Huelva travel information and video

Holiday information, facts, photos and video about Huelva

Huelva Province

The province of Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, is situated on the Atlantic Ocean, on the border with Portugal, Seville and Extremadura. The province is divided by the Guadiana river (which is crossed by a bridge with easy access by road). Huelva covers nearly 10.000 km² and is divided into four perfectly delimited regions: mountainous, mining, agricultural and coastal.

The region of Huelva is unique, with many places to discover, it’s definitely an escape destination, away from mass tourism.


History & Culture
Much of Huelva’s economy is based on agriculture and mining, indeed the famous Rio Tinto mines have been worked since before 1000 BC. As proof of the scope of its ancient mining
tradition, over 16 million tons of Roman slag were identified at the Roman mines in Huelva.

The province is also famous for being the location from which Christopher Columbus sailed off on his first voyage of exploration to the New World in 1492.

Its folkloric soul is present in its fandangos (dance and music), which hail from the Portuguese Fado, but has been translated in Huelva to depict Spanish folklore.


Natural Huelva
Its natural splendour is spread throughout the province, but probably the best and most well known area of natural beauty is the Doñana National Park, which is one of Europe’s most
important wetland areas, and home to sand dunes, marshes, pine woods, freshwater lagoons, salt flats and a huge variety of wildlife, including the
endangered Lynx and the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle.

To the north of the province you find the protected area of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche
National Park, which has excellent walking and hiking opportunities and is where the famed cured ham of Jabugo comes from.


Beaches
Huelva is blessed with a kilometres of unspoilt and generally uncrowded golden sand beaches, stretching along the Atlantic coastline. The area forms a part of the coastal region known as Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light), which continues through into the province of Cadiz.

The coastline of Huelva is rich in maritime history; it is said that it is where Christopher Columbus found his crew and ships when he set off to explore the New World. 

Towns, Villages & Places to Visit
La Rabida was the point of departure for Columbus voyage to discover America and is well worth a visit to see the monuments and historical mementos of this historical moment.

The Condado region is a delightful place to visit, famous for its wines and picturesque towns and villages.

Visit the mountain range of Aracena with the Gruta de las Maravillas (Caves of Wonder), Alajar and Jabugo, world famous for its ham.

The Cortegana mountain range is home to a castle and the small, attractive towns of Fuenteheridos, Galaroza and Almonaster la Real. It is a land of chestnut trees, hills, perennial vegetation, and mountain pastures. The mining region is home to the towns of Tharsis, Río Tinto and Nerva.

The agricultural region of Huelva incorporates the towns of Bollullos del Condado, La Palma del Condado and Almonte.

The rich marshes near the mouths of the Odiel and Tinto Rivers are home to the Coto de Doñana, with its spectacular coastal scenery, which starts at Matalascanas and extends to Ayamonte; after passing through Mazagon, Punta Umbría, and Isla Cristina. These are some of the more popular seaside resorts, offering good facilities, beaches and golf.

Cuisine
Huelva’s gastronomy is strongly based in seafood and shellfish, especially shrimp, cuttlefish, tiger
prawns and monkfish. Typical dishes include monkfish or skate cooked with paprika, chachinas (cured pork sausages) and fresh meats from Andevalo and the Sierra Onubense.

Huelva also produces some excellent wines from the Condado de Huelva.

Climate
Huelva has a typical Mediterranean climate, with extremely mild winters and long, hot summer days.