Newsletter with the basic information to get to know Huelva city and province in a flick

1. Huelva Costa de la Luz
prepare d by E lizabeth Therese Ga ugha n
English Language Assistant, IES La Arboleda
adapted from a brochure of the Oficina de
Turismo de Huelva and www.andalucia.com
The Coast of Light
Huelva’s Coast of Light extends from the mouth of the River Guadiana, between the borders of Spain
and Portugal, which separates the province of Huelva from that of Cádiz. In this area extends a series of
wide white sand beaches where the water, dunes, and pine forests unite.
The coast of Huelva, which boasts numerous marinas, brings together the best conditions for the
practice of sailing sports thanks to the fair weather of the climate which permits one to enjoy the sea at
any time of the year.
In addition, Huelva is the land of Columbus par excellence, where America feels close at hand.
Huelva Capital
Huelva may lack the star attractions of other provincial
capitals, but once you get past the industrial sprawl on
its outskirts, the centre is a pleasant place with many
pretty plazas, absorbing historical monuments and, as
you'd expect from a city with a bustling port, a wealth
of seafood bars and restaurants.
Another pivotal point in the port's history was the industrial
The mineral wealth of the area north of Huelva brought development in the city in the late 19th century due to mining
Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans who, along with the activity to the north. Foreign mining companies built
later arrivals of the Moors, left their archaeological impressive ironwork loading quays that extended into the
mark on the city. Visit the Museo de Huelva to see estuary that, although decaying, still exist today. The grand
evidence of their stay in Huelva. Exploitation of copper neo-Moorish train station, the Estación de Sevilla, was also
deposits much later by British interests made Huelva erected around this time.
into something of a boom town. Many grand buildings
were erected in the late 19th century and the early 20th Badly damaged in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, Huelva lacks the
century, like the Casa Colón, the imposing Gran Teatro architectural splendour of Seville. It does possess, however,
and the Clínica Sanz de Frutos. several notable churches, like the oldest one in the city, the
Iglesia de San Pedro, and the Catedral de la Merced, with a
Located on the mouth of the Odiel and Tinto estuary,
magnificent Baroque façade.
Huelva has been an important port since the
Phoenicians established it as a major trading post. It
The hub of the city centre today is the palm-lined square, the
reached its zenith in the 15th century, however, with
Plaza de las Monjas, close to the pedestrianized shopping
the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus,
district, along the streets of Concepción to Berdigón. The centre
who recruited local sailors for his voyage and, on his
is relatively compact so you can see the sights without having to
departure and return, prayed to the city's patron saint
hop on a bus, although you may want to for the Santuario de la
at the Santuario de Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la
Cinta, located 3km out of town.
Cinta. Today he is commemorated in the Monumento
a Colón.

2. Columbian Sites in Huelva
Huelva is a Mecca for those interested in Christopher Columbus, with a number
of significant tourist attractions relating to the famous explorer. Cristóbal Colón
(as he is known in Spain), is thought by most to have been born in Genoa, Italy
around 1451. After years of seeking funding for an expedition which was to find
a sea route to Asia, Columbus finally came to an agreement with King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They would (along with a number of
Italian financiers) back his expedition in return for dominion over the any new
lands. Columbus would be awarded titles and, of course, a percentage of any
fortune that was made. The rest is world history.
La Rábida Monastery
The 15th-century Franciscan Monasterio Franciscan monks returned to the
de Santa María de la Rábida is where convent and monks continue to live there
Columbus stayed between 1491-92 waiting today.
for financial backing from the Catholic
Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for his The monastery, surrounded by
voyage to the New World. The monastery magnificent botanical gardens, is worth
was constructed in 1412 on the site of a visiting for its museum detailing the
Moorish stronghold. Its Moorish discovery of the New World and
influences can still be seen in its Mudéjar Columbus's life. Also worth seeing are
architecture, including the fine cloister. the murals in one of the monastery's
The monastery has a 14th-century Gothic- rooms that depict Columbus's life, which
Mudéjar church, where Captain Martín were painted by the renowned local artist
Alonso Pinzón, from Palos de la Frontera, Daniel Vásquez Díaz in the 1930s. In the
who sailed with Columbus in one of his chapel is an alabaster statue of the Virgen
ships, is buried. de los Milagros (Virgin of Miracles), to
which Columbus and his crew are said to
La Rábida was damaged by the Lisbon have prayed. In the Banderas room are
earthquake in 1755 and was left derelict in flags from all the Latin American
1835 only to be restored a few decades countries, along with a casket of earth
later. It reopened in 1856 when it was from each.
declared a national monument. In 1920
The Village of Moguer
Moguer played an important part in the first of Columbus' voyages. Located a few
miles inland on the Río Tinto, it was an important centre of sea travel during the 15th
and 16th centuries. The importance of Moguer can be judged by the number of
historical buildings that still exist. Among them is the Convento de Santa Clara which
not only stands out as an outstanding work of architecture, but was also the place
where Columbus pledged his allegiance to the Spanish Crown before he left on his 1492
voyage. The building was severely damaged in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 but later
rebuilt. It was made a national monument in 1931.
Moguer is also the birthplace of the 1956 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Juan Ramón
Jiménez. You’ll find he is well remembered in the town with museums and personal
collections on display.

3. Muelle de las Carabelas (Harbour of the Caravels)
and America. Opposite the harbour is
Nearby, on the Río Tinto estuary, the
the Foro Iberamericano, a modern
Muelle de las Carabelas (Harbour of
outdoor venue for summer plays and
the Caravels) is a waterfront exhibition
concerts.
with life-size replicas of Columbus's
three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the
In the park near the monastery is the
Santa María, built for the 500th
Monumento a los Descubridores
anniversary celebrations in 1992. The
(Monument for the Discoverers),
museum next to the boats has details
which was built in 1892 to
of Columbus's life, regular video
commemorate the fourth centenary of
screenings and a café.
the discovery of America. Also near
the monastery is the Iberamericano
Close to the Muelle is the Monument
University.
Plus Ultra, which commemorates the
first transatlantic flight between Spain
Palos de la Frontera
Palos de la Frontera is a small sleepy village on the River Tinto just 10km
upstream from Huelva capital and the sea. It is of great interest to tourists because
this is where in 1492, Columbus set sail westwards and discovered America.
Visitors can walk around this village in the quiet and discover the history for
themselves.
In the main square there is a Statue to Pinzon, the builder of the ships, and also a
plaque to the sailors, most of whom were from the village.
Here at St. Jorge, Columbus and the crew prayed before setting sail, and the water
needed for their long voyage was drawn from the old well in Palos.
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cinta
This whitewashed 15th-century chapel The interior of the chapel has Mudéjar
is famous for its associations with features, such as the timber ceiling. The
Christopher Columbus. Inside the magnificent gilded altarpiece
chapel is an image of Huelva's patron dominates the chapel and contains a
saint, the Virgen de la Cinta, which was painting of the virgin. Her importance
revered by Columbus and his sailors. to seafarers is shown by a tiled
Columbus visited the chapel before decoration of Columbus's ship to the
setting sail to the New World and right of the altarpiece.
prayed to the virgin, promising to visit
again on his successful return. His visit To the left of the altarpiece is an
is depicted in the blue-and-white tiled impressive processional image of the
illustrations, designed by artist Daniel virgin, the so-called quot;Virgen Chiquitaquot;.
Zuloaga in 1920, which line the walls of This is used for the annual Virgen de la
the chapel's interior. One picture shows Cinta pilgrimage in September, when
how the Catholics hid an image of the the virgin is carried from the sanctuary
Virgin during the Saracen invasion, to the Cathedral. After a month there,
which wasn't discovered again until she is returned to the sanctuary.
1400.

4. Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park
maps, it's easy to explore the Sierra
The Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche
on foot. With many walks in the
Natural Park encompasses 184,000
central part of the Sierra, you don't
hectares, an impressive 90% of it covered
have to go far to reach the next
by woodland of mainly Mediterranean
village and there are lots of circular
oak. The landscape is full of contrasts, with
routes.
gently rolling hills and wooded valleys
gradually giving way to dramatic rocky
The Sierra is famous for its rearing of
outcrops on high peaks. There is a rich and
black Iberian pigs, which can be seen
varied wildlife with plenty of chances to
everywhere, particularly under the
spot birds of prey or hear woodpeckers in
most sought-after ham comes
oak trees where they search for the
spring.
from the village of Jabugo,
acorns that give their ham its
however, where the biggest ham
distinctive quality. Factories for
With an extensive network of footpaths
producer, Sánchez Romero
curing the renowned jamón Ibérico
and centuries-old drovers' tracks, many
Carvajal, is based.
are dotted all over the Sierra. The
now signposted and marked on walking
Parque Nacional de Doñana
The Parque Nacional de Doñana is one of Europe's most
important wetland reserves and a major site for
migrating birds. It is an immense area; the park and a
surrounding protected buffer zone amount to over 1,300
square kilometers, stretching across the provinces of
Huelva, Sevilla and Cádiz. but ideal for wildlife. As early as the thirteenth century, the
kings of Castille set aside a portion of Doñana as a royal
Doñana is well known for its enormous variety of bird hunting estate; later the dukes of Medina Sidonia made it
species, like its numerous types of geese and colourful their private reserve too. One of the duchesses of Medina
colonies of flamingoes. It has one of the world's largest Sidonia, Doña Ana de Silva y Mendoza, indulged her
colonies of Spanish imperial eagles. The park as a whole antisocial instincts by building a residence there. As a result,
comprises three distinct kinds of ecosystem: the marshes, the entire region came to be known as the 'forest of Doña
the Mediterranean scrublands and the coastal mobile Ana', or Doñana. In the eighteenth century, Goya is known to
dunes with their beaches. have visited the Duchess of Alba at the Palacio de Doñana
when she was its proprietress. Subsequently, the land passed
The effect of this extraordinary mélange of land and through many hands before the official creation of the
water was to create an environment shunned by people national park in 1969.
The Río Tinto mines are named for the river of the same name. The unearthed minerals give the
Río Tinto Mines
soil and waters of the region odd, otherworldly shades of blue, green, yellow, red and brown,
so it is not unusual to see bright orange or green rivulets trickling past. The predominant ores,
however, are the ferrous ones, which produce shades of reddish brown. Even as far as Niebla,
roughly 50 kilometres to the south-east, the waters of the Rio Tinto flow past the town's ancient
fortified walls in an eerie trickle of blood-red.
Reputed to be the oldest mines in the world, Rio Tinto has a particularly rich history. According
to myth, these are the fabled mines of King Solomon, and a section of the area is still known as
Cerro Salomón. The nearby villages of Zalamea la Vieja and Zalamea la Real are also named
after the biblical king. It was tales of the Iberian Peninsula's mineral wealth that drew
Phoenician merchants to its shores, laying the foundations for a succession of Greek,
Carthaginian and Roman invasions.
In its heyday, the Rio Tinto Mining Company was quite an innovator. The football pitch and golf course built here were
among the first on the European continent, and the half-timbered bungalows built for company employees at the Punta
Umbria, on the Huelva coast, are the forerunners of the modern Costas.