I spent my Erasmus semester from September until January in Huelva, a city in the south of Spain that I had never heard of before applying. But looking back, I can honestly say that Huelva turned out to be the perfect place for an exchange semester.

I shared this experience with a close friend, which made the whole stay even more special. Our Erasmus experience was a little different from that of many other students, as we did not attend regular university courses. We had already completed our master’s courses in Austria and decided to officially extend our studies by one semester in order to focus on writing our master’s theses abroad. Living abroad for a longer period of time – especially in the south, close to the sea – had always been a dream of ours, and this constellation turned out to be the perfect opportunity to make it happen.

At the beginning, one of our biggest challenges was the language. We did not speak any Spanish when we arrived, which made everyday life a bit difficult at first, especially because many locals speak little to no English. However, the people in Huelva are incredibly open, friendly, and helpful, and they always tried their best to communicate with us. To improve our language skills, we decided to take a Spanish course at the university. We enjoyed it a lot, and since we were confronted with the language on a daily basis, we learned Spanish surprisingly quickly.

On the first day at the university, a Welcome Day was organized, where we already met many other international students. Over the course of the semester, many of these people became close friends – some of them friends for life. Everyone was very open and eager to meet new people. I can highly recommend getting informed about Erasmus organizations via social media even before arriving, as they organize many activities, events, and parties. Especially at the beginning, these events are very helpful to connect with people from all over the world. It is important to step out of your comfort zone, start conversations, and simply approach others – everyone is in the same situation and happy to make new friends.

Huelva itself is not a very large city, but it is lively and full of character. There are countless cafés and restaurants offering typical Spanish tapas, as well as the local drink “Tinto de Verano”. There is almost always something going on, and nearly every weekend there is an event where people meet, socialize, and enjoy life together.

One of the biggest advantages of Huelva is its location. The city is very close to the sea – only about 20 minutes by bus to Punta Umbría. We spent countless hours there with friends, swimming, relaxing, having picnics, or watching the sunset. Huelva is also an ideal starting point for exploring Andalusia. Cities such as Seville, Córdoba, Ronda, Granada, Málaga, and Cádiz are all easy to reach. In addition, Portugal and the beautiful Algarve are only about an hour away. We also took the opportunity to travel to Morocco and Tenerife, as flights from Seville were very affordable. These trips were truly unforgettable, and I can only recommend exploring as much as possible. Many of these trips are also organized by Erasmus clubs, which is a great option for those who prefer not to travel alone.

We started looking for accommodation about two to three months before our stay, for example via Housing Huelva. Overall, this worked quite well, but it is important to keep in mind that Spanish housing standards can differ from what one might be used to. In retrospect, I would recommend choosing an apartment in the city center and making sure it is equipped with air conditioning or heating, as the winter months can be surprisingly cold and the apartments can feel quite humid.

All in all, I am incredibly grateful for this experience. I grew far beyond my comfort zone, learned so much about myself, and gained memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Most importantly, I found friends for life. I would therefore recommend an Erasmus semester to everyone without hesitation: go for it – it is absolutely worth it.

Photos & Text: Hannah Gollmayr