Birds and other wildlife apart, the resort settlement of MATALASCAÑAS on the coastal edge of Coto de Doñana National Park is unlikely to excite; with its large hotel complexes and a concrete shopping centre, it would be difficult to imagine a more complete lack of character. In summer, too, the few hostal rooms are generally booked solid and, unless you plan in advance, you'll probably end up camping - either unofficially at the resort itself, or at the vast Camping Rocío Playa (tel 959 430 238; open all year), 1.5km down the road towards Huelva. This site is a little inconvenient without your own transport if you're planning to take regular trips into the Doñana, but if you just want a beach , it's not a bad option. Playa Doñana and its continuation Playa Mazagón (with another campsite, Doñana Playa ; tel 959 536 281; open all year) are fine strands stretching the whole distance to Huelva, and with hardly another foreign tourist in sight. This route is covered by three daily buses in both directions.