Discover Calañas: church, market hall and mining history

You can choose from different ways to explore Calañas: its sacred and civic architecture, mining history, or trails along the Río Odiel. The Romería and local fandangos also offer insight into the town’s traditions.

Church and market hall: distinct architectural purposes

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Gracia stands in the old town, on the highest part of the town, and is visible from every point in the municipality. Its origins date back to the late 15th or early 16th century, giving it a history of more than five centuries. Its architecture combines elements of Gothic Mudéjar, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. When looking at the building, it is worth taking in these different stylistic influences side by side.

The Mercado Municipal de Abastos offers a different architectural perspective. Designed in 1927 by José María Pérez Carasa, the building is eclectic in style, combining Andalusian regionalism with rationalist features. Within its building type, it is considered a unique example of market hall architecture. The church and the market thus represent different architectural purposes, each with its own distinctive features.

Mining history and trails along the Río Odiel

The Ruta Turística La Torera leads to the former mining settlement, its facilities and the surrounding natural landscape. La Torerera preserves remains around the mine shaft, as well as offices, the director’s house and homes for senior staff. Other remains include a chapel, a casino, and workshops and storage areas beside the underground factory galleries.

The industrial history can also be placed in context: around 1911, a pyrite mine was surveyed at La Torerera. A brief period of operation from 1925 to 1931 was followed by an underground explosives factory, which remained in operation until 1973. The route thus focuses on a former settlement and its industrial facilities; check local conditions before setting out.

A different theme is explored by the Ruta de los Molinos del Río Odiel, a hiking trail that links historic watermills with the geology of Calañas’s mining landscape. It follows the Río Odiel upstream from Sotiel Coronada to the Revuelta de la Llave. Along the way are grain mills belonging to the Villa de Calañas, powered by the river’s water for hundreds of years. While La Torera focuses on the former mining settlement, the mill route connects the river, mills and geology. For specific visitor information, check locally.

Romería and fandangos

The Romería de Ntra. Sra. de la Coronada is considered Calañas’s most important festival. The celebrations begin on Easter Sunday and last for 14 days of festivities, ending two Sundays later. On Easter Monday, a pilgrimage route runs from Calañas to the sanctuary in Sotiel Coronada, about eight kilometres away. As the annual programme may vary, check the current festival dates before your trip.

The Fandangos de Calañas are also part of the town’s cultural identity. They are part of the ethnological activity “El Fandango en la provincia de Huelva,” protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC); an Andalusian decree in 2020 granted this activity protection. The local fandangos have two forms: one is usually performed by a chorus and is better suited to dancing, while the other is slower and intended for solo singing. Both are accompanied by the guitar. Comparing them reveals distinct expressions of the same tradition without reducing it to a single way of performing.

The Ermita de los Santos Mártires

The Ermita de los Santos Mártires is also part of the more recent chapters of the town’s history. Its rehabilitation was inaugurated on 23 May 2024, creating a centre for tourist interpretation and cultural exhibitions. The grounds were opened to visitors and included public toilets. If you are planning a visit, check the current opening arrangements.

Discover more destinations: Cumbres De San Bartolomé, Molares, Cumbres Mayores, Valverde Del Camino, Fuenteheridos, Aracena, Nerva, Linares De La Sierra

For the regional travel overview: Huelva.