Almonte, Spain

Almonteis a town andmunicipalitylocated in the province ofHuelva, in southwestern Spain. According to the 2022census, it had a population of 25,448inhabitants, ranking third within its province, just afterHuelva, the capital city andLepe. With its 859.21 km(33174 sq mi), it is the 19thlargest municipality inSpain, with a population density of 27/km. Its elevation is 75 m (246 ft) over sea level and it is 50 km far from Huelva.
Almonte is recognised worldwide thanks to the village ofEl Rocío, which had a great influence in theAmerican Wild Westcultureand hostsone of the most popular pilgrimages in the world. Most of theDoñana National Park, which is Europe's largest natural reserve and aWorld Heritage SitebyUNESCOand the longest beach in Spain,which includes theMatalascañasbeach, along with two of theNatural Monumentsin Andalusia, are also in Almonte.Moreover, it is one of Spain's top organic fruit exporters and the first blueberry exporter in Europe.Almonte is a founding member and hosts the headquarters of National Park Towns AssociationAmuparna,is the first town to sign theEnvironmental Treaty,hosts the onlyrocket launching paltformin the countryand is the only municipality in southern Spain to have apresidential residence.
Almonte, like other towns established before theReconquista, has a rich history and has been involved in many historical events, including theDiscovery of America,theNapoleonic Warsand theSpanish–American War.The purchase of “Las Rocinas” woods in the 16th century linked the town's history to the Atlantic coast and later on toDoñana, made a national park in the 1960’s. Although officially founded during the 13th century, several civilisations had settled in its territory since prehistoric times.
The region ofTartessiaexisted since the Chalcolithic, with riverTartessos(later renamed Baetis by Romans). There are remains left from theBronze Agein Almonte, including Tartessian metallic tools by the San Bartolomé stream, in the northern part of Almonte's territory. It is thought that this  1,000 acre Tartessian village was mainly focused on silver production and tradeand had two different golden ages, one of them during theChalcolithicand another one during the lateBronze Age, from the 9th and 6th centuries BC. The typical architecture from that age included the oval-shaped huts dug on the ground and made of sticks and mud. This settlement may have had an active trading with Greeks and Phoeniciansand was called San Bartolomé de Almonte, next to the current town and the ancientLacus Ligustinus(Ligustinian Lake), which covered most of the territory betweenSevilleandCádiz, and dried completely in 700BC.
There are also remains of Roman presence in the area, with an ancient settlement called Alostigi which existed during the 5th century BC and may have been located at the modern town of Almonte.ArchaeologistsGeorge BonsorandAdolf Schulten, in their search forAtlantis, discovered  remains of agarumfactory and a settlement near Cerro del Trigo (Spanish for wheat hill), which is nowadays part ofDoñana.At least 15 other factories have been found throughout Almonte's coast, along with a Romannecropolisand coins dating from centuries 5th and 2nd BC.
The above-mentioned Ligustinian Lake, which was used for sea trading by Tartessian people, had been drying over time until becoming the current Guadalquivir's delta as the only major navigable connection to the Atlantic.
The current town of Almonte was officially established during the8th centuryAD with the name of Al-Yabal (literally, "the Mount") and was part of theTaifa of Niebla. Later on, in the10th century, Muslim historianIbn Hayyanmakes reference to a fortress namedAl Muntin his workAl Muqtabis, proving that this new Latinised name for the town was already in use. The Umayyads were the first to tame and breed the wild horses which had inhabited the area for centuries,and were later registered as aprotected species.
Almonte wasreconqueredby theCastilliansat the beginning of the 13th century, being taken over as aprotectorate. After amajor Muslim rebellion, the territory was absorbed by theKingdom of Seville.
KingAlfonso X "The Wise", wrapped up in the legend of a hunter who found the Virgin Mary deep within Woods of Las Rocinas, ordered to build in 1270 the first sanctuary devoted to Saint Mary of Las Rocinas, later becoming the worldwide-knownVirgin of El Rocío.The statue of theVirgin of El Rocíois an anonymousgothiccarved wood sculpture dating from the 12th century. The current version has sufferend some remodelling during theBaroqueperiod.
In 1335, noblemanAlvar Pérez de Guzmánbecomes owner of Almonte, which was already independent from the County of Niebla, established in 1369. In the 14th century, Almonte and Niebla went to war for territorial reasons. The conflict ended when the Duke of Medina Sidonia established the frontiers, becoming owners of Almonte, while being at the same time Counts of Niebla and Sanlúcar, neighbouring town.
Trading flourished in Almonte during thediscovery of America, whenChristopher Columbusset sail from the neighbouring port ofPalos de la Fronteraand goods were transported fromSeville. Olive oil was the main export from Almonte and the bustle of traders boosted the interest towards theVirgin of El Rocío.In  fact, an archaeological research carried out by the University of Huelva in April 2024, confirmed that the village of El Rocío was one of the  most important medieval river ports. They usedGPRto scan different  subsurface soil layers beneath the temple and its surroundings.Almonte exerted cultural influence over the American colonies, especially in theWild Westarchitecture and horse breeding. The typical sandy unpaved roads and the wooden hitching rails to tie horses up were already present in the village of El Rocío and most likely exported to the United States.TheMustanghorse breed was also brought over from the surrounding areas, its name being derived from the Spanish "mostrenco" (meaning "wild"), a term which also applies to a localMarismeña(cow breed from Almonte).
In the 16th century the duke purchased the surrounding woods of Las Rocinas, named after the homonymous stream that ends at the village of El Rocío, doubling its territory and becoming a coastal municipality. These woods would later become aRoyal forestby order of the King and later renamed Doñana after theduchess of Medina Sidonia, Doña Ana de Silva. The Spanish monarchs would visit Doñana on a regular basis and finally established anofficial residencein thePalacio de las Marismillas(Palace of Doñana). In this century, several defensive towers were built all along the southern Spanish coast by order of kingPhilip II, six of them within the coast of Almonte.
In 1583 Almonte purchased Doñana from the duke and the locals could finally expand farming, agricultural and fishing activities there. Landowners would manage the economy up to the 19th century, when the population was about 1,500 people.
In 1598 the Virgin was taken to Almonte for the first time ever, and later this displacement became usual every time the town faced a crisis (from natural disasters to wars). This same year, aConfraternityis officially established, the Hermandad Matriz (Spanish for Matrix Confraternity)."Saint Mary of Las Rocinas", official name for theVirgin of El Rocíobecame patron saint of Almonte in 1653 and different surrounding towns affiliated to the Hermandad Matriz, becoming filial confraternities, the oldest ones being Villamanrique, Pilas, La Palma, Moguer and Sanlúcar. Over time, national and international confraternities would follow, including Belgium, Japan or Australia.
TheGreat Lisbon earthquakeof 1755 swept away the entire Atlantic coast, including great parts of the city ofHuelvaand severalfortified towersbuilt on the coast to defend the shores. At least six of these towers were in Almonte and still remain standing, except for Torre de la Higuera (literally "fig tree tower"), which is upside down and is often referred to as a touristic symbol for the town. The sanctuary of El Rocío was damaged too and had to be rebuilt.
During the 18th and 19th centuries people from Almonte made a living with agricultural (chiefly olive grove and vineyard) and farming activities (horse, goat, sheep, pig and bees). Being one of the most extense municipal territories in Spain, its inhabitants have never lacked resources.
In 1810, during thewar against France, French captain Pierre D'Oisseaux was executed in Almonte. The event brought about a response involving 1,000 French soldiers heading towards the town from the city ofSeville. Unable to resist such an attack, the locals took the Virgin to town, praying for her intervention. The French troops would never arrive at Almonte and turned around at the time they were next to the neighbouring town of Pilas.People then decided to show their gratitude by celebrating an annualvowcalled "El Rocío Chico" (literally, the "small Rocío") every August. Several lands and properties were privatised and sold during theSpanish confiscationthroughout the 19th century, boosting the number of farmers and landowners.
From 1949 on, it was established that the Virgin would be taken from her sanctuary in El Rocío to Almonte every seven years, spending nine months there. This event attracts hundreds of thousands of people to town, prompting a sophisticated security plan involving police, first aid rooms and ambulances, helicopters and firemen to ensure the festivity goes on correctly.
Within the 1940s large-scale reforestation policy in Spain, more than 30,000 hectares in Almonte were replanted with several species ofblue gum,redgum,guayule, wattles and cypress.Other local species were also planted, likestone pine. 13 km south of Almonte, half between the town and the sea, a forest settlement called "Los Cabezudos" (Spanish for "the hillocks") was established. It had a school, church, doctor and several shops, being ahead of neighbouring towns regarding agricultural technology and drainage for its 300 inhabitants. These were engineers and foresters along with their families, whose job included wood, oil and cellulose extraction from trees in the factories.Eminent people have visited the area over time, including the formerQueen of Spain, who landed her helicopter in Cabezudos on her way to El Rocío in 1983.Cabezudos started to depopulate in the late 60s, ending up completely uninhabited in the late 80s. Most of the people moved to Almonte, the core town. Nowadays, Cabezudos is a ghost town in ruins within the surroundings ofDoñana National Parkand is therefore protected. A consensus on whether new uses can be given to the houses is currently held.
Almonte is internationally recognised today thanks to its emblematic village ofEl Rocío, theDoñana National Park(the largest nature reserve in Europe), its wide 50 km-length sandy beach (the longest in Spain) and its organic berry industry (one of the top exporters in Europe).
Almonte's population boosted in the 60s,when foresters and their families left the forest settlements in the surrounding areas. Another boom started in the 2000s, due to the massive arrival of immigrants from 59 different nationalities, mainly Romania and Morocco. They make up nearly 20% of the total population (almost 5,000 people).
Almonte overtookIsla Cristinain 2007, becoming 3rd within the province's population rank, just afterHuelva, the capital city andLepe. Part of this increase is due toMatalascañas, Almonte's summer resort, which has a permanent population of nearly 3,000 people and the village ofEl Rocío, with around 1,700 inhabitants. Almonte's population increased by 1.19% per year between 2011 and 2014.
During thecoronavirus pandemic, Almonte ranked 4th in population growing, just after Huelva, Palos and Lepe. This may have been due to people moving from big cities to the coast, looking for nature and less crowded places.Regarding the transient migrant population, which often goes beyond 15,000 people, cohabitation has developed with relative normality. In 2022 crime rate decreased by nearly 14%, with an average of 62 robberies, 40 burglaries and 3 car thefts; nearly all of them without violence.
The council of Almonte is responsible for the three urban areas within its municipality: town of Almonte, village of El Rocío and Matalascañas resort. The following chart includes all the mayors in charge from the 20th century onwards.
The local government is made up of 21 councillors.Since democracy was established in 1978,PSOEis the one which has been in power for the longest time, while mayor Francisco Bella was its party chair. After two decades of political stability with Bella, who won in a five-term streak, there were two terms in which political parties of opposite ideologies teamed up to prevent Bella from regaining the government, even though he won the elections again. From 2011 to 2015, right-wingPPruled with the cooperation of left-wingIU. The latter, at a regional level, sanctioned the two councillors who made it possible forPPto govern Almonte.In 2019, Bella won the elections again, this time withIlusiona, his new political project. 61.63% of the adult population voted (10,153 people). There were 6,321 abstentions (38.7%).Ilusionawas the most voted party, with 3,513 votes, followed byPSOE(2,154) andPP(1,403).These two opposite parties and local partyMesa de Convergenciateamed up and Rocío del Mar Castellano (Mesa's candidate), with only 2 out of the 21 councillors, was invested mayoress.In the 2023 elections, Bella got a clear majority of votes, achieving a historical assignment of 12 councillors, which will allow him to lead a stable government that has an opportunity to manage such a demanding and complex administration as  that of Almonte.
Owing to its extension and population increase over the second half of the 20th century, the government has faced multiple environmental, economic, social and demographic challenges. These include the waste derived from tourism that ends up polluting theDoñana National Parkand its surroundings, including ditches, beaches and woods. During certain holidays, as in the summer,Matalascañashosts more than 200,000 temporary inhabitants, mainly people from Seville and neighbouring towns, while more than one million people gather at El Rocío when the pilgrimage takes place in May. Almonte's urban core also hosts more than 200,000 people when the Virgin arrives and leaves every 7 years.Being one of the top organic fruit exporters in Europe,many paths, trails and even roads in Almonte are constantly used by all kind of agricultural vehicles of all sizes, make it difficult for hikers and bikers to enjoy nature in certain zones. There are nearly 15,000 seasonal workers as well, and many of them live in shacks or prefabricated modules, also endangering natural spaces.The international protected status of theDoñana National Parkbrings about constant agreements and polemics between Almonte's local government, regional government of Andalusia, the Spanish government and the European Union, mostly regarding sustainable watering of organic crops, pollution, hunting, etc.
Another main issue in the area is water. In spite of being a humid zone, illegal crops still remain in the area extracting subterranean water from the national park aquifer. Politicians often have to deal with European sanctions and create local legislation to control it. A desalination plant has also been proposed for watering crops and a water councillorship may be created in the near future.
Tourism and transport is another main issue that politics focus on. Being a main regional hub for neighbouring towns regarding work, leisure and holidays, more scheduled intercity transport is needed. Regular bus lines already operate to El Rocío and Matalascañas, but there is still need for transport with other towns concerning health services, leisure activities, etc.
In spite of having exceeded a population of 25,000 people, there are only three public health centres in the municipality, the main one in Almonte. Long queues and deficient attention are more frequent over time. The large migrant population contributes to the need of a new healthcare facility in town.
The main town of Almonte is located in the northern area of its municipal territory, 26 km (16 miles) far from the Atlantic coast. The picturesque village ofEl Rocíois 15 km to the south and finally, the coastal town ofMatalascañasjust at the very shore. The urban area of the main town has a current extension of 3.2 km(1.23 sq. miles) and a perimeter of 10.7 km (6.64 miles). It can be divided into the following districts:
The business and political centre has ended up being located in the north part of town, for the urban area has expanded more quickly towards the south. In this zone there is the town hall (a 17th-century building), the main square and the church (15th century), the museum,the theatre,the library,the music school,art gallery Jorge Camacho,the main fishmonger's, the court,the "Casino de La Paz" (social club and restaurant), the post office and the tourism office.
This northern area has been expanded since the 60s and 70s and has been built around the road that exits town and head towards the northern part of Huelva,a mountain range. There are extense boulevards and wide pavements where many people walk and practice outdoor sport. The main sport centre is located here, with an area of 43,561m, along with the two high schools, the park "Alcalde Mojarro" (46,500m), the Wine Museumand the CIECEMA (a scientific centre which includes a high-tech astronomic observatory) and a rubber factory.
The western area of town has been growing since the 60s, when the urban area reached and overtook the roadA-484which comes from neighbouring townBonaresand was meant to end inCádiz, turning a section of that road into an avenue called "Carretera del Rocío". This has become the main business street, being more than 1 km long and almost 30 metres wide. A roundabout with a statue ofAlfonso X "The Wise"on top was installed in the late 2000s, breaking gridlock that worsened at rush hour with people getting in and out the town centre. Many restaurants, digital shops and other businesses have been opened in this avenue. The western zone also includes the health centre and several monuments like the one devoted to historian Lorenzo Cruz, the Winery Chimney Tower, the Discovery of America, the Bulls and the Sea Gate,  the "Fuente de las Damas" park (which includes a cultural centre and a monument of an oil mill), two of the 5 petrol stations in the municipality and the bus station.
This area starts at the roundabout with the Monument to the Mares and includes the fairground, the Plaza de España square, the Padel centre, the Official Language School, the Flamenco school and the elderly's care home. Many grocery shops, cafés and other businesses are also here. It has wide streets with tree-covered pavements. It ends with the morgue and cemetery, 1 km far from town and roadA-474towardsSeville.
This is the area which has been growing the fastest. It includes the industrial estate "El Tomillar", with around 150 multipurpose units, another sport centre, a petrol station, the "Blas Infante" and the "Clara Campoamor" parks and a centre for public access to the Internet.This district is especially crowded in spring, during the pilgrimage ofEl Rocío, since its main street "Camino de Los Llanos" leads the way out of town towards the village of El Rocío. It is also a hot spot during the arrivals and leaves of the Virgin of El Rocío every seven years.
The village of El Rocío, 15 km to the south, is a rectangular unpaved town next to a marsh, just in the limits of theDoñana National Park. All the streets are straight, except for the ones surrounding the sanctuary in the southern part. It has little more than 1,000 permanent inhabitants and basic services of education, health, police, etc. Its architectural style and horse culture was brought over to the AmericanWild Westduring theAge of discovery.A large new hospital will have been installed in the northern part of town by summer 2025, replacing thefield hospitalthat used to be set up and closed down each year during thepilgrimageThis hi-tech facility will include headquarters for firefighters, police, environmental workers and many other emergency and security services. With an area of 8,600mand an investment of more than €4 million, it will become one of the most important health and security centres in Europe. In 2024,The Washington Postreleased an article depicting the picturesque village and its worldwide-known pilgrimage, titledThe Seductive Village where the past feels present.It describes the romantic, literary and folk side of the pilgrimage and the unique natural landscapes, including an extensive photo gallery.
Finally, 26 km south from Almonte, in the Atlantic coast, theMatalascañasresort was built during the 50s. It consists of an urban area 4 km long and 1 km wide along the coast. Around 3,000 inhabitants live here permanently. From west to east, it starts with a lighthouse and the business centre. It consists mainly of detached one-floor houses with big gardens and swimming pools, most of them are taken for rent during the summer holidays. There are also tall residential flats, many 4-star hotels and restaurants, a golf course and wide turf spaces with a cycle lane throughout town. The lighthouse stands out for its unique triangular shape and was installed in 1994. It's 24 meters high and was included by Spanish national newspaperEl Paísin its list of the 10 most beautiful lighthouses.
Almonte, as a municipality, is one of the largest in Spainand is located in southeasternHuelva, as part of theCosta de la Luz, which stretches from theGuadiana RivertoTarifa, the southernmost point in Spain. Almonte's coast is the longest in Spain,with a 50 km straight uninterrupted sandy beach, from the archaeological ruins of theTorre del Río de Oro(literally, Tower of the Gold River) up to theGuadalquivir River. 28 of these 50 kilometers are protected as part of theDoñana National Park, and only 4 are urbanised, the ones atMatalascañasresort. Most of this coast is made up of semi-fossil dunes with low vegetation, without any rocky structure or cliff. The sand is light in colour and fine. However, along several kilometers between “Torre del Oro” and “Cuesta Maneli”, a 100-metre high dune cliff can be found. It's “El Asperillo” and it's the highest dune cliff in Europe, declared aNatural Monument of Andalusia.
Almonte is bordered byBollullos Par del Condadoto its north,Hinojosto its east, riverGuadalquivirandSanlúcar de Barramedato it southeast,Rociana del CondadoandMoguerto its west and theAtlantic Oceanto its south. It is located in the northern part of its municipality, 15 km north from the village ofaldea del Rocíoand 26 km from its coastal resort,Matalascañas.
AquiferAlmonte-Marismasis the most extensive one in the province, covering more than 2,800 kmand being up to 150 m (492 ft) in depth and, therefore, the main water source of theDoñana National Park. It's a porous detrital system  formed around 11 million years ago,during theTortonian(lateMiocene). It has both unconfined and confined areas under the marshes. Clay layers alternate with detrital ones covering a deep blue marl layer that lies beneath.It belongs both to theGuadalquivirand theAtlantic Oceandrainage basins, has nosaltwater intrusionand provides watering for 22,000 hectares of crops. There are three main rivers and a lake in Almonte:Santa María,La Rocina,Madre de las Marismasand lakeSanta Olalla. The first one flows from the northwestern part of the territory, next to local road HU-4200, as an extension of streamsEl SaltilloandRioseco. It bypasses the main town of Almonte by its west side and goes on to the south until it merges into riverLa Palmosa, which flows into the main marsh ofEl Rocío.La Rocinahas its roots in the westernmost part of Almonte's territory and serves as main source for the above-mentioned marsh. The marsh gets full between October and July, being merely a wetland or even a meadow during the driest months. This mass of water connects to the southeast to a river calledMadre de las Marismas, which flows intoGuadiamar, a tributary to main riverGuadalquivir. Finally,Santa Olallalake is barely 2 km from the Atlantic shore, in the dunes ofDoñana National Park. Several centuries ago, there were dozens of rivers and streams in Almonte, likeSan Bartolomé, after which thehomonym prehistoric settlementwas named.The regional government has considered all the above-mentioned bodies of water flooding risk areas.The main river mouth which connects to the eastern part of the main marsh is forming ashoalthat has threatened it over the last decades and may bring about the complete siltation of the marsh, one the main emblems of Almonte. That's why the local government has lately been denouncing this situation.
This area has a combination of mediterranean and oceanic climate, due to its location near the limits of theAtlantic Oceanand theMediterranean Sea. Being an extense territory, it has a variety of microclimates and an average temperature of 17 °C (62.6 °F). It has warm summers and winters, without the extreme variations that can be found in landlocked provinces of Spain. Rain is not usual, barely reaching 700mm a year.
WithinDoñana, there is certain humidity in winter and little rain in summer, being a spot wherepolar frontsand subtropical high pressures combine. In Spring and Autumn, torrential rain may occur, whileanticyclonesmay appear in winter.
Even though Almonte's average temperature is mild due to oceanic influence, there are heavy storms in the coast during winter which leave important damages to the seafront structures, like restaurants and pavements. The council spends large quantities of money to rebuild certain zones, sometimes more than a million euros.
Almonte was the first town to sign the Environmental Treaty (Carta por la Sostenibilidad) back in year 2000, which was later ratified by the Spanish primer ministerand has since affected local policies, including theurban plans. The town has therefore led technological and social fields regarding environmental policies since the 90s, focusing on theDoñana National Park. Examples of these measures include landmarks such as thesea museum(first centre in Spain to be certified withISO 9001,14001andAENOR,the firstgreen golf coursein Europe, the most extensive organic crops in Spain and important subsidies to traditional dryland farming.Almonte is facing an environmental challenge at a European level since the establishment of theDoñana National Parkin the 60s. This issue has become even more controversial since the 90s, when the berry fields were established.UNESCOhas recently warned Spain about Doñana's withdrawal from the organisation if more watering crops are regularised.
Almonte received in 2022 an investment of more than 170 million eurosto buildPV pannels. These will be installed by American companyMatrix Renewablesand Spanish Rolwind,with more than 115,000 cutting-edge photo-voltaic cells which will make the area get on top position regarding renewable sources at a European level.
In 2022 the Spanish government announced an investment of more than 365 million eurosto restore part of theDoñana National Park. The meeting between theMinister of Environmentand the council of Almonte was held at Almonte's theatreSalvador Távoraon 30 November 2022. The plan will focus on watering, biodiversity, territory and environmental awareness. Besides, theRegional Government of Andalusiaannounced an investment of 900 million eurosexclusively for sanitation and drainage.
In theDoñana National Parkand its surroundings, several species, including endangered ones, can be found. Regarding flora, there is typical mediterranean scrub (sabins,bulrush,eucalyptus,pines,reeds,wattles,cork oaks,ferns,crowberries,palmettos,sedges,rosemary,brooms,thyme,junipers). Fauna includes the preciousIberian lynx,deers,wild boars,foxes,herons,mongooses,rabbits,ducks,eagles,hawks,griffon vultures,eels,pikes,snakes,lizards, andchameleons. Likewise, there are extensive areas of pine repopulated in the 1950s and ofunderbrush(withrockroseand multiple species of aromatics). Throughout its 122,000 hectares, microclimates and very different areas appear, from jungles in the purest tropical style to desert dunes, including wetlands, beaches, meadows, etc. Almonte was declared in July 2022 “Hub of European Biodiversity” by theWorld Biological Corridor, an international project with scientists, universities and different organisations involved.
Inhabited since prehistoric times and having reached the Atlantic coast with its territorial expansion during the Middle Ages, Almonte has its own definite customs and a rich heritage. Some of them are worldwide-known, as explained in thehistorical section. Different civilisations, fromTartessiansto thenordics, without forgetting Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Muslims have all shaped the traditions that settled over the centuries, usually focused on its privileged natural resources. Nowadays, these cultural and natural elements still attract around a million people from all over the world,from tourists who enjoy its extensive shorelines to the highest personalities of the country, such as the presidents of the government and the Monarchy, who visit Almonte regularlyand even have anofficial residencein there.
From theBronze Ageto modernity, a wide variety of historical elements can be found in Almonte. They include the following:
In the coast of Almonte, nearby dune cliffEl Asperillo, several extinctungulate's tracks were found on the clay substratum that lies beneath the sand. They date back from 150,000 - 300,000 BC. It is the most importantFossil tracksite in the world, both for its size (more than 250 footprints found) and its age (there are only two similar sites worldwide, the one atBiache-Saint-Vaast(France) andTheopetra Cave(Greece).They can be observed only when the tide is low and the sand moves back. There is an environmental association called "Parque Dunar", which organises free guided tours that include historical and geological commentaries and a voluntary litter collection.In a recent research published byQuaternary Science Reviewsand carried out by the University of Huelva, it has been confirmed that the humanoid footprints belong toNeanderthals.
Next to a bridge over Santa María stream, around 1 km south from town, an area of around 2.47 acres (1 hectare) containingneolithictools and structures was accidentally exhumed during the building of apipelineto transport gas across Andalusia. It dates back from 5,000BC and includesadobehuts, axes, spoons and crystalline and rocky minerals likequartzorsilex.
In January 2024, researchers from theDoñana National Parkand theSpanish National Research Councildiscovered a prehistoric musical instrument half buried at the shore of Santa Olalla lake. It was later identified as aTurdetaniwhistle dating back from 2,000BC. It is made ofterracottaand has the shape of a woman. It is thought to have been used either to provide musical content to ancient rituals or as a way of instructing patterns when hunting
As mentioned in thehistorysection, there are remains of a settlement of 40 hectares, with pottery and metallic tools (gold, silver, cupper and lead) nearby the San Bartolomé stream, as well as a 3-metre high oven.Almonte was one of the two main silver producers and traders in the area, along with Huelva.
These ruins can be observed inside theDoñana National Park.Adolf SchultenandJorge Bonsorwere searching for thelegendary capital of Atlantiswhen they discovered them. But they were overlooked, as the archaeologists were frustrated for not being able to find Atlantis. Scientists from the university of Huelva reaffirmed in 1999 that it was agarumfactory from the 2nd century AD, buried 18 feet under a dune. Amphoras and other recipients used to ferment fish could be recovered, being the most important discovery out of the 16 archaeological places found in the coast. Archaeologists are still finding remains today, including ovens and necropolises.Between Almonte and forest settlementLos Cabezudosa 1st-century Roman marble stone was found. It has a Latin inscription which seems to be a dedication to empressAgrippinabyTacitus. The back side is carved withpaleochristiandecorations.
In the southern part of the village of El Rocío, behind the temple and near the marsh, several the oldest olive trees in the region can be found.They have been preserved and taken care of by locals since ancient times due to their medical, culinary and therapeutic properties. The oldest of the 15 trees, known asEl Abuelo(the Grandfather) is regarded as the oldest living being in theDoñana National Park, being around 800 years old.
In southeastern Almonte, deep within theDoñana National Park, the Palace of Doñana can be found. It is a protected 14th-century building which currently serves as anadvanced research facilityadministered by theSpanish National Research Council.It was built as a defesive military watchtower to monitor trading across the province towards the sea and underwent a major remodeling during the 16th century, which gave it a typical Andalusian country-house style. From that moment onwards, it was used as a royal hunting country house. Landowners soon allowed scientists and researchers to use the building, as local interest in archaeology, hydrology, geology, botany and ornithology grew more and more.It became headquarters for the “Doñana Biological Station”, a national research complex administered by theSpanish National Research Councilin 1964. Spanish Prime MinisterFelipe Gonzálezfirst used it as apresidential palacein the 1980s, having it equipped with cutting-edge phone lining and electrical wiring systems and allowing international leaders to visit the park. Currently, the official presidential residence is thePalace of Las Marismillas. TheMinistry of Economyand theEuropean Regional Development Fundinvested more than €7 million to remodel the entire building, allowing it to be included within “LifeWatch” (e-Science European infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem research), along with another 9 sites in Europe.It is currently one of the most advanced scientific clompexes in Europe and can be accessed through an 11.5-km-long path starting at km40 of roadA-483, one kilometer north fromMatalascañas.
King Philip II of Spainordered the construction of a series ofwatchtowersduring the 16th century to prevent invasions from the sea, given the multiple wars that Spain was waging at that moment. At least six of these towers are located within Almonte's territory. These are, from east to west: Torre del Río de Oro, Torre del Asperillo, Torre de la Higuera, Torre Carbonero, Torre Zalabar and Torre San Jacinto. All of them are declaredBien de Interés Cultural, a protected cultural status in Spain. The three first towers are in ruins, while the last three can be observed as they originally were.One of the watchtowers, Torre de la Higuera (literally, "Tower of the Fig Tree") is located at the beginning of theMatalascañasresort and has become a symbol for Almonte, often appearing in postcards and other touristic elements.
The church of Almonte, known asIglesia de la Asunciónstands out as an international touristic landmark for being the only temple (besides the hermitage of El Rocío itself) to host the Virgin of El Rocío. Due to this fact, several notable people, including renowned authors likeJuan Ramón Jiménezand monarchs like theKing of SpainorAmélie of Orléanshave visited the church several times. Moreover, it's one of the few religious buildings in Spain which houses a 5th-century Roman tombstone. It's an outstanding mixture ofgothic,mudéjar,baroqueandneoclassicalstyles which has undergone several modifications over centuries. One of the earliest mentions of the modern building was included in theLibro Blanco de la Catedral de Sevillafrom 1411. Thus, the current church is a Baroque extension of the original building, from which a chapel containing the roman tombstone has remained untouched. There may have been a secret subterranean tunnel connecting both buildings, but it was never searched for.
The current town hall, located in the main square, was established in the 17th century as a single-floor building and opened in 1612. The second floor was built in 1618 and a third floor was added in 1927.Over time, several branch offices have spread throughout town, for the main building couldn't keep up with the demand of space to manage all the municipal needs. Social services, tourism, science, culture and many other administrative offices are examples of these branch offices.
This palace is the onlypresidential residencein southern Spain. It's located within theDoñana National Park, in the southeasternmost area of Almonte, one kilometer far from riverGuadalquivir. It has a 10,000-hectare private land and a Britishcolonial style, with 28 rooms and independent bathrooms. It was opened in 1912 as a hunting country house by the 2ndDuke of Tarifaand in 1998 it became aState-owned property.It was first used as a presidential residence in 1996, having been visited by international leaders such asAngela Merkel,Mikhail GorbachevorFrançois Mitterrand. Before that year, the official residence for leaders had been thePalace of Doñana.
There are several bunkers fromWorld War IIin the shore next to the delta of riverGuadalquivirin different coastal points. A programme called "Descubre tus fortalezas" (literally "Discover your fortresses") organises guided tours to these remains, with historians, architects and archaeologists participating. The bunkers were built by order ofFrancoin 1943 in fear of being invaded by the allied troops during theNorth African campaign.
They are part of the musical tradition in Almonte and can be heard at any moment, but especially during the Pilgrimage of El Rocío. The typical flute is called "gaita rociera" and is made of high-quality wood. The drum is called "tamboril rociero" and is typically painted with the Andalusian flag. Handmade one tend to be rather expensive.
In the first half of the 20th century, there were 58 wineries and 10 oil mills in Almonte. Many of them have been restored and are currently used as either public offices or museums, restaurants, etc. Others are in ruins, but can be identified by their typical towers. Wineries emerged after theSpanish confiscation, using former religious buildings. During the 60s, Almonte stood out for its solera wine.
Nearby the stream of La Rocina, 5 km away from El Rocío, there is aneo-classicalpalace embedded in the woods, within the surroundings of theDoñana National Park. It was finished in 1961 as the private residence of eccentric aristocrat Luis Espinosa Fontdevila, whose initials are printed in relief on the front. After all the sumptuous parties and expensive works to complete the palace and its garden, he ended up broke, so he sold all the area to the government, which used it to plant eucalyptus and use its wood. The stairs that lead to the entrance door are made of the remains or a Roman road and red marble stairs lead to the second floor. A two-headed eagle decorates the stone chimney. Today it has become a centre for visitors, hosting a museum about the customs of the traditional inhabitants of the area. It includes mockups of the traditional huts and information about hunting, fishing, farming and modern uses of nartural resources. The rooftop terrace offers views of the pine woods. Along with the palace, visitors can hike using a circular wooden path deep within the woods, passing by a lake.
Almonte has a wide variety of traditional festivities and holidays, many of which are related to theDoñana National Parkand the economic activities carried out over the centuries all along the municipality, from the northern town to the southern coast. Some of these customs date back to theTartessian age. Although some of the most popular traditions have a religious origin, only a small percentage of the population in Almonte currently declare themselves religious and it is unusual to attend mass, as the average population in Spain.
It is the most popular holiday in Almonte, declared anInternational Touristic Holidayby the Spanish government in 1980and gathering more than one million peoplein town. These visitors include pilgrims from around 120 national and foreign filial confraternities, which get to thetemple of El Rocíofrom different points over the world, walking or by horse or car, to worship Almonte's patron saint,the Virgin of El Rocío. It is a 12th-century anonymousgothicwooden carved sculpture. From the 60s on, the number of regular visitors boosted, reaching its peak at a religious level with the visit ofPope John Paul IIin 1993.In order to successfully organise such a massive event, a security planning called "Plan Romero" has been executed since 1983. These preventive measures are carried out by the town hall, the regional government and Almonte's confraternity in a synchronous way in Seville, Huelva and Cádiz, the three main provinces from which the confraternities come. It involves more than 6,000 professionals (police, medical services, firefighters, etc.) andAMLandGPStechnologies, becoming one of the most expensive security deployments in Europe.The confraternities that have been affiliating to Almonte over the last centuriesincludeMadrid(1961),Barcelona(1969),Toledo(1986),Valencia(1991),Gijón(1998),Argentina(1993),Brussels(2000) orAustralia(2000s). Besides the religious aspect, there's a strong cultural and festive interest and many visitors who are not into any religious feelings and do not participate in the religious part, in spite of being part of the pilgrimage. There's an environmental interest too, for the last part of the journey to the village is through theDoñana National Park, the largest natural reserve in Europe. The holidays take an entire week for the local people of Almonte, with two key days: Wednesday, when the "Hermandad Matriz" (Almonte's confraernity) makes the pilgrimage from Almonte toEl Rocíoand Monday, when the Virgin is taken out from the temple to tour the village.
From 1589on, thevirginhas been taken fromEl Rocíoto Almonte on a round trip each 7 years, staying in Almonte for 9 months. During these months, it tours the streets twice, after the arrival and then before leaving. The streets of Almonte are decorated with handmade white flowers and many lights, rosemary and fronds and arches. A huge structure called "Ephemeral Cathedral of Almonte" is also built on the main square.Nearly 200,000 people gather in the town during these special days when the Virgin tours the streets. The places involved in the route are completely closed to traffic and the entire town gets under a kind of siege with high security measures involving police, firefighters, helicopters and ambulances ready to act. Although originally a religious event, it is now a leisure festivity that brings a great economic benefit to the town, with dozens of businesses temporarily becoming pubs, cafés and restaurants exclusively during the nine months that the Virgin stays in town.
Also called “The Gathering of the Mares”, it is an annual livestock event that has been celebrated in Almonte for more than 500 years (several centuries before the creation ofDoñana), being a local emblem. It takes place each 26 June, just before thefairand often involves thousands of horses. It can be divided into 5 different stages:1. Collecting and gathering inside the national park: the breeders, horsemen calledyegüerizosget deep into theDoñana National Parkto gather thesemi-feralhorses and take them out from the woods, swamps, meadows and marshes.2. Parade around theHermitage of El Rocío: in late morning, the herds are led towards El Rocío, where they parade and get exhibited to crowds of tourists and locals.3.Sesteo(nap): once they've left the village, they are taken to Almonte, 15 km up north, having a short rest in the pine woods, nearby theSanta Maríastream and getting organised before entering town.4. Parade across Almonte: around 7pm, the herds crowd the streets of Almonte and are taken to the livestock enclosureHuerta de la Cañada, a fenced outdoor area in the northern outskirts of town.5. Livestock event: next day, “la tusa” is carried out, which is the process by which the horses are cleaned, chipped and sheared in order to be sold. The following days the town fair is held and several activities are carried out regarding the horses. These include a morphological evaluation of the royal pattern of the mares and new foals of the ancientMarismeñobreed, which is endangered and genetically related to the AmericanMustanghorse.There are also photo contests and a horse race. When the fair ends, the horses which have not been purchased get back to the wild.
It is an annual event whose origins can be traced as back as horse breeding and cow farming itself, around the 13th century. It was in 1872 that the fair was officially established as "Feria de San Pedro", held in the last days of August until 1896, when it was brought forward to June, so that it coincided withSaint Peter's day, as he's the patron saint of Almonte. The fair holidays take five days, just after theGathering of the Mareshas finished at the livestock enclosure, for the fair has a farming trade origin. The fair is held at the "Recinto Ferial", a trapezoidal area of 30,000mlocally known as "El Chaparral", located in the town'seastern zone, with paved, unpaved and turf zones.Around 22casetaswith an average area of 400mare built, leaving five main temporary streets, including the main one or "Real". In the northeast part, different amusement rides for all ages are installed, including ferris wheels, rollercoasters, dodgems,pendulums, merry-go-rounds,drop tower, funhouses,tagadas, etc. The fair is typically inaugurated by an artist or celebrity, sometimes nationally recognised, like singerRocío Jurado.Almonte's fair is the only one inAndalusiawhich has not got a flamenco dress code, but asmart casualone. that has because flamenco dresses in Almonte are reserved for El Rocío. The fair typically ends with some livestock show. All these particularities make it gather people from many neighbouring towns.
It is an international alternative music festival launched in 2011 and held deep within the pine woods, 4 km southeast from Almonte. It is typically celebrated on the second week of May. Nature, music and art merge at a unique event which attracts people from all ages and nationalities. It consists of a main stage, an alternative second stage, a market, a workshop and a camping area. Trees are decorated with bright-coloured clothing and lights that provide the area with a fairytale atmosphere, especially at night. A clear sign that the festival is approaching is the arrival of motley caravans andhippiefamilies to town, along withgothsand other minorities. The idea of taking advantage of the stunning natural landscape and ideal temperature to organise a musical event was followed by the creation of Global Tribe, anecovillagelocated just a few kilometers from where the festival is held. This community has its own organic vegetable garden and huts which are for rent. It also receives visitors from all over the world.
Something unique regarding Christmas in Almonte is the way they celebrate it at theMatalascañasresort. Environmental association "Aires Africanos"allows three of the camels they have at their natural reserve to be mounted by theThree Magiand walk along the coast, until they finally arrive at the end of the urban area. Some of the camels may be taken to Almonte andEl Rocíoas well to participate in the parade. Another original aspect of this holiday is the amusement park installed at "El Chaparral", the fairground, in the town'seastern zone.The main attraction is the 420mice rink, along with multiple rides, food stands and Christmas decoration.
It is a celebration held every 19 August whose origins can be traced back to avowsome people from Almonte offered to their patron saint, theVirgin of El Rocío. During thewar against France, French captain Pierre D'Oisseaux was executed in Almonte andNapoleonsent more than 1,000 soldiers from neighbouringSevilleto take revenge, but they never arrived at Almonte. Many believers thought it was a divine intervention by the Virgin, for they had prayed that the soldiers did not make it to their town.Nowadays, a mass may be held at the temple of El Rocío, but beyond its religious origin, it is also a day for people to make the most of their leisure time.
Almonte has several buildings with cultural purposes, but also playing a research or touristic role. Many of them are free of admission charges and have been created in the 90s and 2000s, using old wineries and oil mills purchased and remodelled by the town hall.
With an area of 6,445mand a perimeter of 396 m,this space is located in thenorthern partof town. It was inaugurated in 2011 and part of it was a former winery, property of the Count of Cañete. It consists of 5 main buildings embedded within an outdoor paved area decorated with pictures, benches, lamp posts and plants. These 5 buildings are:
It has replaced a former oil mill, the "Molino de Cepeda" and shows Almonte's local customs, including wine, wheat and oil production and the ancient agricultural and farming tradition linked to theDoñana National Park.The extensive ethnographic collection focuses on the symbiotic relationship between the urban and the natural environment and is divided into three main blocks: coast and marsh (farming, fishing and hunting), Almonte's agriculture (cereal, vineyards and olive) and industry (beekeeping, charcoal and tree oil, pine nut and wood extraction). It starts with a wide corridor showing the historical evolution of Almonte through pictures, texts and mockups, from prehistoric times to nowadays, going throughneolithic,roman,medievalandmodernstages. Once the corridor is walked along, there is an outdoor area showing replicas of traditional tools, animals and jobs. From there, people can access the third and last indoor section, a 500mbuilding which hosts a great exhibition aboutEl Rocío, including a replica of the "Abuelas Almonteñas" monument, whose original version is located in theeast sideof town. It also has several replicas of the different ephemeral cathedral built each seven years during theLa Venida de la Virgen. Another interesting section shows the evolution of the ancient sculpture of theVirgin of El Rocío, from the original 12th-centurygothicsculpture to the current version, which has undergone somebaroqueremodelling over time.
TheMuseo del Mundo Marino(sea museum) was a 3,900mscientific and historical complex opened in 2002 and located inside theParque dunar(west fromMatalascañas), with a total investment of more €20 million, being one of the two museums in Spain to be certified withISO 9001and14001andAENOR.With six different rooms, it was the only museum in Europe to have a completeorcaskeleton along with several other mockups, mammal skeletons and the most extensive shell collection in the country. It was also the only European museum to have theEcosphere, a self-sustained spherical sealed ecosystem created byNASA,of which only one more replica was available at that time.It was designed for space flight and contains different species of shrimps, algae and bacteria. Different souvenir replicas were sold at the museum shop and more than 30,000 people used to visit the centre annually. After the elections of 2011, when mayor Francisco Bella left after 20 years in charge, a coalition was formed by right-wingPPand left-wingIU. The latter, at a regional level, sanctioned the two councillors who made it possible forPPto govern Almonte.In January 2012, the new local council decided to close the museum without receiving a regional grant that would solve what they claimed to be a financial crisis and all the content of the centre was taken to Seville.In 2023, after former mayor Francisco Bella had been reelected, the new local council announced the reopening of the museum, which would start by turning the former building into a centre for digital resources.
Located in the southewestern part of the village ofEl Rocío, on the west side of former roadA483, this centre focuses on the symbiosis between the history ofone of the most popular pilgrimages in the worldand the largest natural reserve in Europe,Doñana.It is a 2,126mbuilding surrounded by a fenced garden of around 12,500m. It was funded by the local council and the regional government.It has 9 main rooms and two inner courtyards, including a room for temporary exhibitions and several panels, mockups and relics. Its content refers to theMarismeño horse breed(a local protected species and ancestor of the AmericanMustang),local craftwork and architecture (which was also brought over to America, inspiring the far west architecture),the pilgrimage and other ancient customs.
The "Museo del Vino de Almonte (MUVA) is a 1,000 mbuilding inaugurated in 2014, after a ten-year remodelling of a 19th-century winery which belonged to the Escolar brothers, pioneers in wine technology.The museum offers guided tours, restaurants, shops and wine tastings. Local wines from Almonte, like Raigalor Orange Wineare promoted and explained throughout its five main rooms, including their history and elaboration.
The Wood Museum is a protected area of around 60 hectares at km8 of theA-483(A-483 road), which connects Almonte with its other two urban areas,El RocíoandMatalascañasresort. Beyond the importance of the natural landscape itself, there is an organic farm school, a research centre for theIberian lynx(which includes several multimedia rooms) and another one for the localpine tree, with a huge hollow trunk which people can visit. There is also a recreation ground integrated within the natural environment, with more than 162 different rides on trees including nets, bridges and walkways, hoops, bars and zip wires, some of them hanging at a height of eight metres above the ground.
It has replaced the former 15th-century Hermitage ofJames the Great, which served as an entrance to town during pandemic outbreaks. Today it hosts the largest bibliographic collection aboutDoñana National Park,El Rocíoand the province ofHuelva, containing around 2,000 works, including out-of-print editions and rare books. It is located in the "Fuente de las Damas" park, in thewest sideof town. It is used for multiple cultural purposes, including auditions, conferences, art exhibitions, book launches and serves as the headquarters of the Municipal music band.
Almonte's contribution to literature started during the 19th century with writerAntonio Martín Villa, who became rector of the University of Seville. He wrote historical documents about the university and also reviewed poetic authors likeFélix José Reinoso. Later in the same century, writer, professor and historianLorenzo Cruzalso made a contribution toMiguel de Cervantes's work and Almonte's history, focusing on religious events. A bust of him can be found in the Avenida de los Cabezudos street.
Regarding poetry, María Castilla started writing at the age of 13 about the natural environment she was raised in, namelyDoñana. She won several awards of local poetry, including the second prize in 1995 for her poemMuda Nota.Rocío Blanco was a poet influenced by theMachado brothers. Withinlyric poetry, María Endrina was a writer and teacher who became head at the school ofCabezudosand combined her teachings with her main hobby, writing children poems about her town, many of them set in thepostwar period.
In 1995 the city council published the first book of a series of more than 100 works titledCuadernos de Almonte. Previously focused on providing a historical perspective of town, many other later focused on art, gastronomy, literature, etc. Each of these blocks have a different colour on their covers, being as follows: green (history), pink (literature), yellow (gastronomy), blue (administration) and orange (painting).The blue books offer detailed information about budgets, awardings, records, certificates and other administrative elements.
From the second half of the 20th century on, several key people have contributed to Almonte's literary field. Domingo Muñoz Bort is a historian, archivist, writer and populariser who has worked as director of theCentro Cultural de la Villa, having published dozens of historical works and edited the above-mentioned series. Alfonsa De Almonte is a writer who has worked as the council's press officer and published several books for children.
As for novels, Juan Villa is a writer and literary critic who has published several short stories, novels and essays over the last decades, includingCrónica de las Arenas, set in Almonte during the postwar period.Rocío Castrillois Almonte's most renowned novelist, with national awards for novels such asUna Mansión en Praga(Descubrebooks; 2013),Ellas y el Sexo(Ed.: Pigmalión; 2014),En el Fin de la Tierra(CreateSpace; 2016). Her most controversial work is151 Cuchilladas, an exhaustive analysis of thedouble murder of Almonte in 2013
Almonte hosts different literary contests as the one for short tales, organised by the youth centre. Youngsters aged 14 to 30 participate and two works are awarded each year in two different categories according to age.TheCentro de Estudios Rocieros, which plays a key role in cultural researching, also contributes to literature with people like composers and songwriters Hermanos Gallardo, who have compiled more than 40 poems related to El Rocío, in their anthologyPor Los Senderos del Alma.
Owing to the great cultural influence and natural environment of the area, countless writers, filmmakers and other artists have been inspired to develop their work
Writers likeLuis de Góngora,Juan Ramón Jiménez,Rafael Alberti,José Manuel Caballero Bonald,Fernando VillalónoAlfonso Grossodescribe landscapes of Almonte. The prose poemPlatero and Iincludes chaper 47, titled “El Rocío” and also a veterinary surgeon from Almonte called Darbón. PoemThe Fable of Polyphemus and Galateaalso includes references to different landscapes of the area. Various authors from Almonte like Villa siblings or Juan Francisco Ojeda published in 2015Doñana, el paisaje relatado(Doñana, the narrated land), analysing the inspiration and emotions this privileged natural environment boosts in all the artistic fields.
Nowadays, new works inspired by cultural and natural references from Almonte keep on emerging, for instance, historical novelAlhaja, by Spanish author Ángel De Frutos. It tells the story of a woman who leaves Almonte in the 20s to emigrate to the city.Satiricalnoir fictionnovelUn Hombre Lobo en El Rocíobyes:Julio Muñoz Gijón, makes a sharp analysis of the contrast between tradition and modernity.Another Spanish author, Max Arel, publishedCuentos de la Marisma de Doñana, a reflective work set in the coast.
Almonte's traditional music has been a main culture booster for centuries, being specially noticeable duringEl Rocío. It split into two brands: the instrumental one (with the flute and tabor) and the vocal (with the Sevillana Rociera and thefandango). In recent decades, several other styles have come up, mainly alternative rock,rumbaandpsychedelic trance(brought about by theTransition Festival).
Taborshave been used for centuries, modernising its material over time to meet current quality standards. Almonte's tabor is wider in diameter than the ones from northern Spain (around 50 cm wide and 80 cm high) and mostly made of wood and goat-leather-covered surfaces tightened by metallic rings. Tabor players develop a key role in traditional festivities, specially during thePilgrimage to El Rocío, when they head the procession of theHermandad Matrizinterpreting the “Toque del Rocío” (literally, beat of El Rocío), a traditional melody from Almonte, quite different from the typical music within the genre. The “Toque del Alba” (dawn beat) is played as the sun rises, just before resuming the journey. Finally, the “Toque del Romerito” (little pilgrim's beat) puts an end to the trilogy of Almonte's traditional tabor beats. The most relevant event is the ”Mass of the Virgin of El Rocío”, during which hundreds of tabor players play at once, interpreting ancient melodies, quite far from typical Andalusian music. Spanish musician and composerManuel Pareja Obregónco-founded the Tabor School of Almonte, one of the six main ones in the country and also wrote the Salve Universal, one of the most renowned Hail Marys in the world.
Flutes, in Spanishgaita almonteñaorflauta rociera, as other instruments with three holes, come from the Greek syrinx, though they can be traced back topaleolithicages. It is a 35-cm-long and 2-cm-wide pipe typically made of wood from local trees such asash trees,orange trees,lemon treesoroleanders. Higher quality ones are more expensive and made ofebony,pomegranate treeortulipwood. It can be played using the ring and little fingers, although the thumb may be necessary for certain notes.
It was in theMiddle Ageswhen the combination of flute and tabor became usual in the area, as described in some excerpts from the medieval poemsCantigas de Santa María, read and interpreted duringAlfonso X's reign. These manuscripts already mentioned hunting within the then-calledCoto de Las Rocinas(a royal hunting ground inLas Rocinas woods). El Rocío has boosted as no other innovation and modernisation of these two instruments. Over time, several other elements have been added to the flute and tabor, includingcanes,castanets, hand drums, flamenco guitars and clapping. Nowadays,Almonte's flute and tabor are registered asIntangible cultural heritagebyUNESCOand still play a key role in local festivities.
As for singing, Almonte has been adapting and innovating its own style ofSevillanasover the last centuries, ending up having theSevillanas rocieras, which have become one of the seven official branches of the genre.Unlike typical sevillanas, rocieras are more melodious and have deeper and more moving lyrics, often related to Almonte's cultural or natural heritage (the woods of Doñana, the pilgrimage, the Virgin of El Rocío, etc.). Some of the most renowned titles areHistoria de una Amapola(a story of a poppy) byLos Marismeños,Mírala Cara a Cara(look at her face to face) by Requiebros,Flores a Ella(flowers to her) by thees:Hermanos Toronjo,Tiempo, Détente(time, stop) byLos Romeros de La PueblaorSueña la Margarita(the daisy dreams) byAmigos de Gines.
Most bands, singers and songwriters from Almonte emerged in the second half of the 20th century and, currently, there are around thirty well-known local artists of a variety of genresThe most renowned bands are Requiebros, consisting of three brothers who begun their activity in the 80s and have released several international hits includingMi Huelva tiene una Ría, adopted as one of the province's anthems. Another well-known group is Senderos, formed by the Gallardo brothers and Manuel Ramos. They became popular in the 90s and have released more than 30 albumsand songs likeEso se SienteorNostalgia. In the late 90s, the group Varales emerged, with a successful album calledPor Derecho. Regardingrock, the bandThe Pink Pylonhas become popular in town,founded by Fran Báñez in the late 2000s and having released anEPin 2005 and an album in 2009, both with homonym titles and songs likeOld Blues, Dark NightorIce.
With regards to singers, Chico Gallardo is a singer-songwriter, guitar player and flamenco andrumbaproducerwho has released several singles. Macarena De la Torre is a singer with success at a national level,with three albums released.
Almonte has an elementary music school, a flamenco school, a dance school and a public municipal band. The town has hosted performances byJulio Iglesias,Olé Olé,Rocío Jurado,es:José Manuel Soto,Pastora Soler,Chenoa,David DeMaría.Other local artists often perform at the weekends in pubs, hotels and other places, specially in the summer.
Almonte'smediterraneancuisine is pretty varied, but mostly focus on either game meat or fish, for it is a territory where theAtlantic Oceanand theDoñana National Parkmerge. Wild rabbits, deers, boars and partridges are the most common recipes regarding meat, due to hunting in the Doñana surroundings, a very traditional activity. As for fish, the worldwide-known "gamba blanca" (white prawn) is the signature dish, along withatlantic mackerelsandsardines. Berries have also become trendy over the last decades, since it is one of the top berry exporters in EuropeConcerning vegetables, wild asparagus and beans are quite frequent. There are also many desserts which have a Muslim origin and whose main ingredient is honey, a traditional ingredient of the zone. Some of the most typical dishes include:
It is a traditional recipe consisting of artichokes stuffed withjamón, garlic, onion, boiled eggs andparsley. Once stuffed, they are wrapped up in breadcrumb and after being stir-fried, they are cooked. There is a separate typical dish in which the hearts are stir-fried with oil, garlic and small ham cubes.
These are small and big snails, respectively. They are typically eaten in Spring and served in taverns and outdoor establishments, being seldom offered at restaurants. Unlike in certain places of Cádiz, snails are not eaten before drinking its soup in a glass, but rather served straight on a plate. Cabrillas are typically cooked in a sauce, like tomato or others.
Lamb recipee usually cooked with vegetables, bread and wine. Offals are often included in the dish.
This is an original version of the typical Spanishcocidoconsisting of chickpeas, green beans and pumpkin, along with chicken and beef. It ends up with an orange colour.
Alike typicalwedge clams, they are stir-fried with oil, garlic and parsil, but adding onion, tomato, saffron and paprika.
A sliced salted bass cooked in its soup and complemented with a sauce of fried almond, onion, garlic, bay and wine. Rice or potatoes may be added too.
It is a signature dish from Almonte consisting of bigbroad beanscooked with garlic,pennyroyalor coriander and salt. It can also be found with some different ingredients in neighbouring towns.
These are crunchy half moon-shaped toasted bread, stuffed with a wide variety of ingredients, the most common beingpringá, cod, salmon, chorizo,frigate tunawith tomato,blue cheeseand pork.
It is the signature bread of Almonte, with a very dense texture and typically sold by local bakery Martín Naranjo,so they are locally known as "pan de Naranjo" (Naranjo's bread). It also produces the "Roscos  Almonteños" breadsticks.
It is the signature game dish in Almonte. Partridges are cleaned and salted. Then they are stir-fried with garlic and paprika. they are finally cooked as a hotpot and served with either rice or chips.
It is a local dessert consisting of a hoof-shaped sponge cake, soaked in syrup and filled with pastry cream. Egg yolk cream is then spread on top.
It is a typical Spanishpoleá, but in Almonte they often spread some honey and add clove to the original recipe.
This is a scrumbled eggs recipee with fresh cod, stir-fried with garlic, onion, bay and parsil.
These are traditional pieces of wheat, leavening, water and salt fried in olive oil. They can be soaked in hot chocolate, honey or sugar, but can also be eaten alone.
It is a recipee made of fried goose cooked with several spices which is served over slices of bread soaked in the stew soup. Egg, spearmint and garlic may also be added.
This is another signature game dish from Almonte. Localmarismeña cowis used. The meat is cooked with carrots, wine and spices. Then rice is added.
It is one of the most traditional dishes in Almonte. It consists of whipped cream and jelly, dry figs, pine nuts, raisins, almonds, dates, walnuts and honey.
Like the previous dessert, it also has whipped cream and jelly, but mixed with a sponge cake and soaked in syrup and orange or lemon juice. Then it is covered with a layer of organic strawberry jam.
It is a dry white wine made in Almonte, using organiczalema grape. It comes in at 10.5%ABV. It has a greenish colour and a soft flavour.
Almonte's stable warm weather has made it possible for the town to focus on outdoor sports. The council and different local sport organisations invest great quantities of time and money in promoting sports, having people of all ages participate actively. Many of them have been awarded with gold and silver medals both at a national and international levels, in sports likeduathlon,judo,cycling,motocross,orrhythmic gymnastics.Other important activities focus onhorse riding, with several contests regarding sport but also fashion and horse and camel rental to enjoy natural spaces.Almonte is the only city in eastern Huelva with anolympic swimming pool,located in thenorthernsport centre, one of the main ones in the province.
There are three main public centres, two of them in Almonte and a third one inEl Rocío. The main one has an area of 43,561mand is located in thenorthern partof town. It has two football pitches, three tennis courts, an outdoorolympicswimming pool, an indoor swimming pool and another one for children, arunning trackand a covered stadium. The second one is “Los Llanos”, in thesouthern areaof town, with fourpadelcourts, a basketball court and a covered court.A little bit southwards there is an outdoorspétanqueboulodrome. Outside town, to the south, there is amotocrosscircuit and anaeromodellingrunway. 
The third one, called “Campo Municipal del Deporte”, is located in the eastern outskirts of the village of El Rocío. It has a 25-metre swimming pool and another one for children, four basketball courts, two padel courts, an unpaved football pitch and a covered court.As for the private sector, there are 4 gyms in Almonte, three of them in the main urban core and a fourth one in theMatalascañasresort,area which also counts with aparaglidingclub, a saliling and fishing cluband several organisations for horse and camel riding.
Several sport schools also offer training and degree certificates at several levels, for example the Regional Judo School, which provides middle and advanced titles.Other schools which also offer advanced certificates are football, indoor football, basketball, handball, athletics and lifeguarding.The “Almonte Balompié” is a top-classfootballteam established in 1985.Its equipment consists of red t-shirt and socks and blue shorts. It plays both at theTop Andalusian Leagueand Huelva's Regional League.
Cycle sportalso plays a main role in Almonte, both at professional and amateur levels. Local María Isabel Felipe won the European XCM inLaissac(France) in 2023.Regionalcross-countryraceHuelva Series XCMis often organised in the areaand there are important cycle clubs likeAtrochamonte,which organises MTB marathons like “Doñana Natural”, an annual race started a decade ago.Matalascañashas also a 30-kmcycle pathwhich stretches from the easternmost point of the urban area up to Mazagón, a town 25 km to the west.
Almonte'smotocrossracetrack is located 5 km south from town and consists of a rectangular area of around 138,000m, being 1.5 km in length and having around 13 turns. Its fine-grain sand typical from areas next to the coast makes it unique in southern Spain and is a special challenge due to its deep grooves and constant reshaping. Different regional and national competitions take place in this circuit, including theAndalusian ChampionshipThe main sport centre in town has also hosted internationalFMXevents, with renowned pilots likeEdgar Torronteras, Dany Torres or Fernando de Rodrigo.
Volleyballis also prominent in town, namelybeach volleyball. Almonte's girl junior team won the Spanish Cup in 2023and the beginners topped the regional charts. During the 26th regional championshipCircuito Pronvincial de Vóley Playa, which took place inMatalascañasbeach, more than 200 teams from all over the region participated in different categories.
One of the most rooted and traditional sports ishorse riding. As explained in thehistorical section, theMustanghorse breed was also brought over to America from the surrounding areas, its name being derived from the Spanish “mostrenco” (meaning “wild”), a term which also applies to a localMarismeña(cow breed from Almonte).The most important horse centre in the entire province isFormades.With an area of 16,000m, it is located in the eastern zone of the village ofEl Rocío, next to former roadA483. It consists of four main buildings: a 3,000mindoor arena, an outdoor barn, a hall and a school. It offers up to 10 different courses, including horse farming,working riding, saddlery, shoeing and green energies. An average of 10,000 hours are offered annually for more than a hundred students.An average of 70% of students successfully got a job after leaving the school. There are also outdoors horse arenas at AICAB, also in El Rocío, in the northwestern part of town. More than 20,000mare available for horse championships, exhibitions and other activities. Spain'sWorking RidingChampionship is usually held inHuerta de la Cañada, an extensive outdoorsequestrian facilityable to host thousands of equids and located outside town, in the northern part.This area serves also to gather horses during the ancient and popular eventSaca de las Yeguas, which is further explained in the festivities’section.El Ranchitois another facility located inEl Rocíowhich also hosts equestrian exhibitions.Local horsemen like Alfonso Martín Díaz or Carlos Fernández have both won several national and regional championships in different categories.There is also a horse riding school 1.5 km far from town towards northwest calledCuatro Aguas Driving Teamand horse clubAmigos del Caballo, inMatalascañas, also hosts horse riding championships, exhibitions and training lessons. Local touristic companyEl Pasodobleorganises horse routes at different levels and is located next to the horse club mentioned before.Combined drivingcontests such asCopa Andaluza de Obstáculos(Andalusian Obstacle Cup) orConcurso Internacional de Enganches de Tradición(International Traditional Combined Driving Championship) andbelt racesmust also be included as traditional activities in which locals often top sport rankings.
Hunting, both at a sport level and for animal overpopulation purposes has always played a key role in Almonte, being the main reason behind the establishment of theDoñana National Park, which was for centuries aroyal forest. There are more than 700hunting licensesand three main organisations. Hunters and amateur locals have long been demanding ashooting rangein town, for theone located at the coastis restricted to military activities.Almonte is soon expected to build the first olympic shooting range in the province,which would host contests both at a national and international levels.
Almonte currently keeps on investing and innovating on sports. The firstInline Alpine Slalomclub in Andalusia was founded in 2022, with the first track ever built in thesoutheastern partof town, withinClara Campoamorpark.The town participated in the Spanish Cup in Barcelona and got the 1st position in the masculine U11 category.
Almonte has seven twin townsestablished in the last decades, the more recent ones beingClareandCéret. They share different cultural activities and economic deals with each other.Sanlúcar de Barrameda, for example, shares frontier with Almonte, being separated by theGuadalquivirriver and Sanlúcar's filial confraternity is one of the first to participate in Almonte's pilgrimage and holiday,El Rocío.Balerwas the city where some Spanish soldiers, including one from Almonte, got surrounded by the Filipinos during theSpanish American War.Clarewas the first Australian town to apply for membership to El Rocío, becoming a filial confraternity.Farsia's adhesion to the list focuses on some exchange programmes by which Sahrawis spent their summer holidays in Almonte, being hosted by local families, as a sign of solidarity with this African community.
Céret(France) /Clare(Australia) /Farsia(Western Sahara) /Baler(Philippines) /La Estrada(Spain) /Sanlúcar(Spain) /Estepona(Spain)
Almonte, thanks to its diverse and extensive territory, has been set for several films, shorts, documentaries, TV programmes and shows. Key landmarks include its long beaches, the village ofEl Rocíoand the dunes inside theDoñana National Park.
Some worldwide-known films that have been shot in Almonte include:The Neverending StoryorLawrence of Arabia, shot in thedunesof Doñana.
French thrillerAnything for Herwas shot in the town Almonteand the village ofEl Rocío, as well as DutchThe Flying LiftboyGerman filmSunburned(2009), directed by Swedish filmmaker Carolina Hellsgård, was shot in theMatalascañasbeach.
As for Spanish cinema, some of the films set in Almonte are:Tenemos 18 años (1959),Canción de cuna (1961),Armas para el Caribe (1965),La Cólera del Viento (1972),El Viento y el León (1975),Mi Bello Legionario (1977),Made in Japón (1985)oLa Cruz de Iberia (1990).
The Film School of Almonte has been training filmmakers since the 90s, including the authors of cartoons "Aventuras en Doñana",which later inspired filmThe Missing Lynx(2009). This film won aGoya Award for Best Animated Filmand was produced byAntonio Banderas, who visited Almonte the previous year to sign a commitment to save theIberian lynx.
In 2001, the film companyProducciones Doñana S.Lwas founded, having produced several works, including the short "Hambre" (2011), directed by Spanish filmmaker Mario De la Torre.
Almonte joined the Andalusian Film Commissionand celebrates the Doñana International Scientific and Environmental Film Festival,promoting nature and sustainability. This festival sponsors new filmmakers and train scientific popularisers. Film sessions are usually held at theCIECEMA, in Almonte.A contest is also held, in which a professional jury awards the best film.
Almonte has an extensive private industry due to two main factors: its vast amount of natural resources and tourism. It has had an average revenue of €45,000,000 in the last decade and reached its top in 2019 with roughly €63 million, ranking 1st within the province, just after Huelva, the capital city.The locals have traditionally made a living out of olives, vineyards, acorns, honey, pine nuts, salt, wood, charcoal, farming, agriculture and fishing. In the 50s, Almonte had 58 wineries, 10 oil mills, 4 wheat mills, two soda factories, 10 butcher's, 8 fishmonger's, 12 fruit shops and 20 grocery shops.
Almonte has 28 schools, from which 13 are elementary schools, 7 primary schools and 3 high schools. "I.E.S. Doñana" is the largest high school in the region, located in thenorthern partof town. More than 1,300 students and around 110 teachers work there. Neighbouring high school "I.E.S. La Ribera" is also in this area.
Almonte is the only town in Huelva, excluding the capital, with anOfficial School of Languages.It has also 3 public libraries.
Due to its vast agricultural and organic crop industry and its massive seasonal tourism, Almonte's roads have a constant flow of vehicles, having been widened and reshaped several times over the last decades. Most widely used public transport is theintercitybus, which connects the three main towns within the municipality, namely Almonte, El Rocío and Matalascañas and is free for residents. There's a significant daily bus flow to take labourers from the town to the organic crops. During massive events such asEl Rocíoor theVenida de la Virgen, extensive areas are turned into temporary parking areas and extra bus lines are included, some of them hourly.In the summer, buses also run more often to the beach and roads may become clogged with traffic from neighbouring cities of Huelva and Seville towards the coast, specially at weekends.
The main road to get to Almonte is motorway A-483, a turn-off at km49 ofmotorway A-49, betweenSevilleandHuelva. It bypasses Almonte and passes byEl Rocío, ending at theMatalascañasresort, in the Atlantic coast. Secondary road A-484 departs from Bonares and get to Almonte, passing by neighbouring Rociana. Secondary road A-474 connects Almonte toSeville, passing by neighbouring towns Pilas or Castilleja de la Cuesta.
Around 20 taxi companies work in Almonte.
Almonte has a regular bus line to reach its urban areas ofEl RocíoandMatalascañas. The bus station, in theeast partof town, is often busy due to local transport either related to temporary labourers going to the berry fields or to summer transport to the beach. It also has regional lines toHuelvaandSevilleand international lines toPortugalandRomania. The street with busiest traffic is Carretera del Rocío, the main business avenue, where two roundabouts have been installed over the last two decades to smooth gridlocks at rush hour. Busiest road is A-483, which connects Almonte to the Atlantic coast. In the summer, especially at weekend evenings, long-lasting traffic jams are produced in this road.
Nearest train station is located 10 km to the north, at neighbouring town La Palma. There is another one inHuelvaand high-speed train inSeville.
Nearest airports are:Seville Airport(58 km away),Faro Airport(Portugal), 132 km away) andJerez Airport(144 km away). Almonte also has twoheliports, the one next to the abandoned villageLos Cabezudosand the other one inEl Rocíoand twoairfields, both west from town.
Almonte has four sailing clubs which also combine fishing and wind sportsatMatalascañasresort and aferry routeacross theGuadalquivirriver that gets to neighbouring fishing townSanlúcar.
Almonte has 2,843 hectares of arable crops (chiefly strawberries and sunflowers) and 4,334 of wood crops, mainly blueberries and olives.Around 20 companieshave its headquarters in Almonte, some of them topping European charts.Almonte is the first blueberry exporter in Europe.
Almonte has successfully maintained traditional farming, which coexists with state-of-the-art breeding and crop technologies. Livestock is based on two main branches: horses and sheep. Both wild and domestic horses can be found in the area, the first in the southern part of the municipality, mainly withinDoñana National Parkand the latter around towns, being used for animal traction, contests, leisure, etc. Wild andsemi-feralhorses are taken every year to town from the park during the populares:Saca de las Yeguas, after which they are sold. As for sheep, traditional shepherds can still be found, specially in the countryside around town.
Even though nearly half of the coast of Huelva belongs to Almonte,it hasn't got a great fishing industry. It's due to three main factors: the distance between the main town and the coast (around 26 km) and its rather "recent" purchase of the coastal territory (16th century). Also, with the establishment of theDoñana National Park, 28 km of Almonte's coastal territory have been restricted to authorised fishing only. Most fishers are self-employed restaurant owners and fishmongers who sell at a retail level. Virtually all the restaurants in Almonte offer high-quality fresh fish.
There were 1,677 manufacturing businesses in Almonte, 561 devoted to car repairing; 284 to restaurants, 232 to construction, 103 to science and 80 to manufacturing.An extensive crop industry, including organic berries, was established during the 90s, positioning the town at the top of berry production rankings at a European level.There are several industrial states, the main ones being "El Tomillar", in thesouthof town, with an area of 110,000mand 150 multipurpose units which focus on steel, furniture, meat production, ice, rubber, etc. and "Matalagrana", located between Almonte andEl Rocío, with 200,000mand chiefly focused on agriculture (berries and honey), with international-scope companies such as Bionest, Atlantic Blue or Fresmiel. This estate also hosts the biggest of the 8 fire stations in the province, with four main vehicles and covering 10 neighbouting towns (around 100,000 people).
Almonte has 9 public parks, the largest being "Alcalde Mojarro", with an area of 44,831m. It has several tree species, a central lake which hosts migratory birds, fish and amphibians, several recreative areas with swings and other rides and calisthenics devices, a bonsai workshop, a skating rink, two captive donkeys, an open-air cinema, a gardening worshop and a multipurpose building for conferences. TheMatalascañasresort has another open-air summer cinema, an amusement park and an outdoor enclosure for festivals called Surfasaurus.
The touristic sector plays a key role in Almonte, being mainly focused on history, gastronomy, wine and monumental routes in the main town, the pilgrimage in the village ofEl Rocíoaand summer holidays inMatalascañas, as explained in thelocal festivities section. Almonte is one of the ten towns declared as atourist attractionby theregional government
Almonte has 23 accommodation establishments, of which 11 are hotels and 12 are hostels, the total number of beds being around 3,500.Most of them are located inEl RocíoandMatalascañasand some of them are 4-star hotels. The town of Almonte has three main public parking areas, from which two are free. "Martín Villa" parking, located in the homonymous street, has three floors with an area of 768m² each and space for around 90 vehicles. TheCarrefoursupermarket, located in that same street, has a parking lot for 35 vehicles and theDiasupermarket, at the small roundabout in Carretera del Rocío street, offers around 40 spaces. The two free parking lots are both located in Picasso street, nearby the town centre, with a conjoined area of 1,500mand capacity for 120 vehicles.When massive events such as "La Saca de las Yeguas",El Rocíoor "La Venida de la Virgen" take place, alternative parking areas are made available, such as the one in street Avenida de los Cabezudos, with 2,600m.There's also anecovillagecalled Global Tribe,5 kilometers southeast from Almonte, at km.16 of road A-483. it was founded by two participants of the Transition Fest. This community offers accommodation for rent in sustainable tents and has its own organic vegetable garden. It hosts visitors from all over the world, mainly German and Dutch travellers. They sell organic berries, clothing, etc.
Almonte has been participating inFitur(the International Tourism Trade Fair) for more than 40 years,promoting its extensive touristic offer. Apart from theDoñana National Parkand its surroundings, beach tourism andEl Rocío, there's also the flamenco fashion industry, with designers such as Rocío Cabrera, José Joaquín Gil, Rima Prociviecene or Juan Francisco Gil Ortiz and contests like SIMOF (International Flamenco Fashion Week).Almonte ranked 10th in the list of the 22 most beautiful Spanish towns by magazine Viajar, being first in its province.It has also featured in TV documentaries and programmes such as "Callejeando",highlighting some of its most emblematic streets. A great part of this comes from the cultural investment over the last decades.
Two touristic enterprises were launched in 2022.Destino Rocíowas jointly organised by Almonte's and Seville's city councils and theRegional Government of Andalusia. It has established eight official routes all over southern Spain that lead toEl Rocío, promoting gastronomy, improving cattle routes and meeting other cultural and economic purposes. The second project is theCamino del Rocío a Santiago de Compostela(a new official route within theCamino de Santiago), launched by Almonte along with another eleven towns, with the collaboration of the council of Huelva and the Hermandad Matriz. Tiles depicting St James's shell combined with the Virgin of El Rocío (Almonte's patron saint) have been placed in different streets of town and landmarks all along the way up to theVia de la Plata, which connects toSantiago de Compostela.
American magazineCondé Nastpublished an article within its sectionTravelerabout Almonte, highlighting 7 main places of interest, including the historical centre of town, the village of El Rocío and Matalascañas.National Geographicincluded three of Almonte's beaches (Cuesta Maneli, Matalascañas and El Asperillo) within its ranking of the best 20 beaches in Andalusia.Despite being one of Almonte's main economic sources, this massive tourism has also brought about some environmental damages, such as litter on the ditches bordering road A-483, which connects the town to the coast. Light and noise pollution are also a main concern, specially in urban areas located in theDoñana National Parksurroundings. That's why the town council has taken several measures, including fines of more than €30,000.
Almonte has more than 100 establishments, excluding coffee shops, from which more than 30 are located within the town. Around 23 are in the village ofEl Rocíoand around 37 inMatalascañas. They typically focus on itstraditional cuisine.
Almonte's coastal location and biodiversity thanks toDoñanaprovides its territory with great opportunities to develop all kinds of scientific research. It was in the 40s when forest engineering arose, with many forest settlements focused onoiland wood extraction. In the 60s,Doñanawas established, and more than half of the park is in Almonte,making up 35% of the municipality. In this decade, the focus of study turned into biology and botany. In this same decade, making the most of the optimal average weather conditions, several military facilities were installed at the beach, widening the scientific focus on defense and technology. Finally, an interest in astrophysics has been rising since the 2000s, reaching its peak with the building of an astronomical observatory in town.
Almonte has anastronomical observatoryinaugurated in 2010 byCSIC's astrophysicist and cosmologistJuan P. Mercader. It's located in the CIECEMA (International Centre for Environmental Studies), in thenorth partof town. It has a 500mm-diameter mirror and a high-resolutionCCDcamera, being unique in the region.It's managed by Almonte's Astronomical Association, whose headquarters are in this same building.
Many scientists and amateur people meet nearby theMatalascañas's lighthouse to observelunar eclipses, for the area has little light pollution and the sky is clear at night. The town of Almonte also organises an event called "Ciencia al Fresquito",held at night in the summer at park "Clara Campoamor", which is rather elevated. Anyone can use several telescopes to observe the night sky at this event.
In 1966, as requested byNASA, arocket launch stationwas installed at the coast, in theborder areabetween Almonte and Moguer.More than 500sounding rocketshave been launched so far, most of them focusing on weather research. It is currently run by the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology.NASA has also provided high-tech radar technology and there are both European and American scientists working in there.
In April 2022, the firstrecoverable launchvehicle in Europe, the Spanish-manufacturedMiura 1,will be launched from this site.
This space, created in 1992, has an area of 120,000mand is located at km 37 of road A-483. It has 18 different sections to breed theIberian lynxSo far, there have been around 128 births and 33 releases. Scientists, veterinarians, watchers and security guards work at the facility, along with the Supervisory Committee for the Lynx, which has members from 15 international organisations.Next to this scientific building, there is a centre for visitors where two of the lynxes can be directly observed. It has a parking lot and restaurant.
The "Doñana Biological Station" is a national research complex founded in 1965 and administered by theCSIC, with headquarters inSeville. It studies and preserves a protected area of vital biological importance within theDoñana National Park, in Almonte. Unlike the rest of the park and its surroundings, which are controlled by Almonte's council and AndalusianJunta, this biological reserve is under the Spanish government's control. They have a scientific collection of more than 100,000 species, making up almost 20% of the world's total vertebrate species.
This Science Week was launched by schools with the cooperation of the town council, theJunta, theCSIC, theMinistry of Equalityand environmental organisations like Ecoembes. Experiments, layouts, lectures and workshops related to biology, physics, chemistry and maths are organised. Botany and virtual reality are the main disciplines. There is also an open laboratory in which citizens can present their scientific ideas, which are analysed and may end up becoming real measures and pilot projects.
Almonte hosted theChicarra Sound Research Festivalin 2023, with the participation of the councils of Almonte and Huelva and the group Refluxus.It is a scientific and artistic research about the effects of sound on society, co-founded by Danish researcher Jens Hauser.It was held at the theatre and focused on water, making the most of the town's unique environment embedded within theDoñana National Park. More than 30 scientists and artists from 15 different countries participated.
Almonte is the only place in Spain wheresurface-to-air missilescan be launched.There is a 257-hectare facility andmilitary training areafounded in 1981in a zone known as "Médano del Loro", in the westernmost tip of the coast. Many soldiers are posted to this facility for short-term training and the area appears pixelated on satellite maps, so as to provide privacy and keep it secret. The access to the beach from the road is restricted along a 2.5 km stretch.PatriotandHawkare some examples of missiles launched from this facility.