Gran Hotel del Coto 4* - Matalascañas Huelva

Full Board made easy: you choose how to start

If you’re booking Full Board, enjoy total flexibility from the moment you arrive.
Would you like to start with lunch or dinner? The choice is yours.

Simply inform the reception desk upon arrival, and everything will be arranged for you.

No prior arrangements needed. When you arrive at the accommodation, tell the team which meal you want to start with and they’ll take care of the rest.

Good to know: this flexibility applies only to catering. Please check key drop-off and check-out times to plan your stay smoothly.

A breathtaking natural wonder in southern Spain, Doñana offers pristine landscapes, rich wildlife, and charming cultural traditions.

Top Attractions

• Doñana National Park: UNESCO World Heritage Site with vast wetlands, home to hundreds of bird species and the endangered Iberian lynx.
• El Rocío Village: A unique whitewashed town famous for its pilgrimage and traditional Andalusian charm.
• La Rocina Visitor Centre: Perfect starting point to explore walking trails and wildlife observation points.
• Acebuche Visitor Centre: Offers exhibitions, viewpoints, and guided tours of the park.

Best Beaches in Doñana, Huelva

• Matalascañas Beach: Long sandy beach with family-friendly facilities and shallow waters.
• Mazagón Beach: Unspoiled stretch of coastline ideal for nature lovers.
• Playa de Castilla: Wild, untouched beach perfect for long walks.
• Cuesta Maneli: Scenic boardwalk through dunes leading to a peaceful beach.

Family-Friendly Activities

• Horseback Riding Tours: Ride through dunes, forests, and along the beach.
• 4x4 Safari Tours: Explore different ecosystems of Doñana with expert guides.
• Birdwatching: Accessible observation hides for spotting flamingos and other species.
• Cycling Routes: Safe and scenic trails for all levels.

Local Gastronomy

• White Prawns from Huelva: Fresh and flavorful, a local delicacy.
• Cuttlefish Stew: Traditional Andalusian seafood dish.
• Iberian Ham: From nearby Sierra de Aracena, melt-in-the-mouth quality.
• Sherry Wines: From the Jerez region, pairing perfectly with seafood.

Day Trips & Nearby Attractions

• Seville: The capital of Andalusia with its cathedral, Alcázar, and lively streets.
• Huelva: Port city with Columbus heritage sites.
• Sanlúcar de Barrameda: Charming coastal town famous for manzanilla wine.
• Sierra de Aracena: Mountain landscapes, caves, and ham-producing villages.

Matalascañas: A legendary paradise at the gates of Doñana

Matalascañas is a unique place because it is literally the last bastion of civilization before entering one of the wildest places in Europe. If you stay there, these curiosities will make you see its beach and streets in a different way:

• The "Granite Plug" (La Piedra). If you look out to sea, you will see a huge rock protruding from the waves. It is not a whimsical natural formation. It is the Torre de la Higuera, one of the 16th century watchtowers that protected the coast from Barbary pirates.

The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 (the same one that destroyed much of the peninsula) completely overturned it. What you see today are its foundations looking to the sky - it's a stone shipwreck!

• The "Amazon" of birds at a glance You are at the gateway to Doñana, but what few people know is that Matalascañas is the best "hotel" in the world.

More than 300 species of birds cross here every year on their route between Europe and Africa.

• The town that "walks" (The moving dunes) Matalascañas is surrounded by a system of dunes that are alive.

The westerly wind pushes the sand inland, creating dunes that advance several metres per year. These dunes come to "bury" entire pine trees, leaving only the tops outside, creating a landscape that looks like from another planet (the famous "corrals").

The footprint of the giants (The Asperillo site)

Very close to the urbanized area, a storm in 2020 uncovered something incredible:

Neanderthal and prehistoric animal footprints (such as straight tusked elephants) etched into the fossilized mud from over 100,000 years ago. It is one of the most important hominid footprint sites in the world.

• Endless beach? Almost. Matalascañas has one of the longest beaches in Spain, but the curious thing is its limit:

If you walk east (towards the mouth of the Guadalquivir), you enter 30 kilometres of absolute virgin beach without a single building. It is one of the few places in the Mediterranean/Atlantic where you can walk for hours without seeing a single brick.

• Our perfect plan: Don't miss the sunset at the Marine World Museum (in the Dunar Park). The sun sets right over the Atlantic and the orange light on the white sand of the dunes is possibly the best free show in the area.