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Lepe is located 6.4 km from Islantilla and is the most populated municipality in the province after the capital. Founded by the Phoenicians in a small valley next to the Piedras River, Lepe has been populated by Romans and Arabs, preserving historical heritage from these times. Lepero sailors linked to the town of Lepe intervened in the discovery and conquest of America, among whom Rodrigo Pérez de Acevedo stands out. Other renowned leperos are Álvaro Alonso Barba, Cristóbal Méndez, Manuel Vela and Fray José Oria Castañeda.
Its smaller towns are La Barca, Pinares de Lepe, El Terrón, La Antilla and the Islantilla part of the municipality of Lepe, the latter two increasing the population considerably in summer due to tourism. The Nueva Umbría Marismas del Río Piedras y Flecha Natural Area is the main exponent of the municipality's natural heritage, within which the Nueva Umbría beach is located.
Of its municipal area, it is worth mentioning its 24 km of beach (La Antilla, Nueva Umbría and the eastern part of Islantilla), as well as the fishing port of El Terrón, the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Bella or the Torre del Catalán. Its festivities include the Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Beauty and the Patron Saint Festivities of San Roque y la Bella.
Isla Cristina is located 9.3 km from Islantilla. Its origins date back to the founding of a fishing colony by Catalans and Valencians after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which grew until it obtained its own town hall in 1833 and later absorbed the old municipality of La Redondela on June 30, 1887.
The main activity is fishing, favored by its important port. Its fish market is the first in terms of fresh fish auctions from Andalusia and the second in terms of tonnage. It also stands out for the celebration of international events, such as "The Cluster of Mixed Fishing Companies", and for having the third oldest newspaper in Andalusia, La Higuerita, centenary since February 13, 2015. Other signs of identity are the recent tourist activity as well as its carnival, one of the oldest and most important in Spain.
In the municipal area there are the Isla Cristina Marshes, protected through the form of a Natural Site, and also several areas of pine and scrub in the coastal dune belt. Due to its east-west orientation, the sunsets that end between the sea and the land have served as inspiration for several poets, leading to the creation of the sunset route, with famous quotes from great poets such as Rafael Alberti, Gerardo Diego, Juan Ramón Jiménez or Luis Cernuda.
