The history of Huelva and it´s province is summarized on the 3rd of August of 1492, the date that the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria set sail from Palos de la Frontera in Huelva, Spain towards the Indies, yet discovered the American Continent instead. Before that the Tartessos, arabs, romans, and phoenicians left their mark and heritage in these lands. In the next section we offer you a generic and brief walk through the history of Huelva, of it´s province and mainly of it´s Costa de la luz coast.

The history of Huelva is a thousand year old history that began with the phoenicians, tartessos, and iberians. They left proof of their existence thousands of years before Christ, exploiting their recourses such as the tuna, and copper mines as they defended their land.
The real development in Huelva or Onuba as it was once called began with the Romans. They founded the municipalities of such places like La Palma del Condado, built the Niebla (fog) Bridge over the Tinto River and exploited the Mine of the Tinto River until the 5th century.
After this era of Roman splendor came the arabs. In the year 713 they built mosques, fortresses and began to settle and build along the mountains of Huelva. They built white towns with a very defined style. The Sierra of Huelva under the muslim ruling was an Independent Taifa Kingdom. Before the arabs the visigoths roamed these lands. Niebla as the civil capital and Episcopal headquarters, of which not very many remains have been found.

After the arabs came the reconquest of the hand of Alfonso X El Sabio in the year 1262 with the reconquering of Niebla. This marked a historic landmark that since the sierra de Castillo was used in for the defense of possible invasions. It was definateley the golden era historically speaking. In palos de la Frontera in the Monestary of Santa Maria de la Rabida the sailor Christopher Columbus resided in the year 1492. In the Port of Palos de la Frontera three ships called the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria awaited orders from the Catholic King and Queen. Precisely in Palos de la Frontera the Pinzon brothers sailors that led the three ships on the 3 of August 1492 parted towards the Indies but discovered the Americas. Of the 90 sailors that parted, 60 were from Huelva (the majority from Palos de la Frontera). On the 3rd of August 1942 in the church of Saint Jorge (mudejar monument from the 14th century), the Catholic King and Queed aproved the parting of these heroes. In Palos de la Frontera the church claimed each name of the sailor from Palos that participated in the discovery of America.
Another historical landmark was the Lisbon earthquake that changed the coast and left Palos de la frontera without it´s most historical Port in Spain. This earthquake also destroyed part of the legacy that during centuries and milleniums other civilizations had left behind in this province of Spain along the Costa de la Luz. In the 19th centuyr the English came back to exploit the mines of the Tinto River. These mines today are the most important in the world. It was approximately in the year 1873 that the British aquired these mines.
Finally the last historical landmark that we must mention in the province of Huelva takes place in 1964 with the installation of Pole of Industrial Development which has been an important economic motor in Huelva during the last few decades. Tourism however has slowly but surely started taking over and has become one of the most important sources of income. The Population went from 75,000 inhabitants in the year 1960 to 140,000 inhabitants in 1990.
Today the province of Huelva is mainly tourists. The fishing sector has moved to the sidelines for the service sector, although agriculture and the exploiting of the strawberries is of great importance in this province of Spain. The Industrial sector is also very important.