At the top of a hill, next to the Church of San Jorge Mártir, stands the Castle of Palos de la Frontera, a late medieval fortress that dominated the Tinto River inlet. Built between 1322 and 1379, during the town’s economic boom, this castle witnessed the departure of the caravels to the New World. Although much of its original structure has disappeared, the current archaeological remains give a glimpse of its historical importance.
At the foot of the castle and the Church of San Jorge was the old Port of Palos, a natural river port from which the caravels Pinta, Niña and the Santa María set sail on 3 August 1492, commanded by Christopher Columbus and the Pinzón brothers, on the voyage that culminated in the so-called Discovery of America.
The port had infrastructure such as a wharf, a pottery workshop and shipyards, and was a hub of maritime activity in the 15th century. Although the exact location of the shipyard is unknown, it is known that the Fontanilla, a nearby public fountain, supplied water to the ships before they set sail.
The truth is that, based on both documentary research and archaeological interventions, several periods of construction of the Castle of Palos de la Frontera have been established, coinciding with the demographic growth and commercial development that took place in the historic port.
The 13th century was a foundational period, in which there was originally a primitive tower with a polygonal floor plan. An expansion can be seen in the 14th century, with the addition of three more towers and a wall attached to the original tower, modifying its structure to resemble a castle. Its heyday and final renovations took place in the 15th century, and this structure has survived to the present day.
The Monastery of Santa María de La Rábida is a Franciscan convent founded in 1261, although the papal bull documenting it dates from 1412. This monastery has witnessed key moments in human history. Its Gothic-Mudejar architecture and strategic location on a small hill next to the mouth of the River Tinto, where it joins the River Odiel, make it a place of great historical and cultural value.
Over the centuries, the monastery has been a meeting point for historical figures such as Christopher Columbus, who stayed here in 1485 to present his project to travel to the Indies. Franciscan friars, such as Fray Juan Pérez and Fray Antonio de Marchena, played a crucial role in the preparation of this expedition. In addition, Martín Alonso Pinzón, co-discoverer of America, is buried in this monastery. Other historical figures such as Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro also stayed here after their expeditions.
The monastery was declared a National Monument in 1856 and forms part of the historical and artistic complex known as the Lugares Colombinos, which includes other emblematic sites related to the discovery of America. In 1992, Pope John Paul II visited the monastery on the occasion of the pontifical coronation of the image of the Virgin of Miracles, patron saint of the monastery and of Palos de la Frontera.
La Fontanilla was the public fountain in Palos de la Frontera where, according to tradition, the ships Santa María, Pinta and Niña were supplied with water when they set sail from the port of Palos on 3 August 1492, bound for the Indies. La Fontanilla is the most humble, but also the most original and authentic monument of the so-called Lugares Colombinos (Columbus Sites).
This building is located on the eastern outskirts of the town, at the foot of the small acropolis where the town was established in the Middle Ages, with its castle, and behind the apse of the parish church. It stands on an ancient Roman wellhead and is protected by a small temple or tetrapylon, built in the 13th century in the Mudejar style with bricks, with a quadrangular floor plan and a semi-spherical vault visible from the outside and enclosed by a pyramidal spire. The supporting element consists of four slightly lowered semicircular arches, supported by angular pillars reinforced with stirrups.
The spout was in the centre and, on either side, there were channels through which the water flowed, collecting on the eastern side in a long trough. Recent studies have shown that it was originally plastered and painted with red ochre (almagra) with religious motifs; which, together with the fact that it was located on the road leading into the town, suggests that, in addition to being a public fountain and a place of rest and refreshment for those returning to the town, it may also have been a wayside shrine or station of penance, a place of prayer and reflection where, as well as rest for the body, peace for the soul could be found. In this regard, it would be worth studying its similarities with other wayside shrines in Andalusia, such as the Cruz del Campo, which is closely linked to the origins of Holy Week in Seville.
The Church of San Jorge Mártir is a Gothic-Mudejar style Catholic church, built in the mid-15th century by order of the Counts of Miranda, possibly on top of an earlier 14th-century building.
The church has three Mudejar naves with pointed arches and a Gothic-style chancel, highlighting the beauty of its ribbed vault. The main façade, with its romantic air and Gothic style from the early 15th century, is known as the ‘Gateway to America’. In May 1492, the Royal Pragmatic Decree ordering certain residents of Palos to deliver two caravels to Christopher Columbus was read in the square in front of this gate.
Located on the north side is the Puerta de los Novios (Gate of the Brides and Grooms), built in the Mudejar style with two-coloured brick. It is known for the tradition that couples entered through it to get married and left through the main gate as husband and wife. The sailors, led by the Pinzón brothers and Christopher Columbus, left through this gate for the port in the early hours of 3 August 1492.
Its bell tower, which combines Mudejar and Baroque styles, is also noteworthy. The base is Mudejar in style from the 15th century, while the pyramidal top, with blue and white checkered ceramics, is Baroque from the 18th century, added after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
Inside, there is a central nave with a striking Neo-Mudejar ceiling made by a local carpenter in the 20th century. The side naves house chapels dedicated to Saint George, Saint Getulio and Cereal, and the Tabernacle. In the Gospel nave hangs a painting of Christ embracing the cross, dated around 1620.
This building is located on an acropolis on the eastern side of the castle of Palos de la Frontera and was declared a National Monument in 1931 due to its historical and architectural importance.
The Monument to the Discoverers, also known as the Column of the Fourth Centenary, is a commemorative sculpture erected in 1892 to celebrate the fourth centenary of the discovery of America. Located in La Rábida, this monument pays tribute to Christopher Columbus and the sailors and navigators who participated in the Columbian expedition.
Designed by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, the monument features a neoclassical column rising from a hexagonal pedestal. At its summit is a sphere symbolising the known world at the time of Columbus. The base of the monument is adorned with reliefs depicting scenes from Columbus’ voyage and the indigenous peoples of the American continent.
Over the years, the monument has undergone several restorations to preserve its integrity. Between 1963 and 1967, a restoration was carried out that altered some of its original elements. In the 2010s, consolidation work was carried out and lost elements, such as the sphere at the top of the column, were recovered.
The Wharf of the Caravels is one of the most emblematic sites on the Route of Columbus’ Landmarks and a landmark in the province of Huelva in terms of historical and cultural dissemination. Opened in 1994 to mark the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America, it is located in La Rábida, very close to the place from which the three caravels set sail in 1492.
This site features a faithful recreation of the ships that made the ocean voyage that changed the course of history: the Santa María, the Pinta and the Niña. Built in the shipyards of Isla Cristina and Punta Umbría between 1990 and 1992, these replicas allow visitors to climb aboard and learn about the sailing conditions of the time, as well as the organisation and resources of the expedition.
The museum complex surrounding the pier includes an interpretation centre, a recreation of a medieval Castilian port, a 15th-century port town and a space called ‘Isla del Encuentro’ (Island of Encounter), which evokes the first contact between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of America. All this makes the Muelle de las Carabelas an immersive and educational experience that highlights not only the historical events of Columbus’ first voyage, but also the cultural and human consequences that resulted from that encounter between worlds.
Due to its historical accuracy, accessibility and visual appeal, the Muelle de las Carabelas has established itself as one of the most visited places in western Andalusia and an essential stop for those who wish to understand the significance of the 1492 voyage.
