Odiel

Odiel is a river in southwestern Spain, located in the province of Huelva, Andalusia. It rises in the Sierra de Aracena area and flows generally southwest to the Atlantic, where it forms an estuary together with the Tinto River near the city of Huelva and drains into the Gulf of Cádiz.

From its headwaters to the sea, the Odiel drains a coastal plain characterized by marsh and scrubland. In its lower course the river passes through towns in Huelva Province and contributes to the Ría de Huelva, a shallow estuarine inlet that supports shipping to the local port and surrounding industry. The Odiel basin is closely linked to the Tinto basin, and together these rivers have shaped the landscape and urban development of the Huelva area.

Ecologically, the Odiel estuary and the adjacent Marismas de Odiel form one of Europe’s most important wetland complexes on the Atlantic coast. The Marismas de Odiel is a protected natural space, designated as a Ramsar site and a Natura 2000 area, notable for its salt marsh habitats and diverse birdlife, including migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. The area is valued for conservation and for scientific and ecotourism interests.

Historically, the estuary has supported industrial activity in the Huelva region, and mining in the nearby Tinto basin has left a legacy of environmental challenges in parts of the watershed. In recent decades, conservation and remediation efforts have focused on protecting the estuary’s habitats while balancing economic uses of the port and surrounding lands.