Cartaya is a rapidly expanding small medieval town
with a central square, a fish market, two hypermarkets
and many small shops.
El-Rompido directly south on the coast is an
attractive village with brand new golf course &
sailing facilities.
Lepe is a medium sized town less characterful
than Cartaya, full of artisans and shops such as
furnishers and lighting specialists. It is the centre
of strawberry, orange production and
distribution in southern Spain.
Huelva a historical town situated approximately
25 minutes driving distance from the villa. The
town offers many pretty plazas, historical monuments
and as you would expect from a city with
a bustling port, a wealth of seafood bars and
restaurants. In the mouth of the river Odiel stands
the statue of Christopher Columbus who sailed to
America from here in 1492.
Activities near Cartaya
Sport: Watersports, Waterpark, Horse Riding, Golf within 15 mins drive, Fishing.
Great for: Walking holidays, Rural / Countryside retreats, A winter sun break, Cycling holidays.
One of the most attractive parts of the Cultural Centre is the Theatre or Teatro, which is located on the ground floor. It holds 515 people and has an Italian style design which has a produced a well lit airy venue and most importantly, in the summer, is air conditioned!
The Town Council hosts a wide variety of events in the theatre throughout the year, with artists not only from Spain but also from the rest of the world. To obtain tickets for a performance you can visit the first floor office where normally the tickets are sold a week before the event. Alternatively, you can visit the "box office" on the night of the performance but be aware that some performances are popular and often sell out before the opening night.
The Castle of Los Zúñiga (Castello de los Zúñiga), which has recently been restored and is open to the public for viewing is also used as a theatre during the summer months. It is built on high ground to the west of the town centre and was originally used to defend the River Piedras crossing. It is has now been declared a National Monument and a site of cultural interest.
During the summer months, there are many other cultural/festivals events arranged by the Council, which are not only held in the theatre or the castle but in the rest of the village, as well as the coastal resorts of El Rompido and El Portil.
Cartaya also has a large Pavilion, which is used to host different events such as the Citrus Fruit Fair, Horse Fair, and in October it plays host to the Cartaya Fair, where exhibitors may hire stands in the Pavilion to promote their goods. For boat and car lovers, there is an exhibition showing the latest range of vehicles and boats.
There is a wide selection of bars and restaurants in Cartaya, ranging from the most simple bar - a bodega (where the owner manufactures his own wine) with very simple decor or something a little more upmarket - depending on your preferences.
Some of the bars offer light snacks - tapas, and others offer food cooked over a barbecue - for instance, Taverna de Manué.
Bar de Manué
Here you can have chorizo cooked over the barbecue or order a portion of Iberico Sirloin, which is the best pork in Spain. The flavour is second to none and it is simply cooked - only a small amount of salt added just before the meat is cooked over a fire. Enjoy it with a cold beer. The Taverna de Manué is open from 12am to 6pm and then from 9pm onwards. It is closed on Wednesdays.
You may also visit The Colonial Bar, the Piano Bar, the Music Bar and Las Meygas. The Colonial Bar only offers drinks and light snacks such as peanuts or crisps and is open every day, except for Mondays from about 5:30 until whenever the owner feels he has to close the bar.
