Take out of the Yeguas, Almonte (Huelva)

Today I am going to talk to you about one of the most attractive popular traditions of the Hueva provincespecifically of the Take out of the Mares. I remember this centenary festival (regulated in 1504 by an ordinance of the Duke of Medina Sidonia) with great affection, since every June 26, just after school, my father, after finishing the hard work in the fields, would come to look for me. home and said to me: Antonio, let’s go see the foals at Rocío. Start the SEAT Panda that we are going to visit Donana!

When is the Saca de las Yeguas?

On June 25 of each year (after the El Rocío Pilgrimage) Marismo farmers come in search of their Marismo purebred mares and foals that graze in different areas of the Doñana Natural Area. Once grouped into troops (as they are called locally) take them to Almonte (already a day later, on June 26). On the way to Almonte they pass through the village of El Rocío. Around 11 in the morning they pass by the hermitage of El Rocío, a place where thousands of people gather to see this spectacle of singular beauty.

Do not miss the article with one of my Rociera experiences with my father in the Rocío pond with the Brotherhood of Huelva. You can also consult this other about what to see in Huelva.

When do the mares arrive in Almonte?

They arrive in Almonte around 7:00 p.m. Once there, they go to the livestock enclosure where the mares and foals are locked up to carry out the tasks of marking and we come. This activity consists of cutting the mane, tail and deworming for sale. The specimens that are not sold are returned to the marsh. All these acts are known as Take out of the Mares (The bag).

In my opinion, the Take out of the Mares It is one of the most interesting traditions of how many are housed in the Huelva town of Almonte. It is therefore an activity that I recommend to everyone for the cultural value it has.

IF you are going to travel to Rocío to see the Saca de las Yeguas, you may be interested in making a guided tour of the Doñana National Park. You can book it at the link. You can also book this wine and bull route and even this one wagon ride through Rocío and Doñana.

Where to sleep to see the Saca de las Yeguas

To se her Take out of the Mares The ideal is to sleep in El Rocío. The cheapest can be sleeping in the bungalows or camping in a tent at the campsite The Village of El Rocio, with excellent services. There are other good options in El Rocío, such as sleeping in a rural house or hotel like the Hotel La Malvasia the en La Fonda del Rocio. For cheaper options see this general list of cheap hotels in Matalascanas y cheap hotels in El Rocio.

Photos and video of the Saca de las Yeguas

Although I have taken pictures of the Take out of the Mares for many years, I leave you with a handful of them that I have selected for you. You can see both the mares and foals in the marsh and as they pass through El Rocío. I also leave you a video. I hope you like it.