Spending Quality Time In El Rocio
Tourists will find El Rocio situated in the northwestern part of the famous marismas (the salt flat lands) in Huelva province in the Andalusia region of Spain. El Rocio is a small but charming village filled with beautiful white cottages surrounding a petite church stockade. You will love the time spent here as the atmosphere is an absolutely amazing one.
El Rocio became a very popular tourist destination due to the Romeria Del Rocio, a week-long festival hosted by the village every single year at Pentecost. The ‘’brotherhoods’’ in Malaga, Seville and Huelva gather together in El Rocio, riding horses and accompanied by ox carts that are lavishly decorated. This procession is quite different from other processions that take place throughout the country during this time, as in this one you will find a lot of partying, drinking and dancing.
The climax of the procession is on Saturday evening, when the cart arrives in El Rocio accompanied by thousands of pilgrims. This pilgrimage actually commemorates a miracle: the miracle of Our Lady of the Dew. It is said that the statue of Mary was found in El Rocio and any attempt to move it to another place was futile. Now the statue is associated with miraculous powers and with fertility. You should spend at least a few days in El Rocio, especially while the procession is at its height. You will fall in love with its sandy streets and with the cowboy farmers riding their beautiful horses.
Romeria Del Rocio
The festival attracts thousands of tourists as it brings together all the important brotherhoods in Andalusia. There are no motorized vehicles in this procession. You will be particularly appreciative of the carts as they are all wonderfully decorated with flowers and painted in bright colors. The female pilgrims dress in flamenco dresses inspired by the ones worn by the gypsies while the men wear bolero hats and short jackets.
Some of the carts are pulled by horses or by oxen, so you can anticipate a wonderful experience during your participation in this one-of-a-kind spectacle. The religious festival is completely different from any other religious festival in Spain. This one does not have the serious atmosphere that the other festivals usually have but instead enjoys a very festive and vibrant air. When the Virgin’s silver shrine is taken out of the El Rocio Church, everyone rushes to touch it as it is said that it brings good fortune. You should try it as well. It may bring you luck!