Palos de la Frontera

Palos de la Frontera is a town of 11,000 people (2019) in Andalucia, Spain.

Probably most important for Palos is that Christopher Columbus developed his plans here and started his discovery with support of the people in Palos. The town built ships and most of the sailor accompanying Columbus came from this town. See also Voyages of Columbus.

Understand
The main crops are strawberries and strawberry, the olive , the peach and Triticale.

Get in
The town lies about 14 km from the provincial capital, Huelva, 9 km from the neighbouring city of Moguer, and a few kilometers from the beaches of Mazagón.

See

 * Wharf of the Caravels (Muelle de las Carabelas) is a museum showing replicas of the boats Columbus used.
 * The church of San Jorge, of Mudejar Gothic style, with a Mudejar door called that of "the bride and groom". Inside you can see a 13th-century alabaster image with the figure of Saint Anne, a 17th-century Tuscan ceramic altarpiece  and some 16th  century Renaissance frescoes. In this Church the Royal Provision was read, which ordered Diego Rodríguez Prieto and other residents of the town of Palos, to have two caravels prepared to leave with Christopher Columbus.
 * The Puerto de Palos was the port from which the discovery expedition departed on August 3, 1492, led by Christopher Columbus in command of the caravel Santa María and the caravels Pinta and Niña.
 * The castle. Next to the church, on a head, we find the remains of the Palos castle, which have been the subject of archaeological interventions on several occasions.
 * The Martín Alonso Pinzón House Museum, where you can admire navigation tools, paintings and maps related to the Columbian deed; visits are made by appointment at the Town Hall.
 * La Fontanilla. Leaving Palos you reach La Fontanilla. From the Puerta de los Novios of the Church of San Jorge, one accessed the Fontanilla, next to which was the historic Pier from which the discovery expedition departed, and which was the public fountain of Palos, protected by a square temple of bricks built in the 13th-century and in the Mudejar style, where, according to tradition, the Santa María, la Niña and la Pinta ships were supplied with water.
 * Calzadilla Pier. Small pier built to commemorate the IV Centenary of the Discovery of America and which was restored at the end of the 20th century. From this place the historical expedition of the Plus Ultra departed on January 22, 1926, and that made the route Palos de la Frontera - Buenos Aires. Upon their return on April 5, 1926, the crew was received by King Alfonso XIII.
 * The statue of Martín Alonso Pinzón, captain and owner of this town and protagonist of the feat of Discovery.
 * La Rabida: On the road to Huelva is La Rábida, where you will find the Franciscan monastery of La Rábida. The monastery is the place where Columbus's trip was forged. Erected in the 14th - 15th centuries, the Gothic - Mudejar church stands out for its artistic interest in which you can admire a crucified and the Virgin of Miracles, from the 15th century, in front of which Columbus and the sailors who carried out the company prayed discoverer. Also noteworthy are the rooms decorated with frescoes by Daniel Vázquez Díaz, the cloister and the museum, where many objects commemorating the Discovery of America are preserved. It is 2000 m² in size and has an irregular plan. The monastery has undergone modifications throughout the more than 500 years of its history, especially as a result of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Christopher Columbus stayed in this monastery for years before leaving for the New World. The monastery was declared a National Monument in 1856. It also deserved the declaration of the First Historical Monument of the Hispanic peoples.
 * Replica of "The Three Caravels" at the Dock of the Caravels in Palos.
 * Monument to the Discoverers is reached by an avenue in which all the shields of the Ibero-American countries are shown, made in tiles. Nearby we find the José Celestino Mutis Botanical Park, with native and American species. Also in this environment is the International University of Andalusia, Sede Iberoamericana Santa Maria de la Rabida, the Iberoamerican Forum, modern and multipurpose building as a palace of congresses, concerts and shows, El Muelle de la Carabelas, opposite, a permanent exhibition place, where we can relive the American adventure and you can visit the replicas of the caravels that were made for the celebration of the V Centenary. Downstream we find the Muelle de la Reina, where, through Icarus, the first flight between Spain and America is commemorated, that of the Plus Ultra seaplane.

Do

 * Mazagon. On the coast you can visit the beaches of Mazagón, a Parador de Turismo and the Puerto Deportivo with modern facilities.
 * Patron saint festivities of San Jorge Mártir . On April 23, the feast of the local patron is celebrated. This holy martyr is the patron of the city since the founding of the parish that bears the same name. On that day a solemn religious function is celebrated in the morning and in the afternoon the procession with the image of the patron saint takes place.
 * On August 15, the day of the Assumption of Mary, the feast of N.ª S.ª de los Milagros is celebrated, where after the solemn Eucharistic Function on the morning of that day, the great procession of the patron saint takes place. the main streets of the city during the evening.
 * Pilgrimage of N.ª S.ª de los Milagros. The last weekend of August the pilgrimage of the patron is celebrated in the place of La Rábida, with the typical Andalusian color of this type of celebrations around the figure of the Virgin Mary.
 * The dates of the departure of the caravels are commemorated, on August 3, the return of the caravels, on March 15, the Discovery of America, on October 12, and the departure of the Plus Ultra, on January 22.
 * Medieval Discovery Fair: Around March 15 (local day of Martín Alonso Pinzón), the Medieval Discovery Fair is held, turning the town into a typical 15th-century town. This fair is usually held the weekend after March 15.

Buy
Throughout the city you can find different samples of crafts, both local and from the province.

Eat
The geographical location of Palos de la Frontera allows it to have high-quality products, as diverse as seafood (white prawns, prawns or crayfish) and Iberian ham, as well as an excellent range of Huelva County wines. As typical dishes, those made with fish such as mackerel with tomato or cuttlefish with potatoes stand out, as well as other typical dishes such as "beans enzapatás". But the product of special relevance is the strawberry, which has become the economic engine of the town. Also notable are its pastries which highlight the hornazos of almonds and citron.