For decades, Cádiz has been recognized as the oldest city in the West, thanks to its Phoenician foundation as Gadir. This theory was based on documented historical continuity and widespread acknowledgment from numerous publications and institutions.

However, recent archaeological discoveries in Huelva, particularly at the La Orden-Seminario site, have revealed evidence of human occupation dating back to the late 4th and early 3rd millennia BC. These findings suggest that the Huelva territory was already inhabited over 5,000 years ago, long before the arrival of Phoenicians, Romans, or Muslims.

Researchers such as Diego Ruiz Mata, an expert on Tartessos, and others like Mariano del Amo y de la Hera, Juan Manuel Campos Carrasco, and José Antonio Gómez Toscano, along with studies promoted by the University of Huelva, have helped reinforce the idea that Huelva possesses some of the oldest evidence of settlement in Western Europe.

The controversy lies in the definition of "city." While Cádiz represents a fully recognizable urban center from Phoenician times, with documented organization and continuity, Huelva presents considerably older settlements. Therefore, some specialists prefer to distinguish between "oldest evidence of settlement" (Huelva) and "oldest and best-documented urban foundations" (Cádiz).

Beyond who ultimately holds the title, this historical rivalry has served to highlight the valuable heritage of both cities. Cádiz fascinates with its Phoenician legacy, and Huelva surprises with its findings about the earliest inhabitants of Western Europe. Both share the privilege of being among the oldest continuously inhabited places in the West.