The salt-works of Huelva

The Salt-Works of Huelva are located at the south of the city, where the mouths of Tinto and Odiel rivers meet. The mixture of freshwater and saltwater has created a land of marshes which are influenced by tides – the Marshes of the Odiel.

The Salt-Works of Aragonesas, with an extension of 1,118 km2, are the cornerstone of the production of raw materials of the factory. Opened in 1980 at the right bank of the Odiel, the 30-km-long and 5-km-wide terrain is a complex labyrinth of channels and estuaries separated by important isles – Saltés, Enmedio, and Bacuta, which have been declared ‘Biosphere Reserve’. The latest technological advances have been used in its construction, carrying out an ambitious research plan with the purpose of both balancing ecosystems and recovering the rest of the salt from saltwater.

In this natural site, salt-working “combines high technology with ecology, as seawater, the sun, and the wind are the motors of this eco-friendly industry”. Salt is obtained through the following process. Firstly, the dry salt lakes are flooded with water through the Channel of Las Madres, Punta Umbría. Secondly, the salt is concentrated after water evaporation. The final product is collected after its crystallization.