If you fancied getting away for a festive trip, the common recommendations you will find online are to go ice skating in New York, to go on a husky sledding trip in Lapland or to visit a German Christmas market.
But I want to share a lesser known destination, which I feel celebrates this festive season more than any other I have ever witnessed, Huelva.
Below I will cover off everything you have to see if visiting in December and the reasons why it is an absolute must for a European winter break. I’d also strongly recommend checking out any festivities they may have coming up which might align with your trip.
The Christmas Music Street
We were relaxing in our hotel room at Hotel Exe Tartessos after a long day exploring the city, when suddenly we heard music blasting out from the streets. We ran over to the balcony to witness a musical celebration of Christmas taking place on our doorsteps.
The entire street had speakers setup on each lamp post. The lights would also change in time to the music, while people on the street starting to all sing along in unison. We couldn’t help ourselves and joined in.
If you want to hear and see exactly what I’m talking about, I’d recommend heading on over to our Instagram to watch our reel which will be coming out very soon.
Where: Av. Martín Alonso Pinzón
When: The first set of songs would play at 7pm, while on a Saturday the second set will play at 9pm and on other days it’s at 8pm.
Christmas Market In Plaza De Las Monjas
We were walking along the road when the volume suddenly picked up, as you heard the hustle and bustle of people out shopping, families laughing and playing and local artists performing. You can’t help but smile and get into a festive mood when you see how happy everyone is.
There were maybe around 15 market stands on either side of the Plaza, selling items such as cakes and sweets, Christmas ornaments, wine, homemade cards, cheese and honey. They’re all small local businesses so you can also feel good about supporting the local community when you buy something, plus it’s a great place to pick up a souvenir.
There is a lively bar in the Plaza, Bar El Gallo Negro (the Black Rooster) which had people drinking and laughing inside and outside every time we passed.
However, this is far from the only market, as you can find another half way along Av Martin Alonso Pinzon, where we spoke to a nice guy who was trying to grow his young coffee business, Hortelano. I’d definitely recommend heading along here, open each night in December.
Lights & The Tree
Where ever you go around Huelva, there were lights above and Christmas decorations and displays adding to the joyful ambience.
It’s hard to put into words how tall the tree was in town, found near La Placeta. The only one I’ve seen that is taller in my entire life is the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree, donated from Norway each year to thank Britain for support during World War II. But I didn’t expect this to be a close-second.
There are numerous other displays you should check out, especially if you’re visiting with children, such as the lit up camels at Plaza San Pedro, outside the Parroquia Mayor de San Pedro de Huelva.
But perhaps the most visually stunning is in front of Ayuntamiento de Huelva (the City Council), which appears to be wrapped up like a present in stunning lights, with two huge angels in front of the building. There were also around 12 Christmas trees on the display, with two at the centre, beautifully lit up with tree lights.
The wide open space naturally attracts family and groups out celebrating together, while on weekend’s people were out to the late hours.
There were two sights I didn’t get to see in the evening when they were lit up but spotted during the day. One was the giant bauble which you can walk inside while it’s lit-up, meaning you would be surrounded by beautiful lighting which I can imagine would be really picturesque.
The other was a similar concept, a giant bell which I spotted while walking along Av. Méjico on the way to the Mirador del muelle, which would light up in the evening and you can walk inside to be surrounded by the beautiful scenery.
Miniature Model of Huelva
This brought out my childhood love for Lego, as the miniature model of Huelva looked absolutely incredible, perfectly depicting all the famous landmarks around town.
This was inside Claustro del Ayuntamiento, apparently open each year for people to admire the city model. However, just as stunning, it was amazing to turn around and admire the beauty of the interior architecture, with the red and yellow colours of the wall really jumping out.
