The history of El Portil has a similar history to that of the province of Huelva...both in southern Spain. The most imporant historical date is that of 1492, the year of the discovery of America. A discovery that started off from the port in Huelva, more specifically in the port of Palos de la Frontera. La Pinta, La Nina and La Santa Maria took off to explore new worlds on August 3rd.

Before this bit of history from southern Spain, the phoenicians, tartesso´s, romans, and muslims had already settled in this parts of El Portil in the province of Huelva., also once called Onuba. It´s main development started with the Romans, who founded the Palma del Condado, the Niebla sobre Odiel Bridge and also exploited the mines of the Tinto River until the 5th century of our era.

In the 8th century the arabs and their peculiar civilazation, populated the coastline with fortresses and mosques, leaving their mark throughout all of these localities, specifically Niebal, a city that later became the capital of this area in southern Spain.

The Reconquering came at the hands of Alfonso X El Sabio in 1262, by taking over Niebla, the most important city for the muslim population. Later on Christopher Columbus, a sailor in charge of going to the Indies made the Monestary of Santa Maria la Rabida his home. The province of Huelva was about to write it´s most golden pages in history. In 1492 the Catholic King and Queen gave authorization for three ships, La Pinta, La Nina and La santa maria to go in the direction of the Indies, to an uncertain future.

Centuries after this historic moment, came the darkest time period for El portil and the Onubense Coast. The Lisbon earthquake was felt throughout the Costa de la La Luz, especially in the province of Huelva, in southern Spain, severely damaging everything. The disaster destroyed the legacies of the romans, arabs etc., had left begind centuries earlier.

About El Portil we can say that it is mainly a young locality that was built around one of the best beaches in the Costa de la Luz in southern Spain as well as the natural Park of the El Portil Lagoons in Huelva.