Aldea del Rocío

 village, pilgrimage

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The Romeria of El Rocio, annual pilgrimage made to the tiny El Rocio town in the Spanish Marismas Nacionales to view the festival of the Virgin worshipped there, is one of the great folklore events of southern Spain. Travelers in carts and on horseback converge on the town from starting points as far away as Marbella -- many from towns closer such as Sanlúcar de Barrameda -- in costume and singing and playing music and doing fandangos, sevillanas, tangos, other traditional dances. The finest approach is through the Marismas themselves -- the great marshes at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, crossing the river on small local ferries from San Lucar and then proceeding up through sand dunes and along trails to the Noche del Palacio and from there to El Rocio. Flamenco songs, sung & played & danced to by the pilgrims, commemorate and celebrate most of the sites along the way.