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Surf - Windsurf Spots of Huelva, HUELVA

Introduction

Tucked away on the West of the Peninsula, this vast green area opens out onto the sea with long beaches and estuaries that make up a coast full of attractive corners for sailing. From the protection afforded by some spots with the high tide, to the strength of the west wind when it comes in, Huelva possesses several undiscovered secrets…

Most favourable winds and times of year.
The wind in Huelva has two quite different sides to it. On the one hand, the east wind from Tarifa which doesn’t reach here and which, when the anticyclone settles over the Peninsula, can cause several calm days provided that a warm summer wind doesn’t start up. On the other hand there is the west wind. You go sailing in Huelva when a depression crosses the Peninsula. The wind comes firstly from the south and veers round to the west and then changes to the north. As the low pressure heads towards the interior of the Peninsula it changes direction. The period of Atlantic depressions starts in September and they come in throughout the winter until spring although in summer it is also possible to catch a day of west winds and warm currents. The depressions pass very quickly through the southwest of Spain and, as such, the good wind and wave conditions only last for a few days and you have to be on the ball so as not to arrive late.

Recommended Equipment.
If you go to Huelva in search of waves, then you may come across very big conditions if an Atlantic depression is passing through. It would be best to go for small wave sails and boards. But there are also spots that are more sheltered from the storms where you can go on the first outings with a strong wind, shielded from the sea. In the summer big boards and big sails are perfect to make the most of the warm current that gets going in some spots. And if you’re looking for a perfect spot to start sailing, the beaches protected from the sea by the tongues of sand at the mouth of the rivers are like small, shallow swimming pools, perfect for those first outings.

Matalascañas

Huelva’s surf spots begin here. This endless beach is connected to Doñana and stretches as far as Huelva. Matalascañas is the most eastern spot in Huelva. It gets a lot of tourists in the summer and is largely empty in winter. The thermal wind in summer brings in a few strong gusts of wind to this area during the hot months. During the rest of the year, the western depressions bring side winds and waves to this coast. The east wind reaches here from time to time.

Mazagón

Mazagón lies on this large beach to the east of Huelva. It is a tourist town with a small marina. The diversity of conditions encountered here makes it a fantastic place. Mazagon is located at the mouth of the river and is protected from the sea by a breakwater (the neighbouring spot). You can sail towards the river, a place with calm waters and long outings with the west wind. But you can also sail across the river to the breakwater where the sea produces good waves. In Mazagón you sail with the west wind.

Espigón de Huelva

This wave spot is on the outskirts of Huelva. It is only a few hundred metres sailing from Mazagón but by land the way there requires you to leave Huelva to the west. Once you have crossed the bridge over the Odiel River a long breakwater which crosses the natural park through marshes and sand dunes takes us into the water. A long beach exposed to the west wind follows the line of the breakwater, which becomes narrower and narrower. On one side the river is flat and calm and on the other side is the beach where the waves break. A walk of a few metres through the dunes takes you to the shore. At this spot you can sail with the west wind and the good waves but once the depression moves on and the wind starts to blow from the north/northwest, it is then that the breakwater is at its best. And, what’s more, you can still enjoy the western currents of the sea which still bring waves to this coast.
At the same time, you can sail on the river with these winds but with a flat sea and the protection afforded by this place.

Punta Umbría

Two spots stand out in the Punta Umbría area. One is known as Los Bajos. The spot is located at the mouth of the river where you sail with the north wind. You enter from the beach that is at the tip of the Punta Umbría breakwater. You can also sail with the west wind when it is blowing strongly. The sand bars at the mouth of the river give rise to fantastic waves at high tide and constitute a great place for slaloming with strong winds. The other spot in Punta Umbría is the Terramar area. This large beach of around 500m is a favoured haunt of the windsurfing crowd. It is a place for sailing with westerly/south-westerly winds. The wind forces you to point upwind to avoid the big breakers that can form in this place. Terramar is basically a wave area. However it has one feature that makes it a spring/summer destination. At about three in the afternoon a thermal wind gets up that can reach enough speed for six metre sails and fills the sea with surf.

El Portil

The coast of Huelva carries on with long beaches broken up only by the occasional river entering the sea. In el Portil (and Nuevo Portil) you can make use of a huge beach where you can go into the water at any point. The coast is built up, very busy in the summer and empty for the rest of the year. You sail with westerly/south-westerly winds and light breezes in summer.

El Rompido

At this point we move into the area at the mouth of the Piedras River. This part of Huelva is characterised by the long tongues of sand that from in the mouth of the river and which jut out parallel to the coast. This creates an area with lagoons perfect for sailing at high tide protected from the open sea. In El Rompido, a small fishing village, you can go sailing in the protected area when the west wind blows strongly. And if you want more waves, you can go out onto the sea by crossing the sand bar on foot in search of storms blowing in from the west. The problem is that you can only sail with the west winds as there are no thermal currents. But when a light breeze is blowing the lagoons become unsurpassed places to go out on a board for the first time.

La Antilla

This tourist area, located to the west of the mouth of the Piedras River, is a long sandy beach. You can go into the water anywhere but it is not a very busy spot.

Isla Cristina

This is one of the meeting points when the north wind blows. Isla Cristina is a small village surrounded by tourist areas. The wind sweeps through the Guadalquivir valley and comes out strongly on the beach at Isla Cristina. A little sand can get whipped up so it is important not to stray too far from the coast. You can sail in front of the village or on the open sea by the beach. This is a great wave spot when the north wind combines with the remaining western waves. The west wind also comes in strongly at Isla Cristina and it has a good thermal wind that makes slalom sailing possible.

Isla Canela

It is the last spot on the beach at Huelva before you get to Portugal. You reach it by going via Avamonte, despite it being just a few metres from Isla Cristina. At Isla Canela you usually sail on the westernmost part of the beach. The north and northwest winds come in from the side there and waves get up in front of the beach. It is also an ideal place for slalom sailing. You can also sail with the west wind along the length of the beach. You can see Portugal from Isla Canela, just on the other side of the Guadiana River.