Playa de la Gaviota

About Playa de la Gaviota

Playa de la Gaviota is the westernmost beach of Isla Cristina, the fishing town on the Huelva coast between Ayamonte and Lepe. It sits right beside the harbour breakwater, which sheltered it as the sand built up, so it is a young beach: only about 440 metres long but up to 120 metres wide.

You reach it by a raised boardwalk that crosses the gola, a tidal channel behind the shore, and the sand is backed by dunes with native vegetation. Its position at the harbour mouth means fishing boats pass close by on their way in and out of one of the main fishing ports in Andalucía.

Facilities include showers, foot showers, toilets, sunbed and umbrella hire, a children's area, a sports area and lifeguards, with step-free access and a car park for 50 to 100 cars. The swell is usually moderate. The town centre and marina are about a kilometre away; Isla Cristina is known for its tuna.

The Atlantic here warms later than the Mediterranean, so July to September is the most comfortable time to swim, with September quieter than August. Come in the late afternoon, when the light over the harbour softens and the sun sets to the west towards Portugal.

Playa de la Gaviota in pictures

What you’ll find

• Beach lifeguardSupervised swimmingFree
• Beach sunbedsSunbed hireRent
• Beach umbrellasUmbrella hireRent
• Public showersWash bodyFree
• Public toiletsPersonal SanitattionFree
• Sandy beachRest on beachFree
• Sea shoreSnorkellingRentSwimmingFree

Nearby places to visit

Next door, Playa del Camino Santana (400 m) is backed by the pine wood of Isla Cristina's coastal park, and Playa Central (2 km) is the town beach, with a promenade and good services, linking to natural beaches on either side. East along the HV-7006, Playa de la Redondela (6 km) is a natural beach among protected dunes and pines, and Playa Islantilla (7 km), shared with Lepe, is one of the busiest beaches on this coast. Golfers can head west to Isla Canela Golf Club (6 km) in Ayamonte. A car or bike makes the coastal road easy.