In Andalucía in the far south of the Iberian Peninsula lies an area rich with relics from Spain’s Golden Age. Christopher Columbus set sail on his first transatlantic voyage from a village near the city of Huelva, tucked between the Río Odiel and Río Tinto, just inland from the beaches of the Costa de la Luz.
Much of the wealth that poured in from the New World found its way back to Huelva and Andulucía’s graceful capital city, Seville, which rose to prominence in the 11th century under the Moorish Abbadid dynasty before Columbus and the conquistadors extended Spanish influence worldwide.
Today, Huelva is the gateway to lovely and comparatively quiet beaches on the Costa de la Luz, and a collection of sites linked to Spain’s most famous explorer, including the historic village of Palos de la Frontera and La Rábida, where you can view life-sized replicas of the ships used by Columbus on his first trip to the Americas.
If you’re looking for a relaxing introduction to Andalucía, Huelva makes a great base for a few days of your trip. Here’s a look at the 13 top things to do in the city of Huelva and the surrounding province.
1. Explore the Museo de Huelva
The Romans came to Huelva for its mineral riches, and plenty of relics from this era have found their way into the permanent collection at the Museo de Huelva, including a well-preserved waterwheel and some intricate mosaics. Located in the heart of the city, the museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Andalucian history from ancient to modern times.
Looking beyond the archaeological treasures, Spanish artworks spanning seven centuries are displayed upstairs, covering everything from medieval religious art to contemporary creativity. Temporary art exhibitions also take place at salmon-pink Casa Colón (Columbus House), a few buildings down from the museum.
Planning tip: The museum is free to enter but it’s closed on Mondays and some holidays. Opening hours are 9am to 9pm from Tuesday to Saturday, and 9am to 3pm on Sundays.
2. Experience the city’s heartbeat at Plaza de las Monjas
The focal point of downtown Huelva is the Plaza de las Monjas (Square of the Nuns), surrounded by a mix of modern and traditional architecture, with a striking central fountain that is a favorite backdrop for photographs.
Sidewalk cafes and restaurants line the edges of the square, providing relaxing spots to people-watch while you absorb the atmosphere. The plaza hosts events throughout the year, from outdoor concerts and festivals to seasonal markets. During the holiday season, festive lights and decorations make the setting especially magical.
3. Discover Columbus’ story at the Santuario De Nuestra Señora de la Cinta
Learn more about the adventures of Christopher Columbus inside the Santuario De Nuestra Señora de la Cinta, about 3km (1.9 miles) north of the center, where painted azulejo tiles by Spanish ceramist Daniel Zuloaga tell the story of Columbis’s perilous journey across the Atlantic in 1493.
Facing stormy seas, Columbus vowed to the heavens that he would make a pilgrimage to this very chapel should he and his crew be spared. Whether or not the explorer made good on his promise is lost to history, but his voyage ushered in the discovery (and exploitation) of the Americas.
The church itself is dedicated to Our Lady of the Ribbon (La Virgen de la Cinta), recalling a local legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherd at this location in the 15th century. Ever since, the church has been a place of pilgrimage, particularly for sailors, and it comes alive in September, when annual festivities attract visitors from across the region.
Planning tip: To reach the sanctuary, take the number 6 bus from outside the bus station in Huelva.
4. Eat chocos (cuttlefish) in Huelva
Andalucía is renowned for its cuttlefish, known locally as chocos – similar to squid and often served lightly battered and fried. It’s a popular tapas dish in local bars and restaurants, usually paired with a squeeze of lemon and a little aioli for dipping.
In Huelva, Bar Paco Moreno is a great spot for seafood dishes such as shrimp and chocos fritos, while Coma Tapas & Punto is a good place to try montadito de choco frito (a fried cuttlefish sandwich).
A fancier approach to serving cuttlefish can be found at the upscale tapas bar, Portichuelo, where grilled cuttlefish and other shellfish are the house specialties. At top-notch seafood eatery, Azabache, the specials include seasonal huevos de choco (cuttlefish roe).
Planning tip: Another popular dish in Andalucía is gazpacho – an ice-cold tomato soup that’s perfect for the region’s hot climate. It’s often vegetarian, but is sometimes garnished with hard-boiled eggs or ham.
5. Learn about Spain’s oldest football club
For sports enthusiasts, a visit to Estadio Nuevo Colombino is a must. This esteemed venue is the home ground of Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, Spain’s oldest football club, which was founded by two Scottish employees of the Rio Tinto mining company in 1889. The club – which plays in distinctive blue and white – dropped into the fifth tier of Spanish football in 2021, but has since returned to the third tier, rekindling the passion of its loyal fan base.
Estadio Nuevo Colombino opened in 2001 and it has a seating capacity of more than 21,000, allowing enthusiastic crowds to enjoy the thrilling match-day atmosphere. Tours of the stadium explore the club’s history and offer a closer look at its facilities, including the Dean’s Museum, Presidential Box, press room, changing rooms, benches and pitch.
Planning tip: Tickets for games at Estadio Nuevo Colombino can be booked through sports ticketing websites, with the Spanish football season typically running from late August or early September through to May.
6. Follow in the footsteps of Columbus
One of Huelva’s most visited attractions lies close to the Monasterio de la Rábida, about 20 minutes from central Huelva on the M403 bus. In a small artificial lake, protected from the tidal whims of the Río Tinto, you’ll find three wooden caravels – accurate, to-scale replicas of the three vessels that conveyed Columbus and his 100-strong crew across the Atlantic.
While Columbus’ legacy is facing increasing scrutiny, it’s still fascinating to board the replicas of the Pinta, Niña and Santa Maria at Muelle de las Carabelas for a taste of what life would have been like for sailors during the Age of Discovery. An excellent museum with honest portrayals of Spain’s disastrous impact on Indigenous communities in the Americas is a welcome addition.
Other rewarding stops in the area include La Rábida’s Franciscan monastery on the hilltop, featuring exceptional frescoes inside its Mudéjar-era cloister, and the Parque Botánico José Celestino Mutis, a beautifully landscaped botanical garden.
7. Delve deeper into Columbus’ story in Palos de la Frontera
On his famous first voyage, Christopher Columbus actually set sail from the small town of Palos de la Frontera, a few kilometers northeast of La Rábida. Its historical prestige is buoyed further by being the hometown of two of Columbus’ fellow captains – brothers Martín Alonso Pinzón and Vicente Yáñez – and half his crew. The riches that flowed back from the New World are particularly evident on the decorated facade of Palos’ grand Ayuntamiento (Town Hall).
Detour: Head north along Calle Cristóbal Colón to visit the Parraquia San Jorge Mártir, a crumbling church strewn with stork nests, where Columbus and his sailors took Communion before embarking for the Americas. Water for their ships was drawn from the well known as La Fontanilla, which stands nearby.
8. See the monument to Columbus at Punta del Sebo
Celebrating Huelva’s role in the Age of Discovery, the towering Monumento a la Fe Describridora (Monument to the Faith of the Discoverer) by the confluence of the Río Odiel and Río Tinto is dedicated to Christopher Columbus.
Designed by the American sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the monumental statue was erected at Punta del Sebo in 1929 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the explorer’s death. Interpretive signs offer insights into Columbus’ journeys and it’s worth coming just for the river view.
Planning tip: The monument is 5km (3 miles) southwest of Huelva’s city center, accessible by local bus. The site is particularly beautiful at sunset.
9. Admire a Nobel Laureate’s home
You can explore more Andalucian history in Moguer, about 40 minutes from Huelva by road, where Columbus spent a night of prayer at Monasterio de Santa Clara after returning from his first voyage in March 1493.
The town is also the setting for the Casa Museo Zenobia y Juan Ramón Jiménez, the former home of poet and Nobel Prize-winner Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881-1958) and his wife, Zenobia Camprubí, who was also a respected poet, writer and translator. The airy home is an affectionate homage to their life’s work and also the site of the couple’s mausoleum.
Planning tip: If you want to learn more about Juan Ramón Jiménez and Zenobia Camprubí, free audio guides are available to download onto your phone.
10. Lounge on the beaches of the Costa de la Luz
Running west and east from Huelva is the dreamy coastline of the Costa de la Luz. It’s well-known to domestic tourists, but international visitors have yet to catch on to the fact that some of the region’s best beaches can be found here.
The town of Isla Cristina is accessible from Huelva in around 40 minutes by car or 90 minutes by bus, with two long and lovely sandy beaches – Playa de la Gaviota and Playa Central – connected by a boardwalk. Further east, a nature trail winds through forested marshlands, affording good opportunities for bird watching.
Close to Isla Cristina, Ayamonte is a pretty little town that has regular ferry crossings to Vila Real de Santo António in Portugal, with its wildlife-filled nature reserve. Following the coast toward Huelva, you’ll reach Punta Umbría, another unpretentious resort with appealing beaches.
Heading east from Huelva, the main beach resort is at Mazagón. From here, a 28km (18 miles) stretch of unbroken sand with little development runs all the way to Matalascañas, one of the closest beaches to Seville. To find your own quiet strip of beach, pick any empty spot along the A494.
Detour: If you fancy a more remote beach experience, visit Flecha del Rompido, accessible from April to October via the hourly FlechaMar ferry from El Rompido. Another top recommendation is Playa de Cuesta Maneli, an unspoiled sweep of sand reached via a boardwalk from a car park on the A494.
11. Stroll through well-preserved medieval streets in Niebla
Just 25 minutes from Huelva, Niebla’s old town swims with history. The focal point is the 15th-century Castillo de los Guzmánes, which has a rather gruesome torture museum in its dungeon and two large interior courtyards.
From here, you can follow the town’s ochre-colored, Moorish-era walls, which surround the old part of Niebla on three sides, with the fourth enclosed by the Río Tinto. Along its length, you can see 46 medieval towers and five original gates.
Just northeast of the Castillo, you’ll find the Puente Romano de Niebla, a Roman bridge that is still in use today. In the heart of Niebla, Iglesia de Santa María de Granada was originally a Visigothic cathedral before being converted into a 9th-century mosque, then a Gothic-Mudéjar church in the 16th century.
Detour: If you’re a fan of rail travel, consider booking a trip on the Tren Al Andalus, a week-long luxury tour on a train with belle époque carriages, linking major sights across Andalucía.
12. Get out into nature in Doñana National Park
Just an hour’s drive from Huelva, Doñana National Park is one of Europe’s most important wetlands and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering marshes, shallow streams, sand dunes and Mediterranean scrubland, the park provides a refuge for endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the Spanish imperial eagle. You can explore the park’s natural beauty on foot or join a horseback or guided 4×4 tour.
Follow the El Acebuche Trail from the visitor center to several blinds where you can quietly watch the wildlife. Look out for colorful bird species such as flamingos, purple herons and European bee-eaters. Also drop into the Palacio del Acebrón, which has exhibits on the park’s natural and cultural history.
13. Pray with the faithful in El Rocío
On the edge of Doñana National Park is El Rocío, a village steeped in deep religious traditions. Famous for hosting the Romería de El Rocío, one of Spain’s most significant pilgrimages, the village draws nearly a million visitors each year over the Pentecost weekend.
Pilgrims, many sporting traditional Andalusian attire and traveling on horseback or in ornate horse-drawn wagons, gather in their thousands to honor La Virgen del Rocío, affectionately known as La Blanca Paloma (The White Dove).
The village is an atmospheric sprawl of sandy streets and whitewashed houses, designed with large porches to accommodate the throngs of pilgrims who visit annually. The heart of El Rocío is the Ermita del Rocío, the revered whitewashed chapel where the statue of the Virgin is enshrined.
Planning tip: If you plan to visit during Romería de El Rocío, book accommodations well in advance, as hotels, guesthouses and rental apartments in the area can fill up quickly.
This article was adapted from the Andalucía guidebook published in February 2025.
