A 67-year-old Portuguese tourist was rescued by lifeguards last weekend at La Gaivota Beach in Isla Cristina, in the Spanish province of Huelva. The man was caught off guard by strong currents in the sea, on a day marked by levante wind and yellow flag. The lifeguard firefighters from the Isla Cristina Beach Rescue and First Aid Service managed to get him out of the water and provided assistance on the beach, where he was stabilised and recovered from the incident.
La Gaivota beach is just a 25-minute drive from Castro Marim in the Portuguese Algarve, making Isla Cristina a destination frequented by Portuguese beachgoers. During this summer, local authorities recorded 11 lives saved on the municipality's beaches and attended 837 incidents in total, covering all the beaches in the Andalusia area.
Isla Cristina is located in the western part of the province of Huelva, on the Costa de la Luz, and is distinguished by its strong maritime tradition, linked to fishing and fish processing. The municipality's beach offering includes other beaches such as Islantilla, Centro and Punta del Caimán, in addition to La Gaivota. The town is also known for its carnival and the Atlantic Coral Festival.
The territory of Isla Cristina also includes the natural reserve of the Marismas de Isla Cristina, an area where different salinity levels create habitats for various plant species, adding a natural component to the municipality's coastal landscape.
