Matalascañas beach, Coastal beach in Huelva, Spain

Matalascañas is a beach on the Gulf of Cádiz coast in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, within the municipality of Almonte. It lies about 500 km southwest of Madrid and borders the Doñana area. The climate is mild: average temperatures run from about 8 °C in January to 26 °C in July, with roughly 726 mm of rain a year.

Matalascañas grew as a summer settlement on the Huelva coast in the second half of the 20th century, when the dunes and pine fringe west of the Doñana marshes were opened to tourism. The beach takes its name from the old Matalascañas estate and tower area nearby. Before that, the shore belonged to the sparsely populated coastal strip between Mazagón and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Matalascañas lies within the municipality of Almonte, and the beach takes its name from the Torre de la Higuera, a 16th-century watchtower that once stood on the shore until it collapsed in the 1990s. The tower's ruins remain visible in the sand at low tide, and locals still refer to the area by its old name, Torre de la Higuera.

Lifeguards patrol the beach during summer months, and you will find public showers and marked access paths. Basic amenities are available to make your visit comfortable and safe.

The beach sits directly next to Doñana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site with protected wetlands and wildlife. Walking along the shore gives you views of one of southern Europe's most important natural zones.