Huelva offers fans of fine cuisine two essential delicacies: Iberian ham, famous all over Spain, and seafood, as well as early fruit such as strawberries, raspberries and oranges. To accompany these delicacies there is nothing better than the internationally acclaimed wines bearing the Condado de Huelva designation of origin: fruity white wines, full bodied reds, original sparkling wines and exclusive brandies.

Huelva is a visitor friendly city that has managed to preserve its small-town charm despite the overwhelming richness of its past.

Highlights

La Merced Cathedral has been the cathedral of the city since 1954. It was a convent founded in 1605 but destroyed in 1755 by the Lisbon earthquake. Rebuilding started in the late 18th century. The imposing belfries were added in 1915. The church needed major repairs after another earthquake in 1969 and was declared a national monument in 1970. The building next to it today is one of the buildings of the University of Huelva (Facultad de Empresariales) but it used to be a hospital until 1985.

The Barrio Obrero was built by the Riotinto Company Limited in 1916 to lodge the Spanish workers of the company and provide them with better living conditions. It is a complex of 274 houses. In 2002 the Barrio was declared a “Site of Historical Interest”.

Casa Colón is a symbol of British power in late 19th-century Huelva. It was built between 1881 and 1883 as a luxury hotel to accommodate the numerous businessmen and foreign staff who came to work in the different mining companies. The builders also thought that it could be the venue for the 400 anniversary of the discovery of America and that is the reason why they gave it the name Hotel Colón. After the anniversary the Riotinto Company bought the premises to have their headquarters in Huelva and also to accommodate managers and visitors. In one of the rooms of the Hotel Colón the Recreativo de Huelva was founded in 1889 making it the oldest football team in Spain.

The Riotinto pier was a commercial pier formerly used for the trade of material from the mines of the Riotinto Company. The pier remained in service until May 1975 when ships began to use a new facility in the nearby port of Huelva. Nowadays it is one of the favourite places for the people of Huelva to go for a walk or to watch the sunset.

Nuestra Señora de la Cinta Sanctuary is a chapel located on the El Conquero hill, about 2 km north of the city. The chapel has an image of the Virgen de la Cinta, who is the patron saint of Huelva. The chapel dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and its style is Mudejar, but there have been restorations since then, especially in the outside patio.

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