Punta Umbria lies on the Coast a few kilometres from the Portuguese border, but aside from its scenic section of the Sierra Morena to the north and a chain of fine beaches to the west of the provincial capital it's a pretty dull part of Andalucía, laced with large areas of swamp - the marismas - and notorious for mosquitoes. This distinctive habitat is, however, particularly suited to a great variety of wildlife, especially birds, and over 60,000 acres of the delta of the Río Guadalquivir (the largest roadless area in western Europe) have been fenced off to form the Coto de Doñana National Park . Here, amid sand dunes, pine woods, marshes and freshwater lagoons, live scores of flamingos, along with rare birds of prey, 25 pairs of lynx, mongooses and a startling variety of migratory birds.

By day - and in the evening as well - the most enticing thing to do is to take the hourly ferry (summer only) across the bay, also linked by a new road bridge spanning the marshlands of the Río Odiel estuary. Across the Río Tinto estuary from Huelva, the monastery of La Rábida and the villages of Palos and Moguer are all places connected with the voyages of Columbus to the New World, and interesting visits to make whilst in this area.