Virgin of El Rocio
Virgin of El Rocio
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
450 reviews
Excellent
248
Very good
142
Average
45
Poor
7
Terrible
8
LaJarrie
Southampton, UK495 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Had heard so much about El Rocío over the years, and eventually managed to get here, despite it being a bit of a trek from wherever you are, but worth it to combine with the Parque National de Doñana. Unfortunately rather geared up for tourists , and coach loads come daily. Restaurants and hotels similarly so, and the prices reflect this. The location though is incomparable. The sandy streets, and the hitching posts outside the buildings, are set up for the horses and carriages that are an integral part of this town. The church is worth a visit, with its unbelievably ornate gilded reredos. Not sure where the famous statue of the Virgin Mary had gone, as you can see the space where she should be.....haven’t yet managed to find out where to get this information! But simply spectacular were the marismas overlooked by the town. Don’t miss taking the paths along the side of these... preferably not (like us) leaving your binoculars in the car! These were just teeming with wildlife, various species of ducks, wading birds, and two large flocks of flamingoes who weren’t at all put off by the proximity of humans.
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sriley54
Germantown, TN25 contributions
Apr 2018
We visited this church because we were staying in this sleepy town to be near the Donana National Park. It is the main attraction of the town and the statue on the altar is the main attraction of the church. Once a year thousands make their pilgrimage to this town to honor the statue of the Virgin of El Rocio. The church is well worth seeing and we enjoyed the town while we were there.
Written 24 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JandKMac
Seattle, WA31 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
We rode into here as part of a week-long horseback adventure: and the seven horses puffed out their chests and picked up their hooves with pride, to wheel around the wide sandy boulevards and pose in front of the cathedral. There was something lovely, too, to look out of our hotel window that evening to see a couple of guys ambling to the bar, chatting quietly, on their horses.
Lots of people seem to come here for birdwatching: there's certainly a beautiful view across the water, with plenty of birdlife.
Lots of people seem to come here for birdwatching: there's certainly a beautiful view across the water, with plenty of birdlife.
Written 28 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris K
Deventer, The Netherlands26 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
El Rocío is a very special Place, no asphalt roads, all sand. More people travel by horse than by car. Wild West Style, you expect to meet Winnetou & Old Shatterhand any minute 🤗. Daytime lots of tourists (mostly spanish) nicer to visit in the evening. Don’t forget to light a candle for you loved ones.
Written 1 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SJ McKinnon
London, UK1,412 contributions
Mar 2016
As others before me, the best way to describe this place is 'wild west', no tarmac roads one you are in town, great architecture and located on the side of a fabulous lagoon teeming with wildlife. A birdwatcher's paradise.
We arrived about 17.00 on a Sunday afternoon for 3 days of birdwatching in the area.
As we arrived the road leading north (thankfully in the opposite direction to us) was full of traffic and and when we arrived into town the place was crowded with people, cars, horses and horse drawn carriages, lots of music was playing - a real fiesta feeling! However by 22.00 the town had emptied of people and was deserted, and remained that way for the rest of our visit.
The town houses about 90 Hermandades (brotherhoods) - that own their own large and imposing houses with stables, as well as its own chapel, with its name displayed at the front.
These properties provide accommodation for its members and their families together with their horses, during the pilgrimage weekend (about a million people turn up for this so avoid this time - Pentecost - if you are not part of the pilgrimage!) These brotherhoods also stay at their houses at weekends throughout the year, with their families making each visit into a big fiesta.
The town itself is attractive with lots of interesting architecture, and the huge the Ermita or Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de El Rocío Church, on the side of the lagoon.
El Rocío is located on the Marismas del Rocío, a marshland area where there are many birds, particularly in winter and spring, including flamingoes, herons and storks. Near the church running alongside the wetlands is the Paseo Marismeño, an excellent birdwatching spot. The town is on the north-west edge Parque Nacional Doñana and is a great place to base yourself if you are wishing to explore the park.
From the town it is easy to walk to Centro de Información Las Rocinas with its well located bird hides along the old main road to Matalascañas, there are a few bird hides along the walk looking back across the main lagoon. This is a good walk to do in the early morning before before breakfast to watch the roosting birds go overhead, although you are facing east! There is also a restaurant here, and we had a light lunch here and birdwatcher at the same time!
Make time as the sun sets to sit on the promenade and watch the birds come into roost, it is a wonderful sight as they fly over to the eastern shore of the over the lagoon to their roosting sites.
Our one comment would be about the litter, after everyone had left on Sunday, there were overflowing litter bins along the promenade which had still not been emptied by Wednesday, and large amounts of litter thrown into the lagoon, this was unpleasant and sad to see considering this area is one of Europe's most important wetland areas for wildlife. Come on pilgrims - clean your rubbish up!
To sum up:
If you are into nature/birdwatching, this is a fantastic location, you can get up early to birdwatch along the promenade at dawn, then have breakfast before setting out to explore the Parque Nacional Doñana. If you are going to visit the José Antonio Valverde visitor centre it is a long drive, about 25km on tarmac roads and a further 30km on unmade roads. Plan for a whole day for this trip - the birdwatching along the way was incredible during our visit during the 2nd week of March. If birdwatching make sure you do your homework in advance, there are a couple of excellent books covering this area with good maps/descriptions are good birding areas. Detailed maps of the area seem hard to get.
Avoid weekends if you don't like crowds.
Make sure you have insect repellant - in early March mosquitos were not too much of a problem, take some with you when you are out and about. We also had an electric mosquito machine for our room (just to be on the safe side).
We arrived about 17.00 on a Sunday afternoon for 3 days of birdwatching in the area.
As we arrived the road leading north (thankfully in the opposite direction to us) was full of traffic and and when we arrived into town the place was crowded with people, cars, horses and horse drawn carriages, lots of music was playing - a real fiesta feeling! However by 22.00 the town had emptied of people and was deserted, and remained that way for the rest of our visit.
The town houses about 90 Hermandades (brotherhoods) - that own their own large and imposing houses with stables, as well as its own chapel, with its name displayed at the front.
These properties provide accommodation for its members and their families together with their horses, during the pilgrimage weekend (about a million people turn up for this so avoid this time - Pentecost - if you are not part of the pilgrimage!) These brotherhoods also stay at their houses at weekends throughout the year, with their families making each visit into a big fiesta.
The town itself is attractive with lots of interesting architecture, and the huge the Ermita or Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de El Rocío Church, on the side of the lagoon.
El Rocío is located on the Marismas del Rocío, a marshland area where there are many birds, particularly in winter and spring, including flamingoes, herons and storks. Near the church running alongside the wetlands is the Paseo Marismeño, an excellent birdwatching spot. The town is on the north-west edge Parque Nacional Doñana and is a great place to base yourself if you are wishing to explore the park.
From the town it is easy to walk to Centro de Información Las Rocinas with its well located bird hides along the old main road to Matalascañas, there are a few bird hides along the walk looking back across the main lagoon. This is a good walk to do in the early morning before before breakfast to watch the roosting birds go overhead, although you are facing east! There is also a restaurant here, and we had a light lunch here and birdwatcher at the same time!
Make time as the sun sets to sit on the promenade and watch the birds come into roost, it is a wonderful sight as they fly over to the eastern shore of the over the lagoon to their roosting sites.
Our one comment would be about the litter, after everyone had left on Sunday, there were overflowing litter bins along the promenade which had still not been emptied by Wednesday, and large amounts of litter thrown into the lagoon, this was unpleasant and sad to see considering this area is one of Europe's most important wetland areas for wildlife. Come on pilgrims - clean your rubbish up!
To sum up:
If you are into nature/birdwatching, this is a fantastic location, you can get up early to birdwatch along the promenade at dawn, then have breakfast before setting out to explore the Parque Nacional Doñana. If you are going to visit the José Antonio Valverde visitor centre it is a long drive, about 25km on tarmac roads and a further 30km on unmade roads. Plan for a whole day for this trip - the birdwatching along the way was incredible during our visit during the 2nd week of March. If birdwatching make sure you do your homework in advance, there are a couple of excellent books covering this area with good maps/descriptions are good birding areas. Detailed maps of the area seem hard to get.
Avoid weekends if you don't like crowds.
Make sure you have insect repellant - in early March mosquitos were not too much of a problem, take some with you when you are out and about. We also had an electric mosquito machine for our room (just to be on the safe side).
Written 29 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Federico P
Province of Verona, Italy6 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
It looks like a town from a Clint Eastwood movie, but it's all true. And it has been that way for more than 100 years.
Charming streets made of golden sand, houses, stores, villas, mansions, a spectacular cathedral: all painted white.
And great places to enjoy the typical food of southern Spain.
One of the quaintest places in western Europe, no question about it.
It's definitely worth a visit if you happen to be around Sevilla.
Charming streets made of golden sand, houses, stores, villas, mansions, a spectacular cathedral: all painted white.
And great places to enjoy the typical food of southern Spain.
One of the quaintest places in western Europe, no question about it.
It's definitely worth a visit if you happen to be around Sevilla.
Written 4 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nomesssy93
Leeds, UK11 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
I would 100% recommend a visit the the rocio. The whole town is an experience in itself with the sandy roads and people riding around on horseback. Every house and bar has a place to tie your horse up outside. It really is like going back in time. It's fun driving or walking around and seeing all of the brotherhood houses. Truely an experience and fascinating to learn about. The church and virgin are also pieces of art. As someone who is not religious I still found it all very intersting.
Written 17 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
190832Anne
Durham, UK166 contributions
Nov 2018
Impressive large church in a unique location in a totally unpaved pueblo. Entrance to the church iis free.
Written 30 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gilles P
Paris, France46 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
When you arrive in El Rocio at late season, you could play Ennio Morricone music and imagine you are playing in a John Ford's movie. The visit of the park in 4X4 or horse riding give a huge view on deers ans plenty of birds.
Written 7 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy S
Christchurch, New Zealand37 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
Just loved this town ..So quiet ( obviously not during festive time !) and relaxed and friendly locals .
BUT the plastic rubbish and litter is sad to see . Why can't humans pick up their rubbish ? Or just not discard it on the ground !
Rubbish everywhere.
Ruins a truly beautiful town .
BUT the plastic rubbish and litter is sad to see . Why can't humans pick up their rubbish ? Or just not discard it on the ground !
Rubbish everywhere.
Ruins a truly beautiful town .
Written 20 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
El fin de semana anterior al fin de semana del Rocío hay ya ambiente en la Aldea?
Written 2 February 2020
Si! La semana antes va las reuniones a preparar sus casas, y se quedan el fin de semana. Hay ambiente! Hay 2 bares de flamenquito por la aldea que casi siempre hay grupos de cante! Espero que te sirva de ayuda
Written 3 February 2020
Tengo ganas de visitar la aldea. ¿Febrero sería una fecha acertada?
Written 18 August 2019
Yo iría en Enero que hay romerías o en primavera cuando hace mas calorcita, en mayo cuando es la romería del rocio no se cabe alli y hay un ambiente muy bueno!
Written 19 August 2019
Tomar la autovía A 49 dirección Sevilla y en el desvía de Bollullos par del Condado tomar la carretera A 483 dirección Almonte y llegaras al Rocio. Espero te resulte fácil.
Written 12 February 2017
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