Nueva Umbria / Huelva / Spain

Situated south of the city of Huelva on Spain's south west coast not too far from the Portuguese border lies the stretch of beach known as Nueva Umbria. This is a great spot for surfers, wind surfers and kite surfers of all levels and abilities. It does get pretty crowded with tourists and beach goers, so there may well be surfing restrictions or zones in place during June July and August. It will pay you to check this out before you set off. The best times to surf are between April and September.

This spot has a gorgeous long white sandy beach that is hazard free. To get here you will need to take the N442 south bound from Huelva heading towards the coast. Here you will see signs for the beach.

The wind here tends to come at you from a westerly or south westerly direction. Both directions work well. A north wind also blows, but mainly in the mornings, this doesn't work so well as it is pretty gusty. The water quality is clean and conditions are choppy most of the time. However when the wind is in the right direction and is strong enough, you can catch some really nice waves of up to 3 meters in height. The water temperature hovers between 18 degrees in the winter and 26 degrees in the summer so you may want to suit up or suit down accordingly.

There is plenty of parking at this spot and there is also a surf school so that beginners can practice. The nearest town is Lepe which is about 10 minutes north west of the beach. This has a selection of shops, bars and restaurants. If you fancy a bit of nightlife, then head for Jerez, Huelva, or even Cadiz

This is a pretty safe spot, so there isn't too much to worry about. Just be on the lookout for swimmers and bathers in and around the water during the busy summer months.