The Romeria Del Rocio fiesta is one of the biggest celebrations in Spain and is intermingled with local and Catholic beliefs. More than a million people gather together on Whitsunday in honour of the patron saint of Almonte, the Virgen Del Rocio.

The Romeria Del Rocio begins with a vibrant and exciting festival in the city of Almonte where people from all over Spain join to commemorate the Virgin Mary. The pilgrimage begins a few days later, with thousands of people walking through the Andalusia countryside to the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. Colourful processions from all the surrounding towns and villages are a site to behold, with the locals dressed up in their traditional garb and costumes. Many of the women wear gorgeous, colourful flamenco dresses, and the men look well-groomed in their traditional wide-brimmed bolero hats and short-cropped jackets. Horse drawn carriages and carts dominate the processions, with motor vehicles and cars banned from the pilgrimage.

The Romeria Del Rocio has been celebrated in Andalusia for over eight hundred years, ever since a local hunter found her statue in the village of Villamanrique in the fifteenth century. According to local legend, the statue was found in a tree trunk in Donana Park and is believed to have the ability to cure all kinds of disease and disorders. People pray to the Virgin Mary to help them with their ailments, or to alleviate the suffering of their friends and family.

A shrine to the Virgen has been placed in the marshes of the El Rocio fields where the statue was found several hundred years ago. The Romeros or travellers join together to shout their blessings to the Virgen. “Long Live the Queen of the Marshes” is taken up by all the pilgrims and can be heard for miles around. The festivities begin in full sing with music and dancing abound. Stalls and stands are set up all over the fields serving traditional food and drink. Fireworks light up the night sky and people are in high spirits.
On the Monday after the celebrations, the Virgen Del Rocio is brought out from her resting place in the local church. Thousands of the pilgrims await their chance to touch the blessed statue and shout wishes at her as she is carried past. The festival is one of the biggest in all of Spain, and is both a vibrant and touching occurrence.