El Rocio
About El Rocio
A unique town that looks like something from the Wild West, with sandy streets where horses have right of way and hitching posts outside buildings instead of parking spaces. El Rocio is most famous for hosting the annual El Rocio Pilgrimage, Spain's largest religious procession, when a million devotees converge on this small hamlet to honor the Virgin of El Rocio. Located next to Doñana National Park, it's also a paradise for birdwatchers and nature lovers.
Top Attractions in El Rocio
Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Rocío
This iconic white hermitage is home to the Virgin of El Rocío, affectionately called "La Blanca Paloma" (The White Dove), one of Spain's most venerated Marian images. The sanctuary becomes the focus of Spain's largest pilgrimage each Pentecost, when up to a million people converge on this small hamlet in an extraordinary display of devotion, music, and Andalusian culture. Brotherhood groups travel on horseback, in decorated carriages, or on foot across the countryside for days to reach the shrine, creating one of Spain's most colorful and emotional cultural events.
Category: Religious Site
Visit WebsiteCity Information
- Region
- Andalusia
- Population
- 1,618
- Location
- 37.1289, -6.4756