Image | Wikipedia
Isla Cristina is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Huelva coast, located a few kilometers from Portugal and only 60 kilometers from the city of Huelva.
It was founded as a small fishing colony after the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 and has not lost an iota of its seafaring tradition despite the development of tourism. Nature is one of the main tourist attractions of Isla Cristina, not only for the good atmosphere that is breathed in its beaches but for its landscapes of great value such as the Natural Park of the Marismas de Isla Cristina.
Isla Cristina Beaches
The beaches of Isla Cristina have twelve kilometers of sand washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Its 10 beaches comply with the quality systems that guarantee the good condition of its water and are fully equipped.
Some of these beaches are very popular such as Playa de la Casita Azul, La Central, La del Hoyo or El Cantil. Others such as Icona Pesmar, Cruce de la Redondela, Punta del Caimán, Urbasur and Santana are quieter. The beaches of Parque Litoral and Isla de las Gaviotas deserve special mention for their great beauty.
Islas Cristina marshes
The spectacle of ornithological diversity takes place in the marshes of Isla Cristina, an area of more than two thousand hectares that was declared a Natural Site in 1989. It is a complex of marshes associated with the mouths of the Guadiana and Carreras rivers, which are highly influenced by the Atlantic tides.
The Isla Cristina marshes can be explored both on foot and by bicycle as there are marked trails. In this way they will have the opportunity to observe sedentary birds such as the little egret, the cattle egret and the mallard. Also migratory birds that breed in this space such as the purple heron, the white stork and the common avocet.
Image | Pixabay
Tidal Mill
Near the marshes of Isla Cristina, the Mareas mill was built in the middle of the XNUMXth century. Currently it houses the Interpretation Center of Man and the Marsh, a space to learn everything that surrounds the nature of these marshes.
Image | RTVE
Isla Cristina fish market
At the beginning of the post we were referring to the seafaring origins of Isla Cristina. Its fish market is one of the most important in Spain and in it you can see the arrival of the boats after an intense day of fishing as well as the unloading of the merchandise and attend one of the fish auctions. The atmosphere is spectacular and they even organize guided tours for groups.
Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
Because the previous church was destroyed during the Civil War, this temple was built in the 1940s on Gran Vía street. Its façade is white and in its interior numerous works of art are kept, such as the carving of the Virgen de la Soledad, which dates from the end of the 1788th century, that of the Rosary that is the patron saint of Isla Cristina since XNUMX and the image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, patron saint of sailors.
How to get to Isla Cristina?
Isla Cristina can only be reached by road, by car or by bus, that is, by road, since it does not have a train station or an airport. However, the city of Huelva is only 60 kilometers away and it does have a train station.