# Huelva (province)

Huelva is a province in the south-west of Andalusia. The capital is the namesake city. The charm of the province is mainly found on its beaches and in its mountains. Huelva's coastline stands out for its rugged beaches, endowed with natural landscapes of great intensity and surprising diversity. Among pine forests, marshes, lagoons and dunes, lovers of the sea and water sports will be able to choose between several beaches.

## Cities

* 37.25-6.951 Huelva — capital city of the province, with historical sites connected to Christopher Columbus, and a historic pier
* 37.873272-6.786132 Almonaster La Real — known for its 10th-century mosque
* 37.261169-6.5175753 Almonte — an important pilgrimage site is found here, roughly in-between Huelva and Sevilla
* 37.131878-6.4825144 El Rocio — a village whose streets are covered with sand every night
* 37.375141-6.9693635 Gibraleon — a small town, with cobbled streets, old buildings, and a beautiful church
* 37.199444-7.3252786 Isla Cristina — a popular summer holiday resort, with kilometres of 'Blue Flag'-standard beaches
* 37.2-7.2166677 La Antilla — known for its clean waters and peaceful atmosphere, and more relaxing than tourist centres like Marbella
* 37.22777-6.8932268 Palos de la Frontera — where Christopher Columbus started his voyages
* 37.182222-6.9669449 Punta Umbria — seaside town near the flamingo-filled salt flats
* 37.573961-6.75435610 Valverde de Camino — known for it's campero style of leather work

## Other destinations

* 37.098-6.73491 El Arenosillo — rocket launch site
* 37.02-6.442 Parque Nacional de Doñana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is Spain's most important wetland area and one of the most important bird reserves on the continent. The dunes and marismas stretch along the Atlantic from Matalascañas to the mouth of the Guadalquivir.
* 37.23-6.993 Paraje Natural Marismas del Odiel is opposite the provincial capital Huelva on the other side of the Río Odiel.
* 37.7031-6.55284 Río Tinto ("coloured river") rises in the north of the province and flows after about 100 km near the provincial capital Huelva together with the Río Odiel into the Atlantic Ocean. The colour of the water has its origin in the deposits of iron and copper in the upper reaches, at 37.694714-6.5940361 Minas de Riotinto these have been mined for 3000 years. It is this river and its mines that lends its name to Australian mining giant Rio Tinto.
* Ruta Colombina follows in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus through the province: in the monastery of Monasterio de la Rábida he found a like-minded person in the confessor of Queen Isabella. At the Muelle de las Carabellas, replicas of the ships Pinta, Niña and Santa Maria are on display. Columbus started his first voyage in Palos de la Frontera, and this is where the captain of the Pinta came from.
* 37.959722-6.5852785 Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park is in the western part of the Sierra Morena, in the north of the province. Chestnut groves as well as cork and holm oak forests determine the landscape. Half-wild black pigs live there and are fattened with acorns. The hams and sausages from these animals are the main products of this region – the hams from Jabugo are considered to be the best in Spain.

## Understand
### Talk

Huelva is characterized by the Andalusian dialect. The use of a lisp pronouncement (pronounce the Z or the C in the case of S. Examples: "Zermon", "¡que paza!", "excuse me"… etc.) is usual in some towns.

### Climate

Most of Huelva has a moderately warm Mediterranean climate; in the north of the province the climate is more continental. With 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, Huelva, along with Almería, is the province with the highest solar radiation in Spain.
The annual average temperature is 18 °C (64 °F). The warmest month is August with 25.5 °C (77.9 °F), the coldest month is January with 11.4 °C (52.5 °F). In the Sierra Morena, these temperatures are somewhat more extreme, higher in summer and colder in winter, as there is little balancing influence from the Atlantic.
The annual mean values ​​for rainfall are between 500 and 700 mm on the coast and 800 and 1200 mm in the Sierra Morena. The rainiest months are December and January, the ones with least precipitation are July and August.

## Get in
### By plane

The nearest airports are those of Sevilla (SVQ) and Jerez (XRY), and the Portuguese Aeroporto Internacional de Faro (FAO). Seville and Faro airports are around 100 km away while it is 150 km from Jerez. Faro in particular is served from many international airports, sometimes several times a day.

### By train

The capital has connections with the fast AVE from many places in Spain. Trains from Seville stop there thrice daily. There is also a connection with the Talgo from Madrid.
The city of Huelva can be reached by bus from Seville every hour. There is also a bus service from Faro to Huelva.

### By car

The well-developed A-49 motorway (Autovía del V [Quinto] Centenariovon) from Seville to the Portuguese border runs through the province.

## Get around

DAMAS operates a very dense bus network to the holiday resorts.
With a rental car or your own car you are of course much more flexible. The road network is mostly well developed and in good condition.

## Do

* Nature Reserves: To combine with the beach days, nothing better than going into the protected natural areas of the province.
* Hiking: The best way to discover the beauty of the Sierra Morena and unforgettable places such as the Gruta de las Maravillas de Aracena is on foot.
* Beaches of Ayamonte, Almonte, Cartaya, Isla Cristina, Lepe, Moguer and Punta Umbría
The Landscapes of cultural interest in Huelva route could be an excellent way to delve into the landscapes and ethnography of the province.

## Eat

The most famous product of the province's gastronomy is the Huelva ham, which has its own Denomination of Origin (DO). Sausages of excellent quality also come from the interior.
On the coastal strip, fish and seafood are the basis for the preparation of dishes such as atún con tomate (tuna with tomato sauce), atún encebollado (tuna with onions), almejas con arroz (clams with rice) or chocos con arroz y habas (small squids with rice and beans).
Typical baked goods are coca de Isla Cristina (cake made from egg, almonds and pumpkin confectionery) or hornazos, yeast pastries and pastelillos de Moguer.
The Condado de Huelva region gives its name to the wine and the vinegar made there, which now have their own DO. Fresas (strawberries) and citrus fruits are also grown, the region around Lepe is the largest strawberry producer in Europe with a share of around 80% of the European market.

## Go next

* Alentejo — sparsely populated region in Portugal's southern plains.
* Algarve — popular beach and resort region in southern Portugal.