SPAIN’S popularity might often leave you feeling like there isn’t a part of the country that is untouched and unexplored.
But just over an hour’s drive from Seville, you’ll find the much quieter coastal town of Mazagón.
The town of Mazagon dates back to the 14th century, when it used to be a fishing village.
It was initially a popular holiday destination for rich Spanish families from the nearby cities, and even now just a few thousand people live there.
According to The Telegraph, it is still more popular with Spaniards than Brits.
They said: “The low-key town is popular with Huelva locals, but it’s still relatively undiscovered by holidaymakers from the rest of Spain, let alone Britain.”
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It largely remains untouched for two reasons – one being strict planning rules that ban anything from being built higher than three-storeys high.
Not only that, but the area is protected due to sitting near the Donana National Park.
The largest nature reserve in Europe, it is home to a number of endangered species including the Spanish imperial eagle and the Iberian lynx.
One of the main attractions of the town itself is the 3.4mile beach, backed by rocky, sandstone cliffs.
At the western end of the town, close to the marina, Playa de Mazagón is built up enough to have things like showers, sunloungers and parking facilities.
One tourist said it “offers a peaceful escape from crowded tourist spots,” while others said the calm waters made it ideal for families with young kids.
Along the beach you might also spot ‘chiringuitos’ – small, wooden hut beach bars – usually serving tapas and drinks.
Moving westwards from the town, the Playa de Mazagón leads into Playa de las Dunas – a quieter spot, with a number of villas littered at its edge.
Head even further west and you will reach Playa de Alcor which is a more rural beach that is backed by pine woods and sand dunes.
Don’t expect the beaches to have a promenade, instead you can explore then via wooden boardwalks.
The town centre itself is relatively small, but there are a number of sites worth visiting such as Ermita del Carmen chapel, which was restored in 2014, or the more modern Sagrados Corazones.
There’s also the Mazagón Lighthouse, dating back to 1861 and is still in use – and is bizarrely built 600metres inland.
When it comes to grabbing a bite to eat, the town has many tapas bars where each dish can cost as little as €4 (£3.49), such as cheese croquettes and calamari.
At most bars and restaurants you can expect to pay a couple of euros for a beer.
If you are looking for a place to stay, you can’t get much closer to the beach than Playa de Mazagon Camping which is right on the sand.
There are a range of different accommodation options at the site including bell tents for between two and six people, a two-person cabin and camping pitches.
The campsite also boasts an outdoor swimming pool with a pirate ship, a restaurant and bar, sports courts and a playground.
A bell tent for two people costs as little as €50 (£43.63) per night and the two-person cabin costs from €60 (£52.35) per night.
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If you fancy exploring further afield then you could head to the port city of Huelva, just a 20-minute drive away.
The city is famous for being the departure point for Christopher Columbus‘s first voyage to the Americas.
The easiest way to get from the UK to Mazagon is by flying to either Seville or Faro in Portugal – both taking just under three hours.
Flights from the UK to Faro cost as little as £13 one-way in April and May.
Once in Faro, you can either drive or hop on a bus for an hour-and-a-half, costing £16 per way.
Alternatively, if you head to Seville, flights from the UK cost from £15 in May and from the airport it is then an hour-and-20-minute drive or bus journey, which would cost around £6 per way.
For more Spanish destinations, Spain’s hottest city has £2.50 wine and £15 flights.
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