The wheels leave Huelva via the Rio Tinto, heading past Palos de la Frontera, the historic port where Columbus originally set sail. The old stone walls of La Rábida Monastery offer an excellent reason for a quick roadside break in the shade.
Beyond this milestone, the scenery transitions completely. The smooth tarmac cuts directly through the protected limits of the Doñana National Park. Sprawling pine forests and large sand dunes border the road, providing welcoming pockets of shelter from the Andalusian sun.
By late afternoon, the track steers back toward the water. The stage finishes in the coastal resort of Matalascañas, marked by the iconic ruins of the Torre de la Higuera sea tower sitting right in the breaking surf.
