Marbella to Beja route: which one to choose?

Hi, I’m planning a wine trip in the Alentejo by car. Starting from Marbella, I can either follow the coast and stop over near Huelva, or head north and stop over near Aracena. I’m wondering which route is more enjoyable and which village is the most interesting for an overnight stop. Thanks

Hi Louise,

There’s a mandatory checkpoint on the route: Seville (there’s no bridge over the Guadalquivir downstream from Seville). I’ll only talk about the section after Seville.

Seville to Huelva route: a motorway with no scenic interest at all (I’ve done this route). Seville to Aracena route: it’s the N433 that crosses the Sierra de Aracena. I haven’t done this road (East-West), but I’ve crossed the Sierra de Aracena from North to South. That shouldn’t change much in terms of scenery. You’re in the mountains (small mountains), 600 to 800 meters above sea level; it’s very wooded: holm oaks, cork oaks; the soil is red. The road I took was quite winding without being a real mountain road (it’s slower than the motorway). In my opinion, the scenery is much more interesting this way.

I don’t know the section further west toward Portugal.

As for the stop, these are by no means VILLAGES. Aracena: a small mountain town, maximum 10,000 inhabitants. Huelva: a large city (between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants) by a river, 10 km from the sea. The two places have nothing in common.

Hope this helps you decide.

Michel.

Thanks for your reply. Someone also suggested stopping in Ayamonte. Is it a small town worth a detour?

Ayamonte: it's the border town (around 20,000 inhabitants). A completely white city, palm trees in the squares, orange trees on the sidewalks (all of this is common in Andalusia). Specific to Ayamonte: a beautiful view of the Guadiana estuary from the top of the hill overlooking the city, tidal mills very close to the town, and a small ferry.



Before the opening of the motorway bridge (visible in the background), crossing the Guadiana was done by ferry; after its opening, they kept a small ferry that allows you to go to Portugal by crossing the river: it takes pedestrians, two-wheelers, and a few cars. In short, I really liked Ayamonte.

Michel

Hi everyone, I just wanted to thank you for your tips. We stopped in Ayamonte on the way there, and we came back via Aracena. Ayamonte is indeed a pretty village, and the route north (Seville-Beja) is much prettier and more pleasant than the road south (Seville-Ayamonte).