Sancho IV The Brave and Columbus. Huelva

These are two very different itineraries. The first takes us among the hills.

There we first find a series of defensive castles put up or rebuilt mainly in the 13th Century by the Castilians as a result of their mistrust of the neighbouring Kingdom of Portugal.

Then, there are the fortresses of Aroche and Cumbres Mayores, which a bullring inside, the castle of Cortegana, the castle of Almonaster (with a small mosque), and that of Aracena, said to be built by the Knights Templar as a Gothic-Mudejar church. A review of the Kingdom of Seville´s defence lines can conclude with the castle of Santa Olalla and then on through the area known as El Condado to "the beach of Castile", on the Atlantic coast.

Admirers of castles can admire the walls of Niebla and the great mound of the castle of Los Guzmanes that is found within. Cartaya has a 13th century castle. Those whose tastes tend towards monasteries have a wide choice: near Lucena del Puerto, there is La Hacienda de la Luz with the Gothic church of what used to be a Hieronymite convent.

At Moguer we have the monastery of Santa Clara with its Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art. In the outskirts of Palos, there is the small Franciscan monastery of La Rábida, which has strong associations with Columbus and his voyage of discovery.