Cala – Culture, Mining History and Trails

Above Cala stands the Castillo de Cala, a small fortress built around the 13th century during Muslim rule on the hill overlooking the town. The path there begins at Hostal La Muralla.

When comparing holiday apartments in Cala, you can compare the travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the respective listing page; these fields help you organize and keep track of specific offers according to your own plans.

Culture

The Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena was built between the 13th and 14th centuries in the early Gothic-Mudéjar style and preserves on its altar a retable from the school of Alejo Fernández dating from the early 16th century.

The Ermita Nuestra Señora de Cala is one of the few buildings in Huelva in the transitional style from Romanesque to Gothic. It stands on the site of an ancient Roman building; remnants of tombstones from the imperial period are incorporated into its walls. It can be reached directly from the town via the Paseo de la Ermita.

History

The Minas de Cala can be visited by groups by prior appointment. The Roman workings at the Minas de Cala left behind a large mine working known as the Galería Romana.

Near the Minas del Teuler, the ruins of the Casa del Teuler can be seen, a former manor house in the English colonial style that Germans built to accommodate the engineers working at the mine.

Exploitation of the Minas de la Sultana began in 1903; the mine has been inactive for more than 60 years and contained chiefly significant copper deposits, as well as some gold.

The Cala mining railway opened in August 1905 and was used to transport minerals for export to the port of Seville. Its remains, including railway tracks and track beds of the Ferrocarril de Cala, can now be explored via signposted routes and paths.

Glass furnaces are documented in Cala during the Middle Ages; this industry remained highly significant in the 16th century.

Nature and Trails

Cala is one of the municipalities within the Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche.

The Sendero de los Contrabandistas is a 6.5-kilometre circular route of low difficulty that passes through Cala’s cork oak forests. Halfway along the route, the Las Tres Encinas picnic area offers a place to take a break.

The Sendero Santa Olalla del Cala–Minas del Teuler–Cala is largely flat and accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

Along the route between Cala and Santa Olalla del Cala, there is fresh water and green vegetation; birds and amphibians share this habitat. The information on the circular route, route layout and means of transport helps you compare different day plans.

More town pages: Huelva, La Granada de Río-Tinto, Almonaster La Real, Santa Bárbara De Casa, Palos De La Frontera, El Álamo, Sanlúcar De Guadiana, Alájar.

Festivals and Activities

During the Romería de San Roque, the pilgrimage route follows the Camino de los Contrabandistas; numerous floats, horses and pilgrims make their way through the municipality to the pilgrimage site. The Romería takes place on the last weekend in May.

The Feria de Cala, held in honour of the Virgen de Cala, begins on 7 September.

In autumn, the Maratón BTT takes place in Cala, a mountain biking event described as a pioneering event in the region.

To the higher-level travel overview: Huelva.