What you can see on the Islantilla webcam
The camera stands on a building behind the seafront and looks over gardens and treetops to a long row of palms, the sand and the ocean. Because it faces south, the sun at midday shines into the lens and the sea glitters silver; the clearest pictures are in the morning and late afternoon. It plays as a time-lapse of the last 24 hours.
Islantilla webcam: palms, sand and the Atlantic
Set on a building behind the seafront of Islantilla, this camera faces south over gardens and the tops of the trees to the beach and the Atlantic. On the left a long row of tall palms lines the promenade down towards the sand, and the open ocean fills the horizon. Because the camera looks south, the midday sun shines straight into the lens and turns the sea to a sheet of silver; the pictures from the morning and the late afternoon are clearer. It is a simple way to check the sky over the Costa de la Luz, see whether the sea is calm or breaking, and judge the light before heading to the beach. A cable crosses the picture. It plays here as a time-lapse of the last 24 hours.
A resort shared by two towns
Islantilla was created in 1991 by the neighbouring towns of Isla Cristina and Lepe, which share it, and its name joins the names of Isla Cristina and La Antilla. It sits in the middle of a continuous stretch of beach and buildings more than 3 miles (5 km) long, from Urbasur to La Antilla, with low apartment blocks, hotels and a golf course behind the sand. Only a few thousand people live along it all year, but in summer the resort fills up with Spanish families on holiday.
When to watch Islantilla
Islantilla is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. The Costa de la Luz gets plenty of sun, but it faces the Atlantic, so the sea is cooler and livelier than the Mediterranean and the tide moves the waterline up and down the beach twice a day. From late spring to early autumn the beach is at its best; in winter it is quiet and good for long walks.
Around Islantilla
Isla Cristina, 5 miles (8 km) to the west, is one of the main fishing ports of the Huelva coast, and Ayamonte stands on the river Guadiana, the border with Portugal, about 15 miles (25 km) away. Huelva city is about 24 miles (39 km) to the east.
Getting to Islantilla
Most visitors from the UK and Ireland fly to Faro, in Portugal, about 57 miles (92 km) away by road across the Guadiana bridge; Seville airport is about 89 miles (144 km) to the east.