Huelva, with about 143,000 inhabitants, is the capital of Andalusia's westernmost province, on the Portuguese border, where the Odiel and Tinto rivers meet. A port and industrial city, it is the starting point for the Columbus sites, the Costa de la Luz beaches and Doñana park.
History
The area was the heart of ancient Tartessos, the metal-rich civilisation mentioned by Greek writers. Phoenicians and Romans worked the Río Tinto mines, among the oldest in the world. In 1492 the three caravels of Christopher Columbus sailed from nearby Palos de la Frontera. In the 19th century a British company bought the Rio Tinto mines, leaving an English imprint on the city: in 1889 Huelva saw the birth of Recreativo, Spain's oldest football club.
What to see
- The Barrio Obrero, or English quarter, with Victorian-style cottages built for mine employees.
- The cathedral of La Merced and the sanctuary of La Cinta, linked to Columbus.
- The Muelle del Tinto, the iron pier built by the British for loading ore.
- The Monument to the Discovery Faith, the great statue of Columbus on Punta del Sebo, a gift from the United States.
- The Huelva Museum, with Tartessian and Roman finds.
The Columbus Sites
- La Rábida monastery, where Columbus was taken in by Franciscan friars who helped him win the Catholic Monarchs' support.
- The Muelle de las Carabelas, with replicas of the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María.
- Palos de la Frontera, with the church of San Jorge and the fountain where the ships took on water.
- Moguer, birthplace of the Nobel-winning poet Juan Ramón Jiménez.
Nature and beaches
Doñana National Park, a UNESCO site and one of Europe's largest wetlands, refuge of the Iberian lynx and millions of birds. The coast's beaches, such as Punta Umbría, El Portil, Mazagón and Matalascañas, are long and sandy. Inland are the Rio Tinto mines, with their red river, and the Sierra de Aracena.
Food
Jabugo Iberian ham, among the world's finest, Huelva white prawns, strawberries, of which the province is Europe's top producer, coquinas (wedge clams) and Condado de Huelva wines.
Getting there
Huelva is about 95 km from Seville, with its airport, and is linked by train and bus. The Portuguese border and the Algarve are about 50 km away.