Sightseeing in The Condado Huelva Spanish Wine Growing Region

Condado Wine Region | Sightseeing

Rural Tourism in Huelva - Sierra de Aracena

Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America

Authentic Huelva, El Rocio religious festival

El Condado is an area of Huelva that has been inhabited by people of many cultures; hence numerous monuments of interest have come down to us from historical times. This historical tapestry, together with the region's vast natural heritage and everything to do with grape-growing, is what makes this land what it is.

To start with, don't miss the opportunity to visit a winery – or several of them; each one is different and has a “certain something” that makes it unique and special. To mention just two: Iglesias Wineries, situated in an 18th-century convent in the centre of Bollullos Par del Condado; and Rubio Wineries – the home of Luis Felipe brandy – in La Palma del Condado.

Niebla and its castle

Then, you could visit one of the numerous monuments dotted around the area. In Niebla you can find the "Paraje de la Hueca" megalithic site, with its grouping of three dolmens dating from the Bronze Age. Escacena del Campo holds the ruins of Tejada la Vieja, a 7th-4th century B.C. Tartessian-era town; and Niebla – which was a major centre of activity from the Roman era up until the Middle Ages – holds treasures such as the Roman bridge, the town walls (from the 12th century, although within them can be seen earlier remains; moreover, they are amongst the best-preserved ones in Spain) and the Castle of the Guzmán family family (Roman in origin but refurbished by Visigoths, Arabs and Christians).

Did you know...

...barrels made in El Condado are used for ageing Scotch whiskies?

Coming now to less ancient remains, there are different churches which are worth a visit, such as that of St. Mary of the Pomegranate (which represents the union of two buildings: a 9th-century mosque and a Gothic-Mudéjar church) in Niebla; the Parish Church of St. James the Apostle in Hinojos; the Parish Church of St. Bartholomew in Villalba del Alcor; and the Ermita del Valle (Valley Shrine) in La Palma del Condado – all of them Mudéjar in style. Another attractive church is that of Our Lady of the Pomegranate in Moguer, in the Baroque style. Speaking of that, we should mention the existence of a particular style of Baroque architecture, which has its roots in Huelvan lands and was exported to other Eastern Andalusian provinces. It's characterized principally by a slender tower with a very ornate belfry, crowned with a pyramid-shaped spire decorated with ceramic tiles. The best example is the Church of St. Peter in Huelva; another good one is the Church of Our Lady of the Pomegranate in Moguer, and there are yet others elsewhere in the province.

There are other religious buildings of importance, too: the Convent of Our Lady of Light in Lucena del Puerto, with its Mudéjar and Baroque cloisters; and the Convent of St. John the Baptist in Villalba, founded in 1618.

Other interesting buildings are the watermills dotted along the banks of the River Odiel; the towers of former oil mills; mansions built with the wealth that flowed into the area after the Discovery of America; and train stations, such as the one at La Palma del Condado.

Flamingos in the Odiel saltmarshes

Finally, this region holds a lot of interest for nature lovers. Part of the Doñana National Park – one of Europe's biggest nature reserves – extends into El Condado. But apart from that, the region also has the centuries-old Wild Olive Trees in the streets of El Rocío, which are listed as Natural Monuments; part of the Marismas del Odiel Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which extends into Gibraleón, and is one of the biggest wetlands in Spain and the whole of the European continent; the Palos and Las Madres Lagoons, an enclave of great value for waterfowl; the "Domingo Rubio Estuary" Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; the Río Tinto Protected Landscape, unique in the world and chosen by NASA for carrying out research into life on Mars; Hinojos Pinewoods and Salt Marshes; La Balastrera – an area of shallow pools alongside the River Tinto, in Niebla; and the wooded hills known as La Pata del Caballo (the Horse's Hoof), in Escacena del Campo.

Mapa Condado de Huelva