El Rompido

Out on a limb eight kilometres from the nearest town of Cartaya, the fishing village of El Rompido is one of the most tranquil and uncrowded spots on Huelva's Costa de la Luz . Up until now, it has managed to remain unscathed by the tourist development that has marred other resorts along Huelva's Costa de la Luz , perhaps because of its relative distance from the new A49 Portugal-Seville motorway, compared with the more popular neighbouring coastal towns.

El Rompido sits on the Río Piedras river estuary, a stretch of water sheltered from the open sea by a spit, known as the Flecha del Rompido. The beach here is one of the best in Andalucia.

The Piedras river has extensive salt marshes along its banks and these, along with coastal pine woods, sand dunes and tidal creeks, make up the protected reserve called the Paraje Natural Marismas del Río Piedras y Flecha del Rompido. With its wide variety of habitats it has a rich array of plants and birds. To access the Paraje Natural, take a footpath from the lighthouse towards Caño del Tendal to the Pradera de San Isidro.

From the village there are some marvellous views across the 300m-wide estuary over to the protected spit, which is made up of sand dunes and lined with magnificent beaches on either side. You can visit the spit by hiring a fishing boat for the short trip across the estuary from the village.

El Rompido itself has a few bars situated on the waterfront, several fish restaurants and a campsite just outside the village.