Special spots in Doñana
Places you won't want to miss
Places you won't want to miss
Just like in the best restaurants, the selection of special spots is also exclusive (and varied). In addition to the ideas you’ll find in the section on ecotourism highlights in the Doñana region, here are a few spots you won’t want to miss:
Guadalquivir Balcony, pier, and riverbank.
This stunning viewpoint overlooking the Guadalquivir Valley is located in La Puebla del Río. From a height of 50 meters, against a horizon dominated by the plains, this 500-meter-long stretch along Betis Street in this town is sure to leave a lasting impression.
A stroll through the Aljarafe region along Andalusia’s most important river.
La Rábida and the first arrival in the Americas
A historical tour focusing on the discovery of the Americas in the town of Palos de la Frontera, in the province of Huelva. Among the sites you can visit are the Monastery and the Caravel Pier. You’ll find a historic 14th- to 15th-century Franciscan convent where Christopher Columbus stayed and received support from the friars before his voyage in 1492. It has been a National Monument since 1856. To fully immerse yourself in this Columbus-related landmark, you can visit the replicas of the admiral’s three caravels at the pier.
Doñana Visitor Centers.
Strategically located throughout the national park and the natural park, Doñana features several must-see visitor centers: José Antonio Valverde, El Acebuche, Palacio del Acebrón, La Rocina, and Fábrica de Hielo are waiting for you. The first four feature bird observatories, and all include exhibition and interpretive spaces.
El Rocío and Isla Mayor
These two towns are certainly unlike any others. There are no paved roads here. El Rocío is known as the International Horse Village. As you walk along its sandy streets, you’ll repeatedly come across horse-drawn carriages and horses, which are the local mode of transportation par excellence. No, you’re not in the Wild West; you’re in the birthplace of Spain’s most important pilgrimage, with its imposing chapel at the foot of the marsh.
Isla Mayor is another unique town. This Sevillian municipality, nestled among marshes and waterways fed primarily by the Guadalquivir and Guadiamar rivers, is a great place to observe the different parts of the marshes.
The first inhabitants of Isla Mayor were cattle ranchers; in the 1930s, the English company Islas del Río Guadalquivir introduced rice cultivation, which is now the town’s main source of livelihood. Crabs are also an important part of the local economy.
Guadiamar Green Corridor
The Guadiamar River originates in the Sierra Morena mountains of Seville and is the last major tributary of the Guadalquivir before it flows into the sea. It is a natural area designated as a Protected Landscape, and within the Doñana region, you can explore its natural and cultural attractions in the municipalities of Aznalcázar (Guadiamar Visitor Center) and Villamanrique de la Condesa. Along its banks, you’ll find valuable pine forests, marshlands, and rice fields
The passage of the Rocío brotherhoods through the Quema in Aznalcázar and Villamanrique de la Condesa is one of the highlights and most emotional moments of the Romería del Rocío. The crossing of this ford on the Guadiamar is a Festival of Tourist Interest in Andalusia.
Maneli Hill
One of the scenic gems of the Doñana coastline in Huelva. This ecosystem of fossilized dunes is crisscrossed by a wooden boardwalk, approximately 1.2 km long, through a setting of pine forests, Mediterranean scrub, and shifting dunes until it reaches a vast, virtually untouched beach, where the ocean and the sand create one of the wildest and best-preserved landscapes in the natural area. The walk allows you to discover the ecological richness of the dune system and witness the transition between forest, sand, and sea, making it a privileged spot for observing nature and enjoying the silence and vastness of the landscape. At the end of the trail, the reward is an open, natural beach, particularly prized for the serenity of its surroundings and for offering some of the most memorable sunsets in Doñana.