Spain > Huelva

Huelva

Huelva’s Costa de la Luz stretches from the mouth of the River Guadiana, on the border between Spain and Portugal, to the mouth of the River Guadalquivir, which separates the provinces of Huelva and Cadiz. In between are a series of expansive beaches with white sands, a landscape of water, dunes and pine forests. The coast of Huelva, which is home to a number of pleasure harbours, provides ideal conditions for all manner of sail sports thanks to a benevolent climate that means that water-based pursuits can be enjoyed all year round.

It was from Huelva, of course, that Columbus set sail, and in this Andalusian province, America somehow seems that bit closer.

Donana National Park

In the south east of the province of Huelva, next to the mouth of the River Guadalquivir, Donana National Park, which enjoys official Biosphere Reserve and Humanity’s Patrimony status, is a must for all visitors to the area. Donana is the largest national park in Spain and one of the most unusual in Europe. Its importance lies in the wealth of flora and fauna and the peculiar ecosystems, particularly marshes, to which it is home. It is an obligatory port of call for birds flying migratory routes between Europe and Africa, and the protected species living here include the imperial eagle and the tawny vulture, in addition to mammals such as the Iberian Lynx, the deer and fallow deer, the wild boar and the otter.?

Ðàrale de las mans del Odiel

Las Marismas, declared a Biosphere Reserve, is actually home to two separate reserves: the marshes of Las Marismas del Burro and La Isla de En Medio, both of which are notable for the high level of conservation of their ecosystems and for the presence of significant colonies of herons, spoonbills and flamingos. The marshes can be toured in canoes and other small vessels, providing an unforgettable experience.

El Rocio

The marsh village of El Roci'o de Almonte is the venue of the famous pilgrimage festival of the same name. Its architecture is a curious blend of one and two-floor whitewashed houses and reticular, dirt-track streets, with the famous white Chapel of Nuestra Sefiora del Rocio, popularly known as the “Blanca Paloma” or dove standing on the very edge of the marshes themselves.

Each year, thousands of pilgrims journey along old, dusty trails in complete contact with nature, arriving in the village in carts or on horseback in traditional Rocio costume in order to pay homage to the Virgen del Roci'o.