Sanlúcar is one of those lesser-known Andalucian towns that pleasantly surprise. Firstly, there’s the gastronomy: Sanlúcar cooks up some of the region's best seafood on a hallowed waterside strip called Bajo de Guía. Secondly, Sanlúcar's unique location at the northern tip of the esteemed Sherry Triangle enables its earthy bodegas, nestled in the somnolent, monument-strewn old town, to produce the much-admired one-of-a-kind manzanilla. Thirdly, plonked at the mouth of the Río Guadalquivir estuary, Sanlúcar provides a quieter, less touristed entry point into the ethereal Parque Nacional de Doñana than the more popular western access points in Huelva province.
As if that weren’t enough, the town harbours a proud nautical history. Both Christopher Columbus, on his third sojourn, and Portuguese mariner Ferdinand Magellan struck out from here on their voyages of discovery.