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Activities
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Short breaks & getaways
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Hotel search
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Holiday Apartments
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Country Cottages
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Bungalows
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In Focus |
Huelva's traditions have spanned thousands of years, adapting to new times as they went along,
and there still exists a firm foundation of craft industries which have been producing the same
products for countless years, incorporating new improved techniques and materials as these
emerged, but keeping their essence intact.
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Arts & Crafts
Huelva's craft products are different from those of many other areas in that their creators
have always gone for usefulness rather than simply for decoration. This means that most handmade
products from the province of Huelva are useful and simple in their design.
The inhabitants' fondness of horse riding is evident, and many are the localities which have
efficient saddlers' workshops. Almonte, Zalamea la Real and La Palma del Condado, amongst other
places, are known for their leatherwork: saddles, saddlebags and harnesses; while others, such as
Cortegana, have more of a metalworking tradition: mouthpieces, bits, spurs...
Amongst the most renowned pottery products are the “octopus pots” from Trigueros (wide-necked
vessels used by fishermen); the decorative pieces from Aracena; the tiles from several localities,
and high-quality plant pots and pitchers for holding water.
Valverde del Camino is famous – apart from for its cowbells, ironwork railings and iron horse
riding tack accessories – for being the main centre of production of a kind of solid footwear
specially made to stand up to long days in the fields, on horseback or out hunting: the “botos”
(boots) of international renown.
There are many other high-quality handmade items, though they're a bit harder to buy as a souvenir
of Huelva ... the horse-drawn carriages and carts are of high quality –made for pilgrimages, for
instance– and many Scottish and Irish distilleries use kegs from Huelva in which to age their spirits.
But this is only a summary. One has to come to Huelva to discover all the hidden wonders of the
small workshops dotted around Huelva's towns and villages... And we recommend to travellers that
they always keep their wits about them... sometimes the best things aren't the ones you spot first!
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