Departure of Huelva's Rocío brotherhoods

Every spring Huelva sends off its two Rocío brotherhoods on their way to the village of El Rocío, in Almonte, 64 kilometres away. The Real e Ilustre Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Rocío de Huelva was admitted as an affiliate in 1880. The Hermandad de Emigrantes was founded in the 1960s by Huelva emigrants in Bocholt (Germany) and moved to Huelva in 1968.

The departures turn the city into a festival: ox carts, riders, tractors and thousands of pilgrims on foot cross the centre, stop at institutions and churches and head off along the estuary. In 2025 the City Council began the procedure to seek a declaration as a Festival of National Tourist Interest of Andalusia.

Emigrantes leaves its chapel on Paseo de las Glorietas and passes Plaza de la Merced (Cathedral), calle Puerto, the City Hall, Plaza del Punto (monument to the Virgen del Rocío) and avenida de Italia to the Naval Command; it then follows avenida Francisco Montenegro towards La Suelta and spends the night at Tres Rayas. The Huelva brotherhood leaves its brotherhood house, passes the Rocío church, the Sagrado Corazón, Plaza del Punto, avenida de Italia, the Andalusian Government Delegation and the Naval Command, and by way of Punta del Sebo continues to Las Posadillas and La Matilla, where it spends the night.

Each departure begins with the early-morning Pilgrims' Mass. At the City Hall the council bids farewell to the brotherhoods with the Municipal Band, and rose petals rain down on the Simpecado banner of the Huelva brotherhood. At the Naval Command the Sailors' Salve is sung; the insignia are put away there and the pilgrimage begins.

The City Council asks people to keep their distance from carts and tractors, not to cross between the animals, to drink water often and not to throw cigarette ends or glass along the route because of the fire risk.