Matalascañas (Spanish pronunciation: [matalas'kaɲas]; local dialect: [matalaʰ'kaɲa]) is the name of an Atlantic beach and resort within the Municipality of Almonte, in southwestern Spain.

Officially established in 1972, its population goes into orbit during the summer, due to its proximity to Seville and being a holiday destination for neighbouring towns and a final residence for retired people.

[5][6] In 1924, German archaeologist Adolf Schulten visited the area in his quest to find Atlantis and, despite finally giving up, he came across several Roman ruins, including a garum factory from the 3th century AD.

By the mid 60s, several fishing huts had been installed along the coast, nearby the ruins of the tower, most of them made of bulrush, a traditional material in the area[8] Road A-483 was finished by 1965 and would become later a turn-off of the popular motorway A-49 to connect Almonte to Huelva and Seville.

Phone wires between Almonte and the new coastal resort were installed and the works on highway A-49 were speeded up to connect to local road A-483 and establish a faster way from Seville.

By the summer of 1971, Matalascañas had already become a national touristic destination, holding music festivals and all kind of contests (photography, literature, beauty, sailing and fishing) soon became usual, even attracting celebrities and socialites, including the royal family.

[10] Both its unique climate and its status as a resort embedded within Europe's greatest natural reserve, soon made international tourism turn up and Hollywood took notice of the unique landscapes to start shooting several films, like The Wind and the Lion[11][12][13] Two years later, an average of 180,000 tourists were visiting Matalascañas in the summer, many of them affluent foreigners and socialites, with charter flights and horse carriages becoming a matter of course in those days.

Its name refers to the high fossil dunes formed all along the coast of Almonte and far beyond the ruins of the Torre del Oro (Gold River Tower).

The environmental association from the Parque Dunar organises free guided tours that include historical and geological commentaries and a voluntary litter collection.

[20] A recent research published by Quaternary Science Reviews and carried out by the University of Huelva confirmed that the humanoid footprints belong to Neanderthals.

It's been awarded blue flags and Q and SICTED certificates for touristic quality[22][23] The town of Matalascañas is a 4-km long strip along the coast of Almonte, halfway between the ruins of Torre del Oro and river Guadalquivir.

This makes Almonte's coast a global climatic paradise[26] These are some of the most common plants and animals found in the surrounding areas of the Doñana National Park:[27] Along with the worldwide-known village of El Rocío, Matalascañas is administered by the council of Almonte, which has permanent headquarters in district L, just next to the golf course and the police station, so the neighbours don't have to move to the main town up north to meet some of their basic administrative needs.

Matalascañas’ location inside the heart of the national park has brought about concerns and controversies for several decades regarding noise and light pollution, water management, roadkills and littering.

A balance between Almonte's economic and industrial development and the sustainable and green conservation of its natural environment has been the historical goal of locals since the establishment of the park in the late 60s.

From May to September, when the floating population of the municipality skyrockets up to 200,000 people in summer and more than 1 million during the Pilgrimage of El Rocío,[28] The local government has to implement different programmes which often involves coordination at a European level.

[32][33] The council of Almonte is working along with the Ministry for the Environment on a project to switch the current water supply network from the aquifer to another one which comes from the eastern part of the province and, at the same time, placing a new wastewater treatment plant nearby the village of El Rocío, to avoid further pouring into the sea.

The company will provide the parking meters, hire locals and paint the different signs and will also be in charge of restoring the asphalt of the whole town in advance and maintain it for the next 30 years.

[37] Its unique location inside the Doñana National Park, the biggest natural reserve in Europe, has limited the urban expansion of the resort, as well as the different ways of access.

The coast of Almonte has a temperate climate that allows a wide variety of scientific, sportive and cultural events to take place in Matalascañas and nearby coastal areas.

In the 60s, the government installed a military training and rocket launching base on the west coast, near the medieval ruins of Torre del Loro.

[43] Many scientific organisations and amateur groups gather around the Matalascañas's lighthouse to observe lunar eclipses, for the area has little light pollution and the sky is clear at night.

[51] In January 2012, the museum owed its private stockholders more than €187,000 and the regional government (Junta de Andalucía) was providing a grant which would help solve the financial crisis, but 25% of that money was to arrive yet.

[53][54] In 2023, after former mayor Francisco Bella had been reelected, the new local council announced the reopening of the museum, which would start by turning the former building into a centre for digital resources.

There is an environmental association called “Parque Dunar”, which organises free guided tours that include historical and geological commentaries and a voluntary litter collection.

[20] In a recent research published by Quaternary Science Reviews and carried out by the University of Huelva, it has been confirmed that the humanoid footprints belong to Neanderthals.

[62][63] Torre de la Higuera is the only one of the towers located within the Matalascañas Beach, at the beginning of town and has become a symbol for Almonte, often appearing in postcards and other touristic elements.

An activity called “Descubre tus fortalezas” (literally “Discover your fortresses”) carries out guided tours to these remains, with historians, architects and archaeologists participating.

Both the council and private investment have sport promotion as a priority, mainly fishing, horse and camel riding, golf, sailing, paragliding, cycling, volleyball and running.

[74] Finally, jogging and hiking need to be mentioned as the most popular outdoor activity in the area, taking advantage of the vast shores, the beachfront promenade, the pedestrian path parallel to the north road and the different official routes inside the heart of Doñana.

Different marathons are held every year, the most popular one being the 9-mile Carrera Nocturna (Night Race) sponsored by local sport club Espartanosand carried out at the beach since 2013.