Universidad:

 

 

The university of Huelva has two locations in Huelva city. The campuses la Marced and el Carmen. El Carmen is the bigger campus and the one in which all our classes took place. When choosing the classes, it is important to check where the classes are taking place since the distance between the two campuses is about a 30-minute walk. Choosing the classes turned out to be a bit a hustle in the beginning since the university supplied us with several document which contained information about classes, time schedules and teacher information. The problem was that in some points these documents did not match, and it was very difficult to decide on classes especially because we tried to take some classes related to primary education. My recommendation to choose classes is to look through the forms to see what interests you when you are still in Austria and then make use of the first two weeks of university when classes can still be changed. Choose several different classes and attend them to see how you feel about it. In the end of this time period, you can choose those classes you feel best about.

 

 

We chose following classes:

 

ENGLISH II – We chose the final exam and therefore had not to attend all the classes which allowed us to fit this class into our schedule despite an overlap.

 

LITERARY AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES IN ANGLOPHON E AND HISPANIC – well… don´t. Just don´t!

 

Didáctica de la creación plástica y visual – This class was awesome, and I would recommend it! The teacher does not speak any English, but he is very supportive, and the tasks are very individual, and we were able do participate in the class well.

 

Didáctica de la lengua oral y escrita para educación primaria – This class was listed as “English friendly” but none of the 3 teachers we had over the course of the semester spoke English in class. We made some great friends who translated the content of the class for us, and we can take the exam in English. 

 

Español A1 – Spanish for beginners

 

 

 

Deporte:

 

 

For those that enjoy sports there are many different options available. The offer ranges from Dancing over Basketball to Sailing. There are different offers from the university or from the student organization ESN but also many local options. A very popular Sport in Spain, which I would definitely recommend trying is Paddle. This is a game similar to Tennis, but it is played on a much smaller court. On the campus El Carmen are several courts which can also be booked. The equipment is also available in the University. One place I also enjoyed was the “Climax” climbing hall.

 

 

Languaje:

 

 

We arrived with close to no Spanish skills and realized pretty soon that we´ll have to learn quickly. The people in Andalucía are very nice and supportive but most people do not speak English at all!

 

 

Residir:

 

 

To find our apartment we used the organization “Housing Huelva”. This company rents apartments almost only to Erasmus students. If you want to book with them, you must spend close attention to the day they upload the apartments and then don´t hesitate long and just book the apartment you like because they “sell out” very fast. Another option many Erasmus students use is to come to Huelva, stay in an Airbnb or Hostel and then find something on sight. For some people this worked out grate while others took up to two months to find something. So, if this is the option you choose, make sure you get here earlier and get busy searching.

 

 

ESN – Erasmus Student Network:

 

 

ESN is a student network which supports Erasmus Students and offers different events, trips, and parties. Even though their organization skills could at times be better, they offered a lot of fun and interesting events and especially in the beginning, joining one of their parties or trips was a great way of getting to know new people.

 

 

 

Transporte:

 

 

Huelva has a bus station as well as a train station. Although it is possible to walk around the whole city in one tot wo hours the city bus offers a monthly bus card any single way costs about 1,20 Euro. There is a bus approximately every other hour that takes you to the nearest beach with is Punta Umbria. The ride takes about 20 Minutes and costs about 3,50 Euro. With the train places like Sevilla and Cordoba can be reached much quicker. Huelva doesn’t have an airport, but the closest options are Faro, in Portugal and Sevilla, as well in Spain. The cheapest option to get to the airport is either taking the Flix bus from the bus station or a blabla car via the app. Before our arrival we really wanted to purchase a used bicycle but are glad now that we did not as most vehicles of our Erasmus friends got stolen. Besides the safety it is very unusual to have a space in your building where you can leave and lock it, which means you must take your bicycle into your apartment. In our case we do have an elevator available, yet it is a very small one and a bike would not fit.

 

 

Viaje:

 

 

There is plenty of car companies for rentals available in Huelva. Lots of people use blabla car to get around and visit places as well. If you travel with a big group taking an Airbnb can be very fun and sometimes the cheapest option. If you want to have a guided experience, there are travel companies like We love Spain that make your life easier and meet new people on amazing trips.

 

Places I visited during my Erasmus Stay within the five-month time:

 

Spain: Sevilla, Granada, Ronda, Setenil, Cadiz, Osuna, Torcal, Antequera, Tarifa, Cordoba, Gibralta (UK)

 

Portugal: Faro, Portimao, Tavira, Lagos, Albufeira, Sagres

 

 

Comida:

 

 

There is plenty of Supermarkets all over Huelva (Jamon, Dia, Mercadona, Charfour) as well as lots of Restaurants and Cafes. With Siesta it can be tricky to find any meal offers between two to eight. In Spain breakfast is available until noon, then there is lunch until two, followed by dinner which isn’t until eight or nine depending on the location. Typical Spanish food is everywhere, and Sushi or Chinese kitchen is also very popular. There is a view Italian places but other than that the culinary variety isn`t that big. Most of Erasmus students are missing the traditional food options from their home countries. As a vegetarian or even a vegan it is very difficult to eat out. The best recommendation is a place in the city centre called Rosalia de Raton which has vegan burgers and healthy salads.

 

 

Fiesta:

 

 

Spain is a very religious country so they take every opportunity they can to embrace any religious day. There is also lots of culture especially in Andalusia which means there is always something going on from street parades to Flamenco dancing to live Music Spain has lots of Fiestas to enjoy. Besides that, there is Groups within Erasmus like Go Erasmus or ESN who make sure that there is a party at least once a week. Huelva has many clubs and bars although be prepared for reggaeton!

 

 

Shopping:

 

 

There is lots of shopping option in the city center as well as a big mall just next to the Campus El Carmen. Shops are open Monday to Saturday from nine in the morning until nine in the evening. Sunday everything is closed except for the little Chinese shops which you can find everywhere and really have to offer anything you can imagine buying.

 

 

Saludos,

Melanie y Nina