El Rocío Pilgrimage 2027 (Romería de El Rocío): dates, access and where to stay (Almonte, Huelva)

Updated: 10 November 2026

The Romería de El Rocío takes place every year over Pentecost weekend in the village of El Rocío, part of the municipality of Almonte (Huelva), on the edge of Doñana. In 2027 Pentecost falls on Sunday 16 May, so the Monday procession will be on 17 May. 2027 is also special: the Virgin has been in Almonte town since the Venida of August 2026 and returns to her shrine in spring, before the pilgrimage. This guide brings together what we could check on 10 November 2026. The official 2027 programme, the 2027 Plan Romero and the 2027 traffic order have not been published yet: we give 2025 and 2026 figures for reference and mark what is "not confirmed".

El Rocío Pilgrimage 2027: dates

How the date is worked out and what has been published:

Pentecost is 49 days after Easter Sunday. In 2027 Easter falls on 28 March, so Pentecost is Sunday 16 May 2027 (confirmed by a public calendar) and Pentecost Monday is 17 May.
A private calendar site puts the pilgrimage on Sunday 16 and Monday 17 May 2027 (in 2026 it was 24 and 25 May; in 2028 it will be 4 and 5 June).
For reference, in 2026 the main days ran from Friday 22 to Monday 25 May. In 2027 they would, if the pattern repeats, run from Friday 14 to Monday 17 May: not confirmed until the Hermandad Matriz publishes the programme.
Brotherhoods leave their home towns several days earlier (in 2026 the pilgrim-route emergency plan was activated on Monday 18 May) and return after the Monday. Each brotherhood's 2027 departure and return dates: not confirmed.
A special year: the Virgin of El Rocío was moved to the parish church of the Asunción in Almonte on 19-20 August 2026 (the Venida) and returns to her shrine in spring 2027 for the pilgrimage. The exact date of her return: not confirmed.

The programme: brotherhoods, the Simpecado and the Monday procession

How it went in 2026, according to the press:

Presentation of the brotherhoods: from the Friday, the filial brotherhoods present themselves at the door of the shrine. In 2026, 127 filial brotherhoods made the pilgrimage.
The Simpecado is each brotherhood's banner bearing the image of the Virgin; it usually travels on a cart and is the focus of each brotherhood on the route and in the village.
Pentecost Sunday (2026): Pentecost Mass at 10:00 in front of the shrine with the brotherhoods and their simpecados, and at night the brotherhoods' Rosary, which ends with the Salve.
Monday: the men of Almonte jump the altar rail (the salto de la reja) and carry the Virgin out in procession through the village. In 2026 the jump came at 03:02 on 25 May; the Virgin visits the brotherhoods' simpecados, starting with the Hermandad Matriz. In 2025 the procession lasted almost ten hours (the Virgin went back in at 12:32).
The time of the salto de la reja is not announced: it depends on when the Rosary ends and on the people of Almonte. 2027 times: not confirmed.

Pilgrim routes and the Plan Romero

What we know, with the year of each figure:

There are four main routes to the village: the Moguer route (Huelva brotherhoods), the Ajolí route (Seville, the busiest), the Manecorro route (Cádiz, via Sanlúcar and Doñana) and the Los Llanos and Los Tarajales route (Almonte and nearby).
The Plan Romero is the Andalusian regional government's (Junta de Andalucía) emergency plan: in 2026 it was activated on Monday 18 May and covered the Huelva, Seville and Cádiz routes plus the Plan Aldea for the village (21 to 28 May 2026), with a coordination centre (Cecopi) in Almonte and national, regional and local authorities taking part.
In 2026, 10,354 people crossed at Bajo de Guía (Sanlúcar), with 60 carts, 1,135 horses and 984 vehicles, according to the Junta.
2027 Plan Romero: not confirmed. We did not find specific information from the Government Sub-delegation in Huelva; check it when published, together with the Junta and the DGT (traffic authority).
If you are not travelling with a brotherhood, do not plan to drive the pilgrim routes: there are rules for carts, horses and support vehicles, and some stretches only allow animal-drawn or essential vehicles.

Traffic and getting into the village

Almonte Town Council's 2025 pilgrimage order, for reference:

In 2025 driving and parking motor vehicles anywhere in the village was banned from Thursday 15:00 to Monday 15:00; only authorised vehicles could enter, at a maximum of 20 km/h.
The southern A-483 access (Matalascañas-El Rocío) was closed from Thursday 15:00 to Tuesday 15:00, except for emergencies and public transport authorised by the regional Transport Consortium; lorries over 7,500 kg were restricted between km 14 and 27 of the A-483.
Passes: in 2026 they could only be requested on micharret.com, from 2 March to 30 April; during the pilgrimage only 40-minute loading passes are issued. Horse-drawn carriages need an annual registration (2024 by-law).
2027 traffic order and pass deadlines: not confirmed. If you are staying in the village, ask your host whether they arrange a pass or where to leave the car.
Getting there in general: from Seville or Huelva on the A-49, then the A-483; Seville airport is about 64 km away, the nearest train station is La Palma del Condado (14 km), and Damas buses link Almonte with Huelva and Seville. Special buses for 2027: not confirmed.

Doñana and Matalascañas

What is nearby:

El Rocío is one of the gateways to Doñana: the village looks out over the marshes, and the La Rocina and El Acebuche visitor centres are close by. Access, visitor centres and guided tours in our Spanish-language guide /visitar-donana-2026-accesos-centros-visitantes-visitas-guiadas.
During the pilgrimage the Doñana area takes a lot of traffic: stick to signposted routes and the rules of the protected area.
Matalascañas, Almonte's beach resort, is about 15 km from the village on the A-483 (around 10-15 minutes' drive on a normal day). Remember that in 2025 the southern A-483 access was closed during the pilgrimage.
Outside the pilgrimage, El Rocío receives pilgrimages almost every weekend; in 2026-2027, while the Virgin is in Almonte, they take place at the parish church of the Asunción.

Where to stay

A few practical criteria:

In the village most houses belong to brotherhoods or private owners and are booked far ahead; hotel and apartment beds are few for the more than one million visitors that Turismo de Andalucía mentions.
Alternatives: Almonte, Matalascañas, Hinojos, Bollullos Par del Condado, La Palma del Condado, or Huelva and Seville for day trips. Check how you will get in given the road closures on those days.
The 2027 dates (16-17 May) follow from the calendar, but the programme is not published: choose flexible cancellation and check the property's minimum stay.
Before paying, look at the total price with cleaning and deposit, the cancellation policy and the property's tourism registration number.

If you run a property in Almonte, El Rocío or Matalascañas

What travellers typically ask AI assistants about these dates:

Which days the 2027 pilgrimage falls on and how many nights minimum you require.
Whether guests can drive to the property during the road closures and where to park.
How long it takes on foot or by car to the shrine, Matalascañas beach or the Doñana visitor centres.
Keeping this clear and up to date on your website and listings (and checking it again when the 2027 Plan Romero and traffic order come out) avoids wrong answers.

How iQuota helps

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Frequently asked questions

When is the El Rocío pilgrimage in 2027?

Over Pentecost weekend: Sunday 16 May 2027, with the Virgin's procession in the early hours and morning of Monday 17 May. The official 2027 programme has not been published yet.

What time is the salto de la reja?

It has no fixed time. In 2026 it came at 03:02 on Monday 25 May, and in 2025 the procession lasted almost ten hours.

Can you drive into El Rocío during the pilgrimage?

Not in 2025: driving and parking motor vehicles in the village was banned from Thursday to Monday, except for authorised vehicles with a pass. The 2027 measures are not confirmed.

What is the Plan Romero?

The Junta de Andalucía's emergency plan for the pilgrim routes and the village. In 2026 it was activated on 18 May, with the Plan Aldea running from 21 to 28 May. The 2027 plan has not been published.

How far is Matalascañas from El Rocío?

About 15 km on the A-483, according to Turismo de Andalucía. During the 2025 pilgrimage the southern A-483 access was closed from Thursday to Tuesday, except for emergencies and authorised public transport.

Sources

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