Nerva: Mining History, Art and Río Tinto

Nerva is part of the Zona Minera de Riotinto-Nerva, protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest in the category “Historic Site”.

Culture

The Museo Vázquez Díaz has more than 1,000 square metres of exhibition space for contemporary art. It displays works from various creative periods of Daniel Vázquez Díaz, including the “Poemas del Descubrimiento” collection. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions of painting and photography.

The Iglesia de San Bartolomé houses a 15-square-metre oil altarpiece, completed by José María Laborado in 1964, depicting the martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew.

The Teatro Javier Perianes Granero displays more than one hundred paintings from open-air competitions, as well as the pianos of local composer Manuel Rojas.

El paseo de Nerva is a pedestrian promenade characterised by a colourful series of painted trees between the historic town hall and the modern Museo Vázquez Díaz.

The Dolmen de la Lancha southwest of Nerva belongs to the Tholos culture.

Find more places here: Trigueros, Higuera De La Sierra, Corteconcepción, Paterna Del Campo, Bollullos Par Del Condado, Chucena, Jabuguillo and Santa Bárbara De Casa.

Nature

At 695 metres, Pico de Padre Caro is the highest point in the municipality of Nerva.

The Montera de Gossan Natural Monument is located in the protected Río Tinto landscape near Mina Peña de Hierro in Nerva and serves to convey the local mining history, as well as the geology and minerals of the mining region.

Peña de Hierro has a viewpoint overlooking an open-pit mine, from which the multicoloured, mineral-rich subsoil landscape can be seen.

The Río Tinto rises in the Sierra del Padre Caro.

Its red water has a pH value between 1.7 and 2.7 and contains large quantities of heavy metals.

NASA selected the Río Tinto as a study habitat because its possible similarity to the environmental conditions on Mars is of interest.

A historic gallery more than 200 metres long has been restored at Peña de Hierro, where visitors can experience underground mining.

Routes

The Aguas Rojizas PR-A 493 circular hiking route is 9 kilometres long and takes approximately 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Nerva lies on the fourth stage of the Camino Rociero-Jacobeo; the route can be travelled on foot, on horseback or by bicycle.

Damas S.A. operates two bus routes connecting Nerva by road with Huelva and Seville.

There are free parking spaces for motorhomes in Nerva behind the Pabellón Municipal de Deportes Urbano Ortiz.

Festivals

Nerva’s summer celebrations include the La Villa and San Bartolomé festivals, as well as other neighbourhood festivals and the pilgrimage of San Antonio.

La Villa and San Bartolomé are celebrated on 7 and 24 August, respectively.

For the higher-level travel overview: Huelva.