Walking in Huelva QQQQ

Almonaster

Distance: Eight miles

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous – includes ascents and descents

Highest point: 2,920 feet 

Approximate ascent: 1,736 feet

Itinerary: Set off from the village of Aguafria through the surrounding hills dotted with farms and villages. Climb to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal, the second highest point in Huelva province. This three kilometre ascent has some challenging steep slopes. From here walk down to Almonaster La Real, a historical gem where your walk concludes. Here you'll find cobbled streets, historic buildings and, within the remains of its castle, a rare 10th-century hilltop mosque.

Please note: There is a 90 minute transfer to and from this walk.

Full day

Donana area

Distance: Three and a half miles

Difficulty: Moderate – includes some walking on sand

Highest point: 259 feet

Approximate ascent: 463 feet

Itinerary: Doñana National Park covers more than 193 square miles and is home to a host of birds and animals, including the rare Spanish lynx. The park provides an essential 'stopover' for migratory birds and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, with an ecosystem of marshland and dunes. Your walk will take you to part of the park and to Lake Jaral and through the fossil dunes of Asperillo. You'll be walking on sand as you head for the shore overlooked by El Asperillo Cliff, an Andalusian Natural Monument. On your return walk, enjoy views of the dense Abalario pine woods.

Half day

Huelvas Mining Area

Distance: Seven miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Highest point: 387 feet 

Approximate ascent: 299 feet

Itinerary: Huelva has a mining history stretching back millenia, with gold and silver mined here by the Romans. On this walk you’ll see how the landscape has been shaped by its mining heritage. Your walk will start near the town of Calanas, historically a mining town which lies roughly in the centre of Huelva province, and continue through colourful countryside, to the village of Sotiel Coronada.

Full day

Rio Piedras Nature Reserve and El Rompido

Distance: Four and a half miles

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Highest point: 200 feet

Approximate ascent: 160 feet

Itinerary: This important nature reserve is home to many protected species and consists of over 6,000 acres – your host will introduce to you the birds which reside here. This walk will be through marshes, west of El Rompido, and will be level through pinewoods. Along the way you will see a salt marsh and a fish farm. The area is abundant in birdlife and, in the spring, there are also many wildflowers. The headland, where the lighthouse is located, offers one of the most beautiful views of the estuary. The former little fishing town of El Rompido is one of the most tranquil and uncrowded spots on Huelva's Costa de la Luz.

Half day

River Guadiana

Distance: 11 miles

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Highest point: 479 feet 

Approximate ascent: 1467 feet

Itinerary: The River Guadiana is over 800 kilometres long and runs through the Iberian peninsula, partly along the border between Andalusia and Portugal. You’ll start your walk at Casa Cañaveral, an old Guardia Civil station adjacent to the river and not far from the Portuguese border. From here you'll head south towards Puerto La Laja, an important port used by the mining industry in the 19th century. The path uses the green way of Las Isabel mine for a while before heading to the river's edge again. Your walk concludes through an old Roman causeway into the beautiful town of Sanlucar de Guadiana, where you'll stop for refreshment (not included) before returning to your hotel.

Full day