About the Area:
More than 2,500 years ago, Huelva - the most westerly Andalusian capital - was the centre of the Tartessan civilisation and an important commercial enclave which maintained intensive trade with other ports in the eastern Mediterranean. Centuries later it became a base for Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans, although it was the latter who began to exploit the areas enormous mineral resources, an activity which has continued throughout the centuries.
With the Roman presence in the area, the city, known as Onuba Aesturia and set in the region of Beturia, took on great importance and even minted its own coins.
During the Visigothic period the neighbouring town of Niebla (Elepla) took on great civil and military importance in the county and even became an Episcopal See.
The arrival of the Arabs in Huelva in around 713 AD meant a new era for the city, which came to be called Welba. During this new period, the city came to be, for a time, an independent Taifa kingdom under the Bekries dynasty. However, it was not until the second half of the 13th century that Huelva and its surrounding areas were conquered by the Christian King Alfonso X el Sabio (the Wise). In the middle of the 15th century the whole area came to belong to the ducal lordship of Medina-Sidonia, a situation that continued until the middle of the 19th century.
But the historical event that has undoubtedly left the greatest mark on the people of Huelva was the discovery of America, as, in 1492, Christopher Columbus undertook the first of his voyages to the New World from these lands. At the monastery of La Rabida, a few kilometres from Huelva, Friar Juan Pérez and Friar Antonio de Marchena promoted Columbus' plans for his voyage and he stayed there until just before his voyage. As a reminder of this period, in 1929 the Fe Descubridora monument, one of the symbols of the city, was erected at Punta del Sebo. This large sculpture, the work of the American sculptor Whitney, is a tribute to the figure of Columbus and the important role the province of Huelva played in the discovery of America.
Attractions
Barrio Reino Victoria - This area was originally built by the British Rio Tinto mining company as dwellings for its workers in 1917. Take a leisurely walk through its straight streets which are filled with small cottages and locals that speak a strange hybrid of English- Spanish. (Alamdeda Sundeim)
Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Cinta - If you are at all interested in visiting a focal point of Columbus' life, then this little chapel 2km north of the city centre is a must. It was in fact visited by him just before he embarked on his world famous voyage. Within, there are paintings by Daniel Zuloaga which depict this event.
Provincial Museum - The Provincial Museum features exhibits of archaeology from the Stone Age to Muslim times. Other items of interest include abundant Tartessos cultural material, a reconstruction of a Celtic house and a huge Roman water wheel at Minas de Rio Tinto.
Monasterio de La Rabida - Another spot on the Columbus tour is this monastery where he came several times to win royal patronage for his voyage to America. Here you can see the room where Columbus and Padre Marchena discussed the projected voyage and murals from the 1930´s by Daniel Vazquez Diaz.
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Huelva 
Huelva 
Sevilla
