directly outside the stadium compared to older Spanish grounds. Planning your pre- and post-match activities in central Seville often results in a more enjoyable overall experience. Go early, eat well in the center, then ride the shuttle in.

Casa Cuesta (Triana) — A Triana institution. Deep-fried cazón (dogfish), cold Cruzcampo, tiles on every wall. Football Ground Guide recommends Casa Cuesta, Las Golondrinas, La Antigua Abacería, Bar Santa Ana, and La Grande — all in Triana. Any of these will do you right. Go before 1:30pm or after 3:30pm to avoid the lunch crush.

Alameda de Hércules — When you just want to drink without a plan. The most vibrant spot in Seville for drinking is the Alameda de Hércules. The plaza has around 50 different bars and restaurants with different options, such as the Gigante cocktail bar and the 1987 Bar, which is stuck in a time warp. Give yourself two hours here before heading to the shuttle.

Kiosco El Naranjal (near La Cartuja) — If you've already committed to the island early. Beside the little tourist train that takes visitors round Alamillo Park, the Kiosco El Naranjal serves as the main pre-match pitstop. A large terrace mainly catering to families with coffee and snacks, it also sells beer and pours a decent gin & tonic.

Las Golondrinas (Triana) — A standing-room bar where locals eat their lunch at the counter and nobody's pretending anything is artisan. Order the montaditos, drink the house wine, tip the barman. One of those bars that makes you understand why people move to Seville.

For La Liga and European matches, the gates at La Cartuja typically open 2 hours before kickoff. Arriving at the island at least 90 minutes early is recommended to enjoy the "previa" atmosphere and clear security without rushing.

At La Cartuja, security follows standard Spanish LaLiga protocols: no large bags, no hard-sided cases, no glass. Small handbags and drawstring bags under roughly 30x30cm pass through without issue. Everything gets a manual inspection at the gates — expect light but thorough bag checks. Bring your mobile ticket with the QR code downloaded and ready; Real Betis uses mobile-entry tickets. You can simply show the QR code on your phone. Ensure your phone is fully charged, as there are no charging stations at the stadium gates.

Away fans are typically directed to a designated section with their own entrance — follow stewarding instructions and look for the signage on the north end. Don't wander into home sections wearing opposition colors before the game; it's fine inside your allocated block but common sense applies in the concourse approach.

At La Cartuja (current venue), the stadium is accessible for people with disabilities, with ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms, and dedicated seating areas. The stadium offers over 70,000 seats including general admission, VIP boxes, and accessible areas; modern digital signage and displays facilitate navigation. Accessible entry points are on the ground level near the main gates — stewards are generally helpful in directing wheelchair users and those with mobility requirements. Contact Real Betis's ticketing office in advance (via realbetisbalompie.es) to request accessible seating allocations, as these are separate from the general sale.

At the Villamarín (post-renovation, expected 2027–28), the redevelopment project explicitly includes improved accessibility and comfort upgrades across all stands.

At the Villamarín (for reference and when it reopens): away fans are high up in a corner between the Gol Norte and the Fondo. It's not the most glamorous allocation — corner sections never are — but the compact bowl means sightlines are usable and the noise comes at you from all sides. Upper corners in tier three can feel remote, so if you have a choice, aim for lower corner rows in the away block.

At La Cartuja (current): the biggest change in 2025 was the installation of the Grada Baja (Lower Ring) — temporary seating built directly on top of the old running track in the Gol Norte and Gol Sur ends. Choose the Grada Baja (Lower Tier) — these are the new 2025 stands that sit directly over the old athletics track, bringing you closest to the pitch. Away allocations at La Cartuja tend to be in the upper north end sections. The lower you can get in your allocated block, the better — upper tiers in an Olympic stadium can feel detached, but lower sections behind the goals generate the strongest atmosphere, and for high-profile matches the energy level increases significantly.

Ticket prices range from €25 (upper tier) to €120+ (premium seats) — away allocations typically fall in the €30–55 range for most fixtures.

Real Betis fans are passionate, loud, and fiercely tribal, but by the general standards of Andalusian football they're not hostile to visiting supporters who behave sensibly. The stadium is known for its vibrant atmosphere created by the fervent Béticos supporters, rivalling the intensity found at venues like Santiago Bernabéu or Camp Nou. The famous manque pierda culture — supporting the team even in defeat — means Betis fans are emotionally invested rather than purely results-driven, which makes for a passionate rather than a menacing atmosphere most Saturdays. The Seville derby is the obvious exception; that match has a different energy entirely, and away fans from Sevilla FC will tell you so. For everyone else, you'll find that arriving modestly dressed, not goading anyone near the away section entrance, and understanding that you're a guest in a very proud football city is enough to have a good day. One thing worth knowing: the Heliópolis neighborhood that surrounds the Villamarín is quiet and residential — nothing like the pub-lined gauntlet of an English ground — so the pre-match drinking culture is either in the city center or nonexistent, and that changes the vibe entirely. When the Villamarín reopens renovated, expect the noise levels inside the compact bowl to be ferocious.

At La Cartuja, the post-match situation is its own event. The island becomes a bottleneck fast.

Transit: After the final whistle, the shuttles departing toward Barqueta and Blas Infante are free of charge to clear the crowds quickly. The Lanzadera to Blas Infante Metro is the fastest route back to the city center. Wait 10–15 minutes after the final whistle before joining the shuttle queue — the first wave is the worst. By 20 minutes post-match, the queue moves steadily.

Driving: If you pre-registered for P7 or P8, expect to sit in lot for 30–45 minutes minimum. The island road bottleneck is genuine. The Torre Sevilla parking hack (park off-island, walk in) reverses cleanly — you'll be back at your car in 25 minutes on foot while the lot-parked fans are still stationary.

Rideshare: Don't try to get picked up on the island itself. Walk across the Puente de la Barqueta back toward Triana or the Alameda de Hércules, which takes about 20 minutes, and request your Uber or Cabify from there. The island becomes a bottleneck after the final whistle , so surge pricing kicks in immediately at stadium-adjacent pickup points. Moving 15 minutes away on foot drops the fare significantly and means your driver can actually reach you.

Opinionated tip: Just walk the bridge. It takes 25 minutes from the stadium gates to Triana, it's flat, you're with thousands of others doing the same thing, and you end up in one of the best bar neighborhoods in Spain. Stop at the first Triana bar with lights on and recap the match over a beer — that's the correct exit strategy.

Is Real Betis currently playing at the Benito Villamarín? No. Real Betis are playing their home matches at Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville during the 2025–2027 renovation of their usual stadium. All La Liga and European home fixtures are currently hosted at La Cartuja.

How do I get to La Cartuja for a match?

The most efficient route is Metro Line 1 to Blas Infante station, from where a fleet of special shuttle buses departs every 5 minutes directly to the stadium. Alternatively, buses C1 and C2 run from the city center.

What is the bag policy at La Cartuja for Real Betis matches? Standard Spanish LaLiga policy applies: no large backpacks or hard-sided cases. Small personal bags (roughly 30x30cm or smaller) are permitted and inspected at the gates. Bring your mobile ticket QR code downloaded and your phone fully charged.

How much does parking cost near La Cartuja?

Driving to the stadium is strongly not recommended — police block all private vehicle access to the island 90 minutes before the game. If you must drive, pre-register via the Real Betis app for P7/P8 lots. Best alternative: Torre Sevilla Shopping Center garage (~€2–4/hour) with a walk-in across the river.

What are the best seats for away fans?

Choose the Grada Baja (Lower Tier) — the new 2025 stands built directly over the old athletics track — which bring you closest to the pitch. Away sections are generally allocated in the north end; lower rows in your allocated block are always preferable to the upper tiers.

What time do gates open?

For La Liga and European matches, the gates at La Cartuja typically open 2 hours before kickoff. Arriving 90 minutes before kickoff gives you time to explore and get through security comfortably.

When will the Benito Villamarín reopen?

The €70 million project began in late July 2025. During the redevelopment, Real Betis has moved its home games to Estadio La Cartuja. The works are to last more than two years, with the planned return to the stadium scheduled for October 2027 — though Real Betis are increasingly coming to terms with the fact that their return home will be delayed by at least one season, with three campaigns at La Cartuja looking more and more likely.

Are tickets easy to get for visiting fans?

Most regular La Liga matches do not fully sell out at La Cartuja, which has a large capacity. However, games against top Spanish clubs, European fixtures, and the Seville derby can sell quickly — especially in central lower-tier sections. Buy through realbetisbalompie.es for the official allocation.