“El Rocío” - The Pilgrimage

“Every year on the Wednesday before Whit Sun, more than one million pilgrims leave their home brotherhoods in Andalusia and the rest of Spain towards the tiny village of “El Rocío” in the province of Huelva. Travelling on horse, in brightly decorated bullock carts or by foot, they sing traditional songs, dance Sevillanas, drink sherry wine and pray to the Holy Virgin of El Rocío… Eventually, they arrive on Saturday and that night the image of the Virgin, La Blanca Paloma, is paraded among the massed crowds and competing brotherhoods in a frenzy of excitement verge on hysteria.

The gipsy pilgrimage is an authentic and colorful event from deep Andalusia. For your group we will arrange a miniature Romería with bullock carts, Rociero musicians, horse carriages, flamenco girls and horse-riders. Guests may sit down or walk, and of course sing, dance, drink and pray…. In order to make this event even more authentic, guests dress up in Flamenco dresses and horse rider suits.

We move from one “Hacienda” to the next; on the way, there will be singing, dancing and drinking, the way the Andalusian gypsies do… Upon arriving at the second Hacienda, a huge bonfire with a fantastic barbecue with lamb, veal and suckling pig with salads and a lot of red wine is already waiting for the group, and now the party really starts! The “Coro Rociero” musicians will continue to act and of course all guests are invited to sing and enjoy the Andalusian way of life!