# Isla Cristina

Isla Cristina is a city of 21,000 people (2018) in Huelva in the west of Andalucia. It is a popular summer holiday resort, particularly with the Spaniards themselves. Sevillanos flock to the area in July and August, much of the attraction being the kilometres of 'Blue Flag' standard beaches.

## Understand

Isla Cristina remains one of the most important fishing ports in Andalusia, its catch being highly prized throughout Spain.
* Oficina de Turismo de Isla Cristina, In the patio of Casa San Francisco, C / San Francisco, 10-12, ☏ +34 959 33 26 94. Mar-Oct: M-F 10:00-14:00, 17:30-19:30; Sa Su public holidays: 10:00-14:00. (updated Nov 2020)

## Get in
### By plane

The nearest airports are the Aeroporto Internacional de Faro (FAO) (distance 65 km) in Portugal and the Aeropuerto de Sevilla (SVQ) (distance 130 km).

### By train and bus

The nearest train station is in Huelva (45 km away). Isla Cristina can be reached by DAMAS] intercity buses from Seville, Huelva and Ayamonte.

### By car

Exit 122 of the A-49 motorway (Autovía del Quinto Centenariovon) Sevilla-Ayamonte (continue as A22 towards Faro and Lagos)

## Get around

Within the town you can easily cover all routes on foot or by bike, a rental car or bike is recommended for excursions.
Two city bus lines operate between Isla Cristina and Islantilla, the Linea Roja on the Isla Cristina - Islantilla - La Redondela - Pozo del Camino - Isla Cristina route (with a stop at Giralda campsite) and the Linea Azul on the Isla Cristina - Islantilla - Isla Cristina route .
The bus station for the intercity buses (Estación de Autobuses) is located very centrally in C/Manuel Siurot, s/n, taxi stands (Paradas de Taxis) are in C/Gran Vía, 10 and Avda. José Antonio, s/n.

## See

The city of Isla Cristina has a beautiful architectural and monumental environment, as well as an interesting ecosystem in the area of ​​the marshes.
* Municipal Art Gallery. In the cultural center, temporary exhibitions of photography and sculpture throughout the year.
* 37.20375-7.3277991 Museum of the Carnival (Museo del Carnaval). Environment in which you can follow the trajectory of the costumes and posters of the Isla Cristina carnival during the last decades.
* Ecomuseo de las Marismas (in an old tidal mill).
* Palomar de la Huerta Noble. Historic building dating back to the 18th century, it was the largest dovecote in southwestern Europe with more than 30,000 boxes.
* Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores. The main church was not built until 1929 and was restored in 1941 after the damage in 1936 in the Spanish Civil War.
* Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Mar. The modern church was built in 1996 in the new residential area near the lighthouse.
* Paseo de las palmeras. The pedestrian zone of the town is lined with numerous benches decorated with azulejos from the beginning of the 20th century.
* Plaza de las Flores. The main square is surrounded by some beautiful buildings built in the style of Modernism at the beginning of the 20th century, such as the Casa de Gildita and the Casino de los Pobres . In the bars on the square and its side streets, the town's modest nightlife takes place on weekends.
* Not far from the square in Calle San Francisco is the 19th century Casa San Francisco with a lovely inner courtyard. In addition to the tourist information office, the house also houses the small Museo del Carnaval .
* La Lonja. The fish market hall is at the harbour. Here you can also find some of the canning factories, often housed in beautiful and renovated industrial buildings.
* Marismas de Isla Cristina Natural Park. The national park includes 2,145 hectares of salt marshes that stretch around Isla Christina and reach Ayamonte. In this tidal marshland ecosystem between the mouths of the Guadiana and Carreras rivers, 22 species of birds live all year round (spoonbills, ospreys, flamingos, short-eared owls), and 41 species of migratory birds stop by. There are also many amphibians and a population of the Moorish brook turtle. There are three hiking trails that open up the national park: from the district of La Redondela to the Laguna del Prado, from the district of Pozo del Camino to the mill Molino mareal de Pozo del Camino, and the 7-km circular route to the Salinas el Duque from Punta del Moral. A visitor centre (Centro de Interpretación de las Marismas) has been set up in the Molino de mareas.

## Do

* The Horacio Noguera theater. Has a good cultural offer throughout the year and is the most gated theater in the province.
* Stroll along the Route of the Sunsets. A nice walk along the pier. There are plates with quotations of poems by Becquer, García Lorca, etc. that allude to the beauty of this land.
* Bird watching in the marshes. There are observation points of birds next to the salt marshes and a viewpoint to the salinas framed in the Marshlands of Isla Cristina Natural Park
* The fine sandy beach of Isla Cristina stretches over 12 km to Playa Islantilla to the east. The sections Playa del Caimán , Playa el Cantil and Playa Central are right on site.
* Isla Canela offers an 18-hole course with a driving range, putting green, shop, clubhouse, soccer field and restaurant.
* The Club de Golf de Islantilla Paseo Barranco del Moro, s / n, 21410 Isla Cristina, Urb. Islantilla offers a 27-hole course with a driving range, putting green, clubhouse, swimming pool and restaurant.
* The processions in Semana Santa (Holy Week), like the Isla Cristina Carnival, attracts many visitors to the area.
* Since 1789, the Fiesta patronales de Nuestra Señora del Rosario has been celebrated on October 7th in honour of the city's patroness.

## Buy

The weekly market of Isla Christina takes place every Sunday in the Avenida Parque. In addition to fruit and vegetables, you can also find a wide range of cheap clothing, shoes and household goods here.

## Eat

Isla Cristina, next to Barbate and Conil de la Frontera, is a strategic place to get to know the tuna culture, and the typical food of the area is a reflection of this product, we can highlight the following dishes:
* Anchored tuna
* Tuna with onions
* Tuna in oil
* Mojama of tuna
* Tuna fish
Other typical dishes are the octopus and the stripe in paprika, the choco in various forms of presentation, including its presentation in the form of meatballs, the dogfish with tomato and the chirla in its sauce.
As for the pastry they are interesting sweets in Easter as the cake called coca.
* Hotel Restaurante Sol y Mar Playa, Playa Central s / n. Price: Daily menu €12.50.
* El Pescador restaurant, Avenida del Padre Miravent, 19.
* La Boccana, Muelle Martínez Catena, 6.
* Restaurante Casa Pepín, Playa Central, s / n. on Playa Central, terrace. Open: July - September all day, otherwise 11:30-18:00, closed Tuesdays.

## Drink

On the main square Plaza de las Flores and in its side streets there are some bars where people meet at the weekend. The bar "El Faro" is in the lighthouse at the harbour, where the local youth especially meets in the evenings.

## Sleep

Since most of the holidaymakers come from Spain, there are plenty of apartment houses that are orphaned outside of the summer weekends and the main season (August).
* Hotel On Family Islantilla, C/ El Pinar, s/n, Urbasur 21410 Isla Cristina, ☏ +34 959 64 62 11.
* $^{[deadlink]}$ Apartamentos Airbeach Islantilla, C/ El Pinar, s/n, Urbasur 21410 Isla Cristina, ☏ +34 968 50 65 64, +34 959 486 839.
* $^{[deadlink]}$ Apartamentos Airbeach Isla Cristina, Edificio Virgen de la Consolación XXXI Avenida del Carnaval, 16 21410 Isla Cristina, ☏ +34 968 506564.
* Hotel Adh Isla Cristina, Avda. del Carnaval, s/n 21410 Isla Cristina, ☏ +34 959 10 30 07.
* $^{[deadlink]}$ Hotel Tui Family Life Islantilla, Avda. Islantilla, s/n 21410 Islantilla, ☏ +34 959 10 30 23.
* Hotel Ohtels Islantilla. 4-star hotel with spa services.

## Cope

* The general (and free) emergency number is 112,
* The Policía Local de Isla Cristina can be reached at +34 959 331 212, the Guardia Civil de Isla Cristina at +34 959 331 945.
* The Centro de Salud (medical centre) is on Avda. Arquitecto Aramburu Maqua, 4th +34 959 343 353
* The nearest hospitals are Hospital Infanta Elena +34 959 015 100 and the Hospital Juan Ramón Jiménez +34 959 016 000 in Huelva.
* Isla Cristina's pharmacies are usually open M-F 10:00-13:30, 17:00-20:30; Sa 10:00-13:30.
* Post Office (Correos), in the Avda. Fco. Silva Muñoz, s / n. Postage stamps are also available in all "estancos" (tobacco shops). Open: M-F 08:30-14:30, Sa 09:30-13:00

## Go next

* Matalascañas