Huelva and its light

Living in the sunniest province of Spain brings great benefits to its inhabitants: the people of Huelva, the so called “onubenses” or “choqueros”.

The Costa de la Luz finds in its name its greatest attraction and the fact that it enjoys more than 3,500 hours of sunshine a year is a real luxury. Not only because it allows us to make the most of the days and enjoy outdoor activities, but also because its light makes us appreciate the beauty of some places more intensely, as can happen with the landscapes of the coast or the interior.

Those who live in or visit Huelva know that it has sunrises and sunsets that are difficult to forget.

For yet another year, Huelva is once again the sunniest city in Spain, surpassing others such as Las Palmas or Santa Cruz. Its 3,527 hours of sunshine per year, a figure that has been increasing in recent years, doubling those of other cities such as Bilbao or Gijón.

According to a report carried out in 2006 by the “Grupo La Luz”, this is due to the fact that the province is located approximately between 37º and 38º latitude, facing south, an area of maximum sun exposure.

The light of Huelva is of great quality as the province is located in the southwest of the peninsula, at the western end of the Mediterranean basin, in contact with the Atlantic and close to the area of influence of the Sahara desert. This position influences its Mediterranean climate with oceanic influences.

The Light of Huelva, a natural medicine

It is nothing new that the sun and natural light are beneficial to the health of living beings. Some of these benefits on a physical and mental level are:

  • It improves sleep as exposure to sunlight causes the body to produce more melatonin.
  • It helps to combat depression by increasing the amount of serotonin.
  • Increases cognitive performance and productivity.
  • Keeps bones strong and reduces the number of autoimmune diseases by promoting vitamin D production.
  • Lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Reduces the risk of short-sightedness and thus improves visual health
  • Encourages outdoor life and exercise, thereby lowering cholesterol and obesity and extending life expectancy.

In northern European countries – where we double or even in some cases quintuple the average number of hours of sunshine per month – it has been shown that in the winter months insomnia, depression and feelings of fatigue and tiredness increase compared to the summer.

And at this point we can say that the statistics are there, but the best thing to do is to experience it by yourself, so we encourage you to come and visit us and see for yourself the advantages of living on the Costa de la Luz and in particular at AMA Residences Andalucía where people from the Netherlands have established their residency. Can you guess why?