Lepe

History and Overview

Lepe is Located 6 km from the Atlantic coast in the province of Huelva. Its environmental resources, coupled with the warmth of its people, ensure a rewarding experience for anyone who visits this town.

Lepe was founded between the Fourth and Fifth Century BC by the Phoenicians and was subsequently inhabited by the Romans and Arabs, as is evident in the series of archaeological sites located within the municipal district.

Lepe is famous, not only today but also since former times, for its trade with other European countries of the excellent fruits harvested from its earth. Currently, these products (mainly figs) have been substituted for the cultivation of strawberries and "fresones", or 'large strawberries' and the increasingly important orange trade. It is currently a national market leader in terms of its production and technological innovation.

Furthermore, its favourable climate makes this zone very attractive for the tourists who volt, offering rest and relaxation on its long beaches, nautical and other sports, and the tranquillity and immensity of its landscapes.

Tourists who come to Lepe will be impressed by the devotion inspired by the second most important pilgrimage in Huelva after that of El Rocío. The pilgrimage consists of a march on foot, on horseback or in oxcart through a landscape of wheat fields and almond groves with views of the tidal marshes.

The second weekend in May, beginning in early morning the pilgrimage of Nuestra Señora La Bella, patron saint of Lepe, takes place to the remains of the Franciscan convent that has housed the Virgin since 1498.

When the sanctuary is reached offerings and petitions are made there is dancing and the guest are attended to in the cottages of the compound. After so much excitement, Lepe offers relaxation on the beaches of Islantilla, where a modern tourist complex with all necessary infrastructures for an enjoyable vacation has been created.

Places of Interest

- Sevilla (Historical Centre & Great Shopping)

- Huelva (With its many Churches and Palaces)

- Donana National Parque (Excellent Wildlife and Birdlife)

- El Rocio (Nearly a million pilgrims descend on the village on the 7th Weekend after Easter)

- The Algarve (Across the border in Portugal with its many beaches)