Valverde del Camino, Spain: travel guide to the boot-making town of the Andevalo in Huelva

Valverde del Camino is a town in the province of Huelva, in Andalusia, set among the hills of the Andevalo between the valleys of the Tinto and Odiel rivers in south-western Spain. Home to around 12,800 people, it is a lively, industrious place proud of its crafts and of an unusual chapter of English industrial heritage.

For travellers searching for Valverde del Camino, country boots, the Casa Direccion or the Andevalo, it offers craftsmanship, history and a distinctive blend of cultures.

History

The town grew up at a crossroads of old routes, around a wayside inn known as Facanias, recorded as early as 1369, taking its present name in the late 15th century in reference to the old Roman road that passed nearby. In the 19th century the arrival of the railway, linking the area to the famous Riotinto mines and the coast, brought British mining companies and a wave of prosperity.

Crafts and sights

Valverde is best known for its long tradition of leatherwork, above all the making of country riding boots, alongside iron and copper forging and the distilling of aguardiente. Its most curious monument is the Casa Direccion, an English-style mansion built by a British company as the residence of its general manager, now a museum and cultural centre. The 17th-century parish church of the Virgen del Reposo, the 19th-century bullring and the old railway workshops complete the picture.

Practical information

Valverde del Camino lies about 40 kilometres north-east of the city of Huelva, in the heart of the Andevalo, an easy stop on the way between the coast and the mining country of the Sierra de Huelva.