Huelva Province - Northern Huelva Province

By Jo Williams

Part of the Sierra Morena mountain range, the protected park of the Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche is a beautiful, densely wooded area. It has small, pretty whitewashed villages tucked away in valleys and dramatic hilltop castles. Its rich and diverse flora and fauna include mixed woodland of cork oaks, sweet chestnuts, olives and fruit orchards, home to wild boar, mongoose, badgers and weasels. It's a good place for birdwatching - you can even see eagles, black vultures and black storks.

Under holm oaks that grow throughout the Sierra are black Iberian pigs that feed on the oaks' acorns. The pigs are used for a delicious famed cured ham, jamón ibérico. The proliferation of pigs in the Sierra can be seen on menus, which are dominated by pork. There are loads of great walks, some now well signposted, along the many tracks that crisscross the Sierra.

Between the Sierra de Aracena and the coast are the open-cast Río Tinto mines and an excellent mining museum.

Villages

Alájar		Almonaster la Real
One of the prettiest villages in the Sierra, Alájar is overlooked by the towering Peña de Arias Montano. More >		Tucked away on the southwestern edge of the park is Almonaster, one of the least spoilt villages of the Sierra. More >
Aracena		Aroche
The Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche natural park encompasses 184,000 hectares, an impressive 90% of it covered by woodland of mainly Mediterranean oak More >		Aroche is located at the far western edge of the Sierra close to the Portuguese border. More >
Castaño del Robledo		Corteconcepcion
Castaño del Robledo is a small, well-preserved 16th-century village surrounded by woods of sweet chestnut. More >		Corteconcepcion is a picturesque hilltop town with a unique bullring. Nearby there is a mirador with panoramic views overlooking the Aracena reservoir. More >
Cortegana		Cumbres Mayores
Cortegana's castle dominates the skyline from miles around and is particularly dramatic with the sunset behind it. More >		Cumbres Mayores is located at the northern most edge of Andalucía, only 10km from Extremadura. More >
Fuenteheridos		Galaroza
A tiny village of some 700 people, Fuenteheridos can get overrun with visitors. More >		ALocated inside the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, Galaroza is in the Valle de Murtiga. More >
Higuera de la Sierra		Jabugo
Higuera de la Sierra is a village in the north-east of Huelva province, 97 km from the provincial capital. More >		Jabugo is one of the least picturesque villages in the Sierra, with abattoirs and factories littering its outskirts. More >
Las Minas de Rio Tinto		Los Marines
This town is home to the oldest mines in the world, and has many buildings left from its British period. More >		Los Marines, is a small village near Aracena, and celebrates many fiestas, including planting a tree and a thanksgiving for conquering a cholera epidemic. More >
Moguer		Nerva
Moguer is yet another town with origins in neolithic times as well as a past relationship with both the Phoenicians and the Romans More >		Located just east of Minas de Rio Tinto, this town is also part of the area's mining heritage. More >
Palos de la Frontera		Puerto Moral
Palos de la Frontera is the small sleepy village on the River Tinto just 10km upstream form Huelva City. More >		Puerto Moral has superb views of the Aracena Reservoir, a popular fishing and watersports destination More >
Santa Ana la Real		Río Tinto
Santa Ana la Real has the distinction of being one of the wettest towns in Spain, and boasts many fascinating festivals More >		Arising out of the midst of the surrounding greenery, the giant opencast mines of Rio Tinto create a surreal, almost lunar landscape. More >
Zufre
Zufre is described as 'a white village hidden amongst the clouds and nature'. More >

Parks

Attractions