Getting Around Huelva

Getting Around Huelva

Huelva is a compact city on the Atlantic coast of Andalusia, sitting between the estuaries of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. For a visitor, that compactness is good news: the centre is small enough to cover on foot, and the public transport network is simple enough to pick up quickly. What follows is a practical overview of how to move around the city and how to reach it from the nearest airports.

On Foot

Walking is the most straightforward way to see Huelva's main sights. The city centre is small enough to walk between the principal points of interest, so for a short stay you may not need public transport at all. Traffic is channelled around the centre by four-lane streets, but the streets themselves are the usual chaos during business hours, so pedestrians should stay alert at crossings.

If you are driving, note that parking is the weak point of a visit by car. Spaces are rare and usually paid for, and parking garages can be difficult to find for those unfamiliar with the area despite the signage. Street parking is best avoided: theft is widespread, and the central area has strictly controlled metered parking where illegally parked cars may be towed by the grúa. Using hotel parking or a well-signposted paid car park is the safer choice.

City Buses

Huelva's urban bus network is the workhorse of local public transport. Most services originate at the Parada Central de Zafra stop on Calle Doctor Rubio, just outside the Damas bus station. There is an information kiosk at that stop where you can pick up timetables; it is open in the morning until early afternoon.

Buses generally run from early morning until around midnight, which makes them usable for both sightseeing and evenings out. Routes connect the centre — several start from Plaza de las Monjas — with residential districts, the university, and the hospital, so the network is oriented as much toward daily life as toward visitors.

Fares are calculated by saltos, meaning the number of zone boundaries you cross. The city is divided into zones, with the centre in the innermost zone and the furthest outlying districts in the outermost. Practically, this means a short hop within the centre costs less than a longer trip to the edge of the city.

There are two ways to pay:

• Single tickets — bought on board, with the price depending on how many zone boundaries you cross.
• Tarjeta de transporte — a rechargeable transport card that gives a cheaper fare per journey. The card itself has a small cost and requires a minimum recharge. It is available at the city bus kiosk at Parada Central de Zafra, and also at estancos (tobacconists) and kiosks.

If you plan to make more than a couple of bus journeys, the card quickly pays for itself and saves you hunting for change.

Train

Huelva's railway station is named simply "Huelva" and sits in the south of the city. It can be reached from the south via Avenida de Cádiz, and there is also access from Avenida Escultura Miss Whitney.

The station is useful mainly for arrivals and departures rather than for getting around town. Services include medium-distance trains to Seville, a fast long-distance train to Madrid via La Palma del Condado and Córdoba, and a medium-distance service heading north toward Jabugo and the Sierra de Aracena, continuing on to Zafra and Extremadura. If you are using the train to reach Huelva from elsewhere in Andalusia or from Madrid, this is where you will arrive.

Huelva has no metro or tram network; the train station and the bus network are the backbone of public transport in the city.

Boat

In summer, a ferry service runs to Punta Umbría, the nearest beach resort to Huelva, departing from Muelle de las Canaos. This is a pleasant and practical alternative to a bus or car if you are heading to the coast during the warmer months.

Taxis

Taxis are readily available from ranks rather than by flagging down. The main ranks are on Calle Plus Ultra near the Iglesia de la Concepción in the centre, and outside the railway station. The city cab firm is Teletaxi, which can be reached by phone. Taxis are a sensible option for late nights, for reaching the station with luggage, or for trips where the bus network does not conveniently connect your start and end points.

Long-Distance Buses

Huelva's bus station is on Calle Doctor Rubio. It handles regular services to Seville and to coastal resorts, a twice-daily service to Portugal and to the Sierra de Aracena to the north of the province, and a daily bus to Cádiz, Granada and Málaga. There is also a direct bus connection from Barcelona and a service to Lagos. If you are arriving in Huelva by coach, this is where you will come in — and conveniently, the city bus network's main stop is right outside.

Getting There from the Airport

Huelva has no commercial airport of its own, so visitors arrive via one of two international airports.

• Seville International Airport (SVQ) — the nearest airport to Huelva, roughly 75 km away. From Seville you can continue by train or by bus. Trains from Seville to Huelva run a few times a day, and Seville is connected to Spain's AVE high-speed network, so this is a good option if you are coming from further afield. Buses from Seville to Huelva run roughly hourly, departing from Plaza de Armas.
• Faro International Airport (FAO), Portugal — the second option, about 100 km away. From the terminal, take the EA bus, which stops to the left as you leave the terminal building. This route takes you to Seville Santa Justa Station; the bus fare is €4 and the journey takes 20–25 minutes. From Santa Justa you can then catch a train onward to Huelva, which takes between 1½ and 2 hours depending on the service. There is also a bus service from Faro to Huelva itself.

Whichever airport you use, the pattern is the same: get to Seville first, then take a train or bus for the final leg into Huelva.

Arriving by Sea

Regular ferries sail from Huelva's port to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, a crossing of around 30 hours. Fares are somewhat expensive for non-Canarian residents, but the vessels are modern and comfortable, with onboard shops and restaurants; with cabin accommodation the crossing is essentially a cruise. One practical caveat: no public transport links the port with the town, so you will need to arrange a taxi or other transfer for the final stretch into the centre.

Arriving by Car

The A-49 motorway runs from Seville through the province to the Portuguese border, making Huelva easy to reach by road. From Seville the drive is about 90 km; from Madrid it is around 620 km. From Faro, take the Portuguese IP-1 motorway and then the A-49 from Ayamonte, a distance of about 100 km. Car hire is available in the city. Once you arrive, though, plan to leave the car in a hotel garage or a paid car park rather than on the street.