The Huelva Brotherhood of El Rocío

The Huelva Brotherhood takes one the largest followings of pilgrims to the village of El Rocío, although it is not the only Brotherhood in the capital of Huelva (which also hosts the Brotherhood of Emigrants). Being the provincial capital, Huelva lives El Rocío in a very special way, and the proportion of locals that make the journey is truly spectacular, comparable only to some towns in the county, the marshes and the Aljarafe (Seville) where El Rocío marks the calendar for the whole year.
	The Huelva Simpecado arrives at La Charca (The Pond), amidst the groves of Doñana, the dust and the waiting crowd that sings to it. On the right, a detail of the silver wagon with the Simpecado in Rocío / Foto © Ramón León
The Huelva Way is one of great beauty: It runs parallel to the sea until after Mazagón, where it abruptly penetrates into the surrounding areas of the Coto de Doñana (Donaña Reserve), and amidst the pine woods and sands crosses the boundary of the park. Such is the number of pilgrims that environmental legislation is very strict (in terms of waste and fires), but it is a price this powerful Brotherhood pays in order to maintain their traditional Way and enjoy the beauty of the landscape of Doñana. The Huelva Simpecado (ornate wagon which carries the Virgin Lady) moves through the sand searching for the La Rocina stream and the entrance to the village. The mules’ hooves sink into the sand and every year the pilgrims marvel at the beauty of Doñana in springtime.

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How to get there

Car: Almonte and the village of El Rocío are well connected, almost all the journey from Seville and from Huelva is by motorway (A-49). Halfway between Huelva and Seville is the turnoff for Almonte and El Rocío, very well indicated, near to Bollulos Par del Condado

Bus: the company Damas holds the concession for travel to Huelva and Almonte, El Rocío, and the beaches of Matalascañas and Mazagón.

Plane: Two international airports at less than 1.5 hours by A-49 motorway communicate Huelva with the main European destinations: the airports of Seville and Faro (on the Portuguese Algarve).

Train: connect Huelva and Seville three times a day, and Seville has also a modern High Speed Train station, with conncections to Madrid, Malaga and Barcelona.

Huelva Brotherhood Thursday journey

Procesión

Romería

Feria

Toros

Fiestas

Espectáculo

Itinerarios

Lugar de
Celebración

Zona
Aparcamiento

Estación
de tren

Tapear

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Iglesia

Mesa y mantel

Monumento

Alojamiento

Mirador

Café y copas

Lugar
de interés

Parking

Concierto

Compras

Teatro

Viajar
con niños

Senderismo

Museos y
exposiciones

Flora

Fauna

Cicloturismo

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Huelva Brotherhood Friday journey

Procesión

Romería

Feria

Toros

Fiestas

Espectáculo

Itinerarios

Lugar de
Celebración

Zona
Aparcamiento

Estación
de tren

Tapear

Iglesia

Mesa y mantel

Monumento

Alojamiento

Mirador

Café y copas

Lugar
de interés

Parking

Concierto

Compras

Teatro

Viajar
con niños

Senderismo

Museos y
exposiciones

Flora

Fauna

Cicloturismo

DOUBLE-CLICK ON THE MAP TO ZOOM IN

CLICK ON THE ICONS FOR MORE INFORMATION, AND DOUBLE-CLICK ON THE MAP TO SEE MORE DETAILS

Of interest

The Gato halt in the journey is famous for the beauty of its surroundings, with large pines and cork oaks in which storks and spoonbills nest and the greenness of the La Rocina riverbank vegetation.

Access to it is very complicated, because it is an area under maximum environmental protection, so it is necessary to obtain a permit from the Civil Guard (SEPRONA) if you want to visit it during the rest of the year. During the Rocío, it is not easy to visit this halting spot: it is better to join the Hermandad de Huelva at the halts of Bodegones and Cabezudos, in order to enter the Doñana National Park with the Huelva entourage.

In the village of El Rocío, the Casa (House) de la Hermandad de Huelva is remarkable for its size and its ideal location; it is one of the closest to the shrine of the Paloma Blanca (excepting the Casa de Almonte, integrated into the actual chapel).

Many brethren comfortably stay in this house during the pilgrimage (although more are accommodated in their own houses or use rented accommodation).

The Huelva Brotherhood

This brotherhood is an anthropological phenomenon: through it, in recent years the entire city of Huelva has been reaffirming its identity, because it is tired of feeling like Seville’s little sister in other forms (traditional festivals, football, political clout and population...).
Huelva congregates around a Brotherhood, which is surely one of the five or six most powerful Brotherhoods of El Rocío, comparable to Triana or Sanlúcar.

The Marian fervour mixes with that constant expression of “onubesismo”, of love and recognition of Huelva, and creates an atmosphere of tense emotion difficult to describe and felt by all and sundry. There is no need to be from Huelva to feel like you are, if you have travelled at least part of the Way with this Brotherhood.

Another issue that draws attention to this Brotherhood is the number of young people mobilized: in contrast to the clearly family character of the Brotherhoods of Aljarafe and the county (Gines, Sanlucar la Mayor, Villamanrique, La Palma, Moguer. ..) in Huelva there is a high proportion of young people who make the journey in gangs, on foot, and are able to maintain a vibrant rhythm of cheers, clapping, and singing... and to do the two things that define Huelva, a pretty fast walk and a spectacular massive and dusty arrival at El Rocío that paralyzes the village for several hours.

Useful Advice

Travelling with children

If you can afford a short holiday, children will enjoy the Moguer Way (see Huelva Brotherhood Friday journey section)because of the large entourage of wagons, carriages and horses involved.
The road is, however, hard for the heat and fatigue that many hours walking on the sands pose ... and because of the stunning dust clouds caused by many thousands of pilgrims on foot or on horse and by the horses that pull caravans, horse drawn carriages, etc ...

It is convenient to go with an all-terrain vehicle, but otherwise any Huelva local will welcome you to his/her trailer or horse-drawn carriage when they are tired.

We must, however, exercise caution with children: there are many animals and moving vehicles, and this may pose a danger to those who are not accustomed.

The rest of the year

This is a journey that can be made without special permits, at least until Cabezudos (from here, following the course of La Rocina may be restricted by the Ministry of the Environment). In the cooler weather months it is a delight to travel these roads, especially by bike or horse, but also in 4x4 vehicles, although it is very important to drive at moderate speeds – about 40 Km/h –: only then can you enjoy the scenery and minimize the risk of hitting wildlife.

Take care in the rainy season, because large puddles are created in the lanes that only seasoned drivers with 4x4 vehicles can overcome. Take your camera and then enjoy the cuisine of the area.

Hotels

Por su relación calidad/precio y su magnífica ubicación, éstos son los hoteles más recomendables. Clicando en sus logotipos accederá a sus mejores ofertas.

La cadena NH tiene 1 establecimiento en Huelva con magníficas instalaciones, como es habitual, y que suele realizar ofertas promocionales. NH es una garantía de comodidad y habitaciones funcionales, además de un servicio de extrema profesionalidad.

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