Famous throughout the world as the starting point of the voyage of Christopher Columbus from the docks of La Rábida near Huelva Capital city, Huelva province is a province of many contrasts. To the south, the beaches that mantle the coast from Doñana on the skirts of the capital city, past Isla Cristina and stretching to Ayamonte on the opposite banks of the Guadiana river that marks the boundary between Spain and Portugal.

The Natural Park of Doñana is unique in Europe as the southernmost wetland that boasts many protected species of flora and fauna. The town of El Rocio, in the heart of Doñana is the focus of an annual pilgrimage in honour of the virgin of Rocio.

To the north of the province, the plains give way to the Sierra of Aracena and the Picos de Aroche, a Natural Park that is the home of the world famous Iberina black pig and whose wooded hillsides provide shelter and nurture for a thriving cattle industry including breeding of the unique ‘toro bravo’.

This area is filled with pretty white villages that cling to the skirts of the twenty first century with one foot still in the early part of the twentieth century. In this part of the world, time really seems to have stood still although there is also a wide range of tourist services on offer and some of best rural hotels in Spain. Truly a well kept secret.

More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huelva_(province)

Routes and Places worth a Visit

The monastery of La Rábida and the room in which Christopher Columbus and his sponsors discussed the options available and the philosophy behind the voyage of destiny. This monastery has been preserved in its fifteenth century condition and is now a museum well worth a visit.

The Sierra de Aracena and the Picos de Aroche is one of the most beautiful places in southern Spain. Its microclimate ensures an all-year round benign temperature and there are literally hundreds of villages that offer some of the best walking in the Peninsula. Towns such as Aracena, with its festival of Iberian ham, Cortegana with its ancient, yet well preserved castle, offers a medieval pageant every summer and Zafra with its never-ending views across the sierras, al offer a wide range of services and experiences for new comers and residents alike.

The mines of Rio Tinto have been mined for over two thousand years for gold and for iron pyrites. The Romans mined gold using highly advanced yet highly toxic techniques. The mass mining of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries left huge holes in the ground that provide breathtaking evidence of man’s capability to destroy his environment. The natural colour of the rivers due to leaching of iron give rise its name of Red River.

Important Fiestas

Huelva, Carnival of San Sebastian at the end of January. In August the festivals in remembrance of the voyages or Christopher Columbus are held.

Aracena, Feria de jamon on the 7th December.

El Rocio. Hugely popular fiesta in honour of the Santa of El Rocio. This fiesta is international attended with participants journeying in caravans for several days to arrive for its culmination held on the first Sunday of Pentecost.