Experience the El Rocío Pilgrimage and Sanlúcar River Crossing
The thundering of hooves echoes across the marshlands as thousands of pilgrims make their way through the ancient pathways of Andalusia. This is La Romería del Rocío, Spain’s most spectacular religious pilgrimage that transforms the sleepy village of El Rocío into a sea of devotion, colour, and tradition every Pentecost weekend.
Dating back to the 13th century, this extraordinary pilgrimage began when a hunter discovered a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary nestled within a hollow tree trunk in the marshlands. The locals attempted to move the sacred image to nearby Almonte, but legend tells us that each time they rested during their journey, the Virgin mysteriously returned to her original resting place. Eventually, they accepted this divine message and built a hermitage on the very spot where she was found.
Today, nearly a million pilgrims descend upon El Rocío annually, making this the largest pilgrimage in Europe. The Virgin, affectionately known as La Blanca Paloma (The White Dove) or La Reina de las Marismas (The Queen of the Marshes), draws devotees from across Spain and beyond.
The 2025 Pilgrimage: Mark Your Calendar
The 2025 Romería del Rocío will unfold from 4 to 9 June, coinciding with Pentecost Monday. For the brotherhoods departing from the Costa Ballena region, the journey begins several days earlier, with some groups setting out as much as eight days before the final Monday celebration. The Guadalquivir crossings at Sanlúcar de Barrameda typically commence during the first week of June, as pilgrims from Rota, Chipiona, and El Puerto de Santa María gather at the ferry points with their decorated carriages and horses.
The Sanlúcar Crossing: Gateway to Devotion
For the brotherhoods originating from the coastal towns around Costa Ballena — including Rota, Chipiona, and El Puerto de Santa María — the pilgrimage follows the historic Sanlúcar Route, one of the most scenic and challenging paths to El Rocío. This ancient trail begins at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where pilgrims must cross the mighty waterway at Bajo de Guía.
The river crossing itself becomes a spectacle of faith and logistics. Hundreds of horse-drawn carriages, horsemen, and pilgrims on foot queue at the ferry crossing, their colourful banners (simpecados) fluttering in the Atlantic breeze. The sight of these traditional vessels laden with pilgrims, their horses, and ornate carriages creates an almost biblical scene as they traverse the waters that have carried travellers for centuries.
Once across the Guadalquivir, the real adventure begins. The Sanlúcar Route plunges directly into the heart of Doñana National Park, offering pilgrims an unparalleled journey through one of Europe’s most important wetland ecosystems. The path winds through cork oak forests, across sandy tracks, and alongside pristine marshlands where flamingos and wild horses roam freely.
A Carnival of Faith and Celebration
What transforms this pilgrimage from mere religious observance into something truly magical is the extraordinary atmosphere that permeates every mile of the journey. The procession becomes a moving festival where rocieras (flamenco-style songs about the pilgrimage) ring out across the marshlands as pilgrims sing their hearts out. These traditional melodies, passed down through generations, create a soundtrack that accompanies the rhythmic clip-clop of horses’ hooves and the creaking of wooden cart wheels.
The visual spectacle is breathtaking. Women transform into walking gardens of colour, donning traditional flamenco dresses in vibrant reds, blues, and yellows, their hair adorned with fresh carnations and jasmine. These aren’t the tight-fitting flamenco dresses of Seville’s April Fair, but rather fuller-skirted versions designed for the dusty pilgrimage trails. Men sport the classic Andalusian look — wide-brimmed cordobés hats, fitted waistcoats, and leather boots that can withstand days of walking through marshland. Children mirror their parents in miniature versions of the same traditional attire, creating a moving tapestry of Andalusian heritage that flows across the landscape.
The diversity of transport creates a fascinating tableau that spans centuries. Traditional ox-drawn wagons adorned with flowers share the dusty tracks with modern jeeps and trucks decorated in the same festive spirit. Horse-drawn carriages reminiscent of the Wild West roll alongside contemporary vehicles, all united in their common purpose. The sight is both timeless and wonderfully anachronistic — mobile phones capturing selfies from elaborately decorated gypsy-style caravans while GPS devices guide ancient pilgrimage routes.
As evening approaches and the brotherhoods establish their camps, the real celebration begins. Flamenco guitars and tambourines carried on the sandy wind animate the night. Pilgrims gather around campfires where the wine flows freely and spontaneous dancing erupts under star-filled skies. The sound of palmas (hand clapping) mingles with laughter and the distant lowing of oxen as communities that exist only during these precious days come alive with music and merriment.
The nights are legendary for their revelry. Stories circulate about the romantic encounters that bloom under the Andalusian stars, with locals joking about the baby boom that occurs nine months after each pilgrimage. The camps pulse with life as sevillanas dancers whirl in their colourful flamenco dresses while men in traditional Andalusian attire — broad-brimmed hats and leather chaps—strum guitars and share tales of previous pilgrimages.
Through the Sacred Wilderness
The journey from Sanlúcar to El Rocío covers approximately 30 kilometres of challenging terrain, but distance means little when measured against devotion. Pilgrims travel in groups known as hermandades (brotherhoods), each with their own traditions, songs, and distinctive dress. The women don vibrant flamenco-style dresses with fuller skirts than typical feria attire, adorned with flowers, while men sport traditional Andalusian hats and waistcoats.
The procession moves at the pace of the slowest ox-cart, creating a rhythm that has remained unchanged for generations. Candles, torches and flares illuminate the simpecados as thousands of voices join together in singing the Mysteries in honour of Our Lady. The decorated banners of each brotherhood flutter like medieval standards, creating a river of colour that flows through the protected wilderness of Doñana.
What strikes many first-time observers is the joyous atmosphere that permeates the entire pilgrimage. This isn’t a solemn march of penance but rather a celebration of faith that embraces life’s pleasures alongside spiritual devotion. Families travel together, children learn traditional songs from their elders, and friendships forged on these dusty tracks often last lifetimes.
Arrival and Revelation
The approach to El Rocío village creates an almost mystical atmosphere. The white-washed hermitage emerges from the landscape like a mirage, its bell tower visible for kilometres across the flat marshlands. As each brotherhood arrives, they present their simpecado to the Virgin in a ceremony that dates back centuries.
The climax occurs on Monday 9 June 2025 with the famous Salto de la Reja (Leap of the Fence), when members of the Almonte brotherhood vault over the altar railings to carry the Virgin through the village streets. This moment of intense emotion sees thousands of pilgrims surge forward, hoping to touch the sacred image or assist in carrying her through the narrow streets.
The Sanlúcar Route holds particular significance as it represents the maritime connection between Andalusia’s coastal communities and their inland spiritual heart. For the residents of Costa Ballena’s surrounding towns, this pilgrimage strengthens bonds not only with the divine but with the land itself — crossing waters that have sustained their ancestors and traversing landscapes that remain largely unchanged since medieval times.
As dawn breaks over the marshlands and the brotherhoods begin their homeward journey, they carry with them renewed faith and memories that will sustain them until the following year’s pilgrimage. The dust settles, the village returns to its peaceful slumber, but the spirit of La Romería del Rocío continues to pulse through the hearts of all who have made this sacred journey across the waters and through the wilderness to reach La Blanca Paloma.