The present town of Cartaya was founded in the 15th century by the Marquis of Gibraleón, Don Pedro de Zúñiga.

Traces have been found dating from the late Roman Empire and there is evidence of farmsteads from the early medieval period.

The newer settlements of El Rompido and Nuevo Portil, along with other developments, have contributed to significant population growth over recent decades.

The winters are very mild, with temperatures rarely dropping below 10 °C; the summers are warm, generally reaching highs of over 30 °C in July and August.

The table below shows the average temperature and rainfall by month for the year 2007: The principal river is the Piedra, which forms the boundary between the municipalities of Cartaya and Lepe.

However, the sediments deposited by the river have built up over time in an easterly direction, giving rise to features such as the "Arrow of Nueva Umbria" and the Lagoon of El Portil.

[11] The "Arrow of Nueva Umbria" is an unusual habitat, formed by the effects of winds and tides on the river sediments.

Typical flora includes sea holly, beach grass, white retama, mastic, and other salt-tolerant vegetation.

Although Cartaya and the nearby coast (where there are many discoveries of shipwrecks) were probably settled by the Phoenicians, the area developed significantly under the Romans.

Within the Roman Empire, this area formed part of the Beturia Celtic orTurdula region in the senatorial province of Hispania Baetica.

[14] This was an area dedicated to the pottery industry – especially the manufacture of amphorae – which may have been destined for the settlement of Punta Umbría or Onuba Aesturia.

[16] The province of Huelva became an important frontier territory – part of the "Banda Gallega" which was formed to prevent the eastward expansion of Portugal.

The house of Zuñiga consolidated its power in lower Andalusia through Don Pedro's descendant, Álvaro de Zúñiga.

His eldest son acquired the neighboring territories of Lepe and La Redondela by marriage to the daughter of Juan Alfonso de Guzmán III of Ayamonte.

Transport ships were travelling as far afield as Flanders to engage in cabotage and commerce, including the wine and grain trades.

This was partly because of the perceived poor quality of the local wood, which led ships from the Gulf of Cádiz to be banned from sailing to the Americas.

Cartaya never became as important to Spain's maritime empire as some nearby towns, such as Palos de la Frontera or Moguer.

Records list the local names Talafar, Vizcaino and Alonso Rodríguez on board the first voyage of Columbus.

[21] In the early modern era, the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy founded a convent in the area, as it had in other places nearby.

Although other villages had previously existed at the mouth of the Piedra, it was the development of an almadraba fishing operation that caused El Rompido to take shape.

As communications with Cartaya had to be made from the left bank of the river, families settled there and a village sprang up opposite the tuna fishery.

Punta Umbria hoped to benefit from the growing tourism industry and proposed El Portil as a location for tourist development.

The three main population centres are: Cartaya itself; El Rompido (including the suburbs of Urberosa and Los Pinos); and Nuevo Portil.

[32] Cartaya also belongs to the Beturia Mancomunidad of Municipalities, which runs several initiatives to promote economic development in the region.