Best Areas to Stay in Costa de la Luz, Huelva

Isla Canela is a small tourist town in the municipality of Ayamonte, in the southwestern corner of Andalusia.

This beach town is located next to the mouth of the Guadiana River, which separates Spain from Portugal.

The island itself was formed less than three centuries ago as a result of the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. Isla Canela’s true history as a tourist town dates back just a few decades. It has been in recent years that this area has begun to develop to become one of the most exclusive residential and tourist developments in the province of Huelva.

Today, Isla Canela has residential compounds, condominiums, hotels, commercial areas, a marina and a golf course.

The main beaches in this area are San Bruno, Isla Canela and Los Haraganes. All the beaches of Isla Canela have services and offer all kinds of water sports, especially kitesurfing.

Due to its geographical location, Isla Canela is an excellent place to discover a number of wonderful natural spaces. Isla Canela is located next to the wetlands of the Guadiana estuary and the salt marshes of Salinas del Duque, making it an excellent destination for bird watchers.

Isla Canela is connected to the rest of Spain and Portugal by road and is only 50 km from Faro International Airport.

Accommodation in Isla Canela consists mainly of large resorts by the most prestigious Spanish and international brands. There is also a wide range of upscale hotels and tourist apartments.

Punta Umbría is a town located by the sea and on the banks of the Odiel River, south of Huelva city.

This town has its origin in a small fishing port that began growing the 1960s thanks to the development of its tourism industry.

The oldest area of ​​Punta Umbría is at its southern end, and it includes some houses built by the British mining company RioTinto in the 19th century for the rest and recovery of its employees working the copper mines in the north of the province.

Other cultural attractions in this area include the Torre Almenara and the Casa Museo de los Ingleses.

Punta Umbría stands out for its long golden sand beaches like Playa Punta Umbría, Playa Los Enebrales, Playa La Bota and Playa La Ría.

In the surroundings of Punta Umbría you can find several protected natural landscapes. The main natural attractions of this area include Las Marismas del Odiel, the Portil lagoon, and the Enebrales Natural Area.

A local bus service runs through the city. The modern bus station, located in the town’s centre, offers links to Cartaya, Huelva and Seville.

The area also has taxis and a ferry service that crosses the river to Huelva.

As for accommodation, Punta Umbría offers the most diverse hotel offer on the Costa de la Luz. Here, you’ll find everything from luxurious resorts to mid-range hotels, tourist apartments, hostels and guest houses.

Isla Cristina is one of the best places to sleep on the Huelva coast.

With a population of around 20,000 inhabitants, Isla Cristina is one of the largest urban centres on Huelva’s Costa de la Luz and one of the most important fishing ports in Andalusia.

Like Isla Canela, Isla Cristina was formed after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and has become an important tourist destination in recent years.

The main tourist attractions in this area include its more than 20 kilometres of urban, semi-virgin and wild beaches, and the Marismas de Isla Cristina Natural Park, a set of fluvial lagoons formed by the Guadiana and Carreras rivers including channels, pine forests and migratory birds.

From a cultural point of view, Isla Cristina stands out for its Lonja, a lively fish market where you can find the freshest product and participate in the famous auctions. On the other hand, the town’s historic centre offers pleasant areas to walk among traditional Andalusian and art-nouveau buildings. Some attractions in central Isla Cristina include the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores and the Casa de Gildita.

The main beaches of Isla Cristina are Playa Cantil, Playa Punta del Caimán, Playa Isla de las Gaviotas and Playa Central.

Isla Cristina is connected to the rest of the Costa de la Luz by urban buses, the city also offers taxi services.

The accommodation offer in Isla Cristina is quite varied. Here, you can find the most modest guesthouses and pensions, hotels, and big brand resorts, as well as a large number of tourist apartments.

La Antilla and Islantilla are two tourist towns located between Lepe and Isla Cristina.

The town of La Antilla is one of the oldest in the region and began to become a national tourist destination in the 1950s.

Today, the town is visited mainly by Spanish tourists and is known for its clean waters and calm atmosphere.

On the other hand, Islantilla, located a couple of kilometres to the west, has been developed in more recent times and offers numerous luxury hotel complexes and a golf course.

Like the other towns on the Costa de la Luz, Islantilla stands out for its beautiful beaches with extensive sandy areas.

The most popular beaches in this area are Playa Islantilla, Playa de la Redondela, Playa de La Antilla and the virgin beach of Flecha del Rompido, which stretches for 12 kilometres.

Nueva Umbría beach, located 2 kilometres from the town, is known for its naturist/nudists spaces.

In general, Islantilla is an excellent area to stay on the Costa de la Luz for those seeking the luxury of a resort, while La Antilla is a more family-friendly destination and has a good range of cheap accommodation.

Like the rest of the Costa de la Luz, Huelva, Islantilla and La Antilla are connected to each other and to other towns by bus services.

Matalascañas is a tourist town in the municipality of Almonte.

This small town is famous for its location within the spectacular Doñana National Park.

The Doñana National Park is one of the largest in Spain and is known for its wetlands, immense variety of migratory birds, pine forests and the rolling dunes of its coastal area.

The national park visitor center is housed in the beautiful Palacio del Acebrón, a palace built in the mid-20th century.

The nearby Parque Dunar de Matalascañas comprises a dune system that runs along the coast from Matalascañas and towards Mazagón, covering some 130 hectares of desert ecosystems and pine forests.

The town of Matalascañas proper was developed in the 1970s as a tourist complex.

Today, Matalascañas is one of the most visited destinations in Huelva. Its tourism industry is mainly aimed at a Spanish audience.

In addition to the Doñana National Park, Matalascañas stands out for its 5 kilometres of beaches.

Matalascañas has a wide variety of accommodations. Unlike other towns such as Isla Canela or Islantilla, hotels here tend to be smaller and simpler, so Matalascañas is the cheapest area to stay on the coast of Huelva.

The towns of El Portil and Nuevo Portil are two coastal areas in the municipalities of Punta Umbría (El Portil) and Cartaya (Nuevo Portil).

Separated by Calle de la Laguna Seca, both towns form, for practical purposes, a single settlement.

These two towns stand out for their 4-kilometre-long beach.

The El Portil beach area is more urban and offers services, shops, bars and restaurants.

On the other hand, Nuevo Portil beach, which is located near the Piedras River, has a more virgin and wild character, and offers fewer services.

This area is an excellent family destination and its proximity to the natural setting of Laguna de El Portil makes it a perfect destination for nature lovers.

The city of Huelva is located at the confluence of the Tinto and Odiel rivers and is the main economic, cultural and transport centre in the province of Huelva and the western Costa de la Luz.

This city has been occupied by different cultures and civilisations and its history is closely linked to the discovery of the American continent.

Although Huelva lacks the spectacular attractions that can be found in Andalusian cities such as Seville or Granada, the old part of the city is full of charming corners and historical and cultural attractions such as the Plaza de las Monjas, the Cathedral of Huelva, the Museum of Huelva, the Casa Colón and the Riotinto Pier.

In addition to its historical attractions, the main reason for choosing Huelva as the best entry point to explore Costa de la Luz is its excellent transport connections.

The Huelva capital has regional train services to Seville and Extremadura, and its bus terminal offers routes to practically every corner of the Costa de la Luz.

In addition, the city of Huelva is an excellent place to explore natural wonders such as the Marismas del Odiel, the beaches of Punta Umbría or the different landscapes of the mountains in the north of the province.

Ayamonte is a border town located at the mouth of the Guadiana River.

This charming little town preserves its old medieval quarter intact.

The historic centre of Ayamonte stands out for its narrow pedestrian streets and historical buildings.

The Isla Canela beach area is connected to Ayamonte through a road that crosses the Marismas del Guadiana, a wildlife reserve home to many aquatic birds, including herons and flamingos.

The city is connected to Portugal through the modern Guadiana International Bridge, but there is also a ferry service between the two countries.

Ayamonte is the best place to stay in Huelva if you plan to also visit the Algarve.

Lepe is a historic town located in Huelva, about 5 kilometers from the beaches of La Antilla and Islantilla.

Although it is an inland town, its historical heritage and excellent connections make it an excellent area to stay on the Costa de la Luz.

The main attractions of the old town of Lepe include the Castle of Lepe, the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Bella and the Torre del Catalán.

Very close to this town you’ll find natural spaces such as the Marismas del Río Piedras Natural Park and the Flecha del Rompido.

Lepe has bus and coach connections with different towns in Huelva and Andalusia, and an urban bus line that connects it with La Antilla.